Francisco Plaza, La Veta

Just east of La Veta, at the foot of the Spanish Peaks, Francisco Plaza was begun in eighteen sixty-two in the Cucharas Valley. John M. Francisco, a trader, and his partner Henry Daigre constructed two adobe buildings arranged around an open courtyard, a design that doubled as a trading post and a defensive fortification.

Francisco had spent years as a sutler at Fort Garland, supplying the army, before settling here on land acquired from the Vigil and Saint Vrain Land Grant. The settlement that grew around the plaza became a hub for Hispanic and Anglo ranchers alike. After the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad arrived in eighteen seventy-six, the building served the growing town.

Today it operates seasonally as the Francisco Fort Museum.