Iglesia de San Antonio/Tiffany Church is one of the few remaining historic churches that conveys the story of Hispano history in southeastern La Plata County near the border with New Mexico. Located in the settlement of Tiffany, the small Catholic church was completed in 1928 using local labor and materials and served a longtime Hispano farming and sheepherding community along the San Juan River corridor. Built of handmade adobe bricks covered with wire and stucco plaster, the church remains a rare and important architectural and cultural resource that reflects the settlement patterns, religious traditions, and enduring community ties of this part of southwestern Colorado.
The community of Tiffany was established in 1881 as a stop along the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad on the route to Durango. Like nearby settlements such as Allison, Pagosa Junction, Trujillo, and Juanita, Tiffany developed through a combination of railroad activity, farming, and Hispano migration from northern New Mexico and the San Luis Valley. Many local families farmed riverine lands, maintained orchards, and raised sheep, creating small but resilient communities with strong cultural continuity. As Tiffany grew in the early twentieth century, it developed a mercantile, expanded railroad facilities, a school, a livery, and a dance hall, while irrigation ditches and a lake provided water for residents. Within that setting, Iglesia de San Antonio became a vital community landmark and a visible expression of the importance of faith, family, and shared identity.
The church was operated as a mission church from Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Durango and was served by a visiting pastor. In 1942, ownership of the church transferred to the Diocese of Pueblo, the current owner. Regular weekly services continued until 1972, when parish activity shifted to St. Ignatius in Ignacio. Even after regular services ended, the church remained deeply meaningful to local families. An annual Mass honoring Saint Anthony has continued each June, drawing descendants and community members back to the church. The building has therefore remained not only a historic structure, but also a living place of cultural memory and spiritual continuity.
Architecturally, Iglesia de San Antonio/Tiffany Church is significant for its strong integrity and its association with regional Hispano building traditions. The church is a one-story rectangular adobe building oriented to the west, with recessed doors, an enclosed entry porch, a front-gable roof with exposed rafter tails, and a centered two-part square wooden steeple topped by a cross. The style is reminiscent of Territorial Adobe buildings found in the San Luis Valley and in the Rosa and Tierra Amarilla areas of New Mexico. The exterior is painted pale pink with white trim, while the interior retains a remarkable degree of historic character. The altar extends across the width of the sanctuary and still contains original altar items, including the collection box, the original cross carried into the church at the beginning of Mass, and original brass candle holders. The church has no additions and has experienced no major alterations that diminish its historic character.
Although Iglesia de San Antonio/Tiffany Church retains a high degree of integrity, it has long suffered from deterioration typical of aging adobe and stucco buildings. Weathering, moisture, and deferred repairs created preservation concerns that led to its Endangered Places listing. Since that time, however, important progress has been made. The interior has been painted and continues to be maintained by local families in preparation for the annual Mass. A chain link fence was installed around the property to protect the church from damage caused by neighboring animals. Technical staff from the State Historical Fund and a Durango architect also completed a preliminary building assessment, helping clarify preservation needs and next steps.
CPI has helped play an important role in advancing preservation planning and stabilization for the church. In 2021, CPI worked to complete a State Historical Fund mini-grant for construction documents, stabilization work, and stucco repairs. CPI later prioritized the church as one of five key Endangered Places Program sites in 2022, helping elevate its visibility and preservation needs. The Diocese’s updated willingness to allow State Historical Fund grant applications has also created an important opportunity for future rehabilitation work. Most recently, a capital improvement grant from Latinos in Heritage Conservation has been secured to support ongoing restoration efforts as the community works toward an important goal: continuing preservation work in advance of the church’s 100-year Mass in 2028.
Today, Iglesia de San Antonio/Tiffany Church remains an extraordinary symbol of Hispano history in La Plata County and along the San Juan River corridor. Its significance lies not only in its adobe architecture, but also in the generations of local families who built it, cared for it, and continue to return to it. By supporting the preservation of this small but powerful landmark, CPI and its partners honor the history of hard-working Hispano families and help ensure that their stories, traditions, and contributions to Colorado history remain visible for future generations.