CityRegionNationWorld: The Urban Form of Mining Towns

Jim Thorpe, PA. Photo: author

19th century mining was rough. The earth was split apart with pick axes and dynamite with little regard to the aftereffects. Workers died daily, or died later from toxins lodged in their lungs. Immigrant groups were treated poorly, especially Chinese.

But somehow, 19th century mining left a legacy of beautiful towns with some of the best urban form and architecture in America, from the Appalachians to the Sierras. How did this come about? My theory: It was the convergence of three things: money, necessary compactness, and architectural trends of the time.

Industry barons struck it rich and workers had money in their pockets, so entrepreneurs followed them and established successful hubs of banks, stores, apartments, saloons, brothels, what have you. The resulting boomtowns were necessarily compact because it was still the pre-car era when walking distance was key, and because the towns were often shoe-horned into steep valleys within mountainous regions. The architecture was grand because it was the Victorian era, and there was ample wealth to hire quality architects and stonemasons. The result is a scattering of American towns that share more characteristics with European villages (narrow streets, 3 or 4 story buildings) than other US towns of the same vintage.

When the local ore was spent, many mining towns fell on hard times. But thanks to their attractive building stock and comfortable urban form, these towns have been rediscovered and repurposed. Many forget that Aspen, Colorado, home to celebrities and world-class skiing, was originally a rough-and-tumble silver mining town.

Here is a list of eleven great 19th century American mining towns, including when they were established, what they were mining nearby, and what the main draw is today. I have placed Google Map links in locations that showcase each town’s urban form.