Colorado's houses of worship reflect the same trademark resourcefulness and fortitude that the pioneers and history makers demonstrated throughout the state's history. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, established in 1854, remains the state's oldest church. Formed by a group of African American settlers, including former slaves, Zion Baptist became Colorado's first black congregation on November 15, 1865. On May 23, 1868, famed frontiersman Christopher "Kit" Carson died in the historic chapel at Fort Lyon. And thanks to con artist Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, who raised $600, Creede erected its first church in 1892. From notable parishioners to murders in two separate Denver churches, historian Linda Wommack surveys the heritage and wealth of holy houses in the Mile High State.

In addition to majestic mountains and colorful terrain, Colorado's landscapes are scattered with rural and small-town churches. This book is filled with little-known historical anecdotes about the structures, the people, and places associated with them, and the colorful, often heroic, itinerant preachers who brought religion to the frontier. Color and black and white photographs reveal a surprising multi-ethnic character of early Colorado. Faith in High Places fills an otherwise undocumented niche in Colorado History.

Since 1991, the Colorado Historical Society has supported the restoration of the state's most significant sites through the State Historical Fund. Thanks to the SHF, more than 600 building, sites, and districts all over the state have been restored and preserved for gernerations to come. Complete with the stories behind the sites and their restoration, this comprehensive guidebook takes you to Colorado's most historic locations and chronicles the efforts to save them.