Manitou Experimental Forest Station

 ranger station, Tudor (architecture), NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historic district, forest ranger's office, New Deal Depression Relief Project [1933-1945]

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Historic forest ranger station complex listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a historic district.

- Built: 1937-1939
- Architect: Farm Security Administration
- Architectural style: Tudor Revival influences; Richardsonian Romanesque and Rustic detailing
- Areas of significance: Architecture; Conservation; Agriculture
- Area: 19.2 acres
- Structures:
~~ ranger office
~~ lodge building
~~ ranger's residence
~~ two garages
~~ fire house
~~ bunkhouse
~~ stable
~~ storage sheds
- Date added to NRHP: 8/28/1998
- Other designations: U.S. Historic District; listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties

This forest ranger complex is the administrative center for a 26 square mile experimental forest. Since its establishment, this swath of land has been the site of numerous experiments that have improved rangeland, watershed, and forest management practices for the U.S. Forest Service. The complex was constructed by the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program that operated between 1935 and 1943. The program provided work for unemployed people who were struggling to find jobs during the Great Depression. This particular project is unusual among WPA sites in its use of Tudor-inspired architecture, rather than the simpler Rustic style used on most other administration structures.

NRHP #98001091