Article Contributed on: 3/4/2008 2:11:16 PM
In the dining room of the venerable B & B Cafe, 322 Wilcox St., in Castle Rock, a headline from a weathered news page that's framed up on the wall reads "Flames reduce county landmark to rubble." It's a story that most of the locals are familiar with.
The Douglas County Courthouse, which was built from native rhyolite in 1890, went up in flames March 11, 1978, leaving almost nothing behind except for a smoldering rubble. Though most of the courthouse's documents were saved on microfilm in an office in Jefferson County, the loss of the building was a major loss to the identity of both Douglas County and Castle Rock.
"The loss of the courthouse is still felt in the community," said
Johanna Harden, an archivist with the Douglas County Research Center. "I think the building embodied the personality of the county. Its loss was not only physical, but was also very emotional."
The actual fire started at 12:25 a.m. on the second floor of the building, according to reports. Seven prisoners had to be evacuated from the jail, which was housed in the basement of the courthouse.
An investigation eventually revealed the blaze was started by a 17-year-old Denver girl named
Rose Ann Lucero, who started the fire in hopes of freeing her boyfriend, who was in jail at the time. She pleaded innocent in court and ended up serving probation time, according to reports.
Residents attempted to form a "Save The Courthouse" committee, but the remains of the building were eventually razed. The county quickly replaced the site with an administrative office, which now houses the county's clerk and recorder's office.
Local historian
Kent Brandebery, who has lived in Castle Rock since 1938, said many residents were disappointed with the courthouse's replacement.
"They were disgusted with it," Brandebery said.
The longtime resident said the town had to halt plans to rebuild downtown Castle Rock around the notorious "courthouse square."
"When the courthouse burnt down, all those ideas and plans went by the wayside," he said. "It kind of took away from the area."