Once upon a time, during the early gold mining days of Colorado, gold was discovered in Gold Run Creek near the center of Gold Hill. The year was 1859 when one of the state’s gold strikes paved the way for the first settlement of Gold Hill.

The town was more like a city of tents and minimalistic rustic cabins. In less than a decade, the town was devastated by a wildfire, and the economic difficulties of the civil war pushed people out, and local mines dried out.

It wasn’t until tellurium was discovered in 1872 that the town came back to life. With a new purpose on the horizon, 20 homes, six boarding houses, a hotel, two stores, a meat market, a blacksmith shop, two stables, two saloons, and a schoolhouse became the town of Gold Hill.

Miss Hannah C. Spalding taught the more than 30 students who first attended the town’s school. By 1895, 60 students enrolled in the one-room school. On Saturday, September 2, 2023, from 12 to 4 p.m., teachers, students, alumni, and community members gathered at 890 Main Street to celebrate the 150th year of the Gold Hill School.

Inside the school, photo books, and yearbooks told the stories of those who had come before. An array of silent auction items decorated two rooms, and Gold Hill School memorabilia was available for purchase outside.

A band, a food truck, a caricature artist, a balloon artist, and a face painter entertained guests as they gathered to reminisce about the old days and discuss the things that have changed. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged throughout the event as the school’s past students reunited for the first time in decades.

Midway through the festivities, current students shared what they enjoyed about attending Gold Hill School. Two former school leaders shared writings about their time teaching at the historic school. Then several dozen attendees gathered in front of the school for a group photo.

One alumnus, Brooke Pastore Cardoso, traveled from Newport, Rhode Island. She shares, “We must keep schools like this open so mountain communities can continue to thrive.” Cardoso also feels that schools like Gold Hill are creating future leaders of the world by utilizing and allowing free and creative thinking.

Everyone who has been a part of the Gold Hill School community will agree that they continue to be a part of the local and surrounding mountain communities. As Cardoso put it, “Once you are part of Gold Hill, you are forever intertwined.”

Gold Hill School has undergone many changes, including renovations and leadership, but regardless of the challenges it has always faced, its heart has remained unchanged.

Gold Hill School is located at 890 Main Street, Gold Hill. Today Gold Hill School is part of the Boulder Valley School District, and you can learn more at https://ghe.bvsd.org/ or you can give them a call at 720-561-5940.