In 1881, real estate developer Peter Fassbinder donated land for St. Columba Church. It was built about halfway between Animas City and the new town of Durango. There was a considerable Irish population in the area at the time, which might suggest why an Irish saint was chosen for the name. Saint Columba was an early missionary responsible for spreading Christianity to Scotland, and one apocryphal story credits him with one of the first encounters with the Loch Ness monster in the year 565. The original building is still being used, though it has been modernized over the years. It sits on the corner of 18th Street and East Second Avenue. The rectory seen just behind the church on the left is also still in existence. Read more about local history at durangoherald.com/westishistory.<br><br>Ed Horvat for The Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org
In 1881, real estate developer Peter Fassbinder donated land for St. Columba Church. It was built about halfway between Animas City and the new town of Durango. There was a considerable Irish population in the area at the time, which might suggest why an Irish saint was chosen for the name. Saint Columba was an early missionary responsible for spreading Christianity to Scotland, and one apocryphal story credits him with one of the first encounters with the Loch Ness monster in the year 565. The original building is still being used, though it has been modernized over the years. It sits on the corner of 18th Street and East Second Avenue. The rectory seen just behind the church on the left is also still in existence. Read more about local history at durangoherald.com/westishistory.<br><br>Ed Horvat for The Animas Museum, [email protected]Courtesy of La Plata County Historical Society, www.animasmuseum.org