Bent County High School, Neoclassical school building in Las Animas, US.
Bent County High School is a three-story brick building at 1214 Ambassador Thompson Blvd in Las Animas, Colorado. Its 1914 Classical Revival main block has a massive-columned entrance, while a 1939 addition shows Art Moderne and Art Deco elements. The NRHP listing includes two contributing buildings.
The original Classical Revival high school was built in 1914, designed by La Junta architect Walter Dubree. In 1939 a Works Progress Administration and Public Works Administration-funded addition with Art Moderne and Art Deco elements was designed by Pueblo architects Walter DeMordaunt and John Gray. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Ken Curtis, who played Festus Haggen on CBS's Gunsmoke, graduated in 1935. Ambassador Llewellyn Thompson, a former student, served John F. Kennedy during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Mari Sabusawa Michener, wife of author James Michener, also attended the school.
The building sits prominently on Ambassador Thompson Boulevard, making it easy to locate and observe from the street. Its classical entrance with white columns serves as a clear focal point when visiting the property.
The 1939 addition was paid for by Works Progress Administration and Public Works Administration grants and designed by Pueblo architects Walter DeMordaunt and John Gray, not by James Larson. Larson, a Swede, is credited on the project alongside Walter Dubree, who designed the 1914 Classical Revival building.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,172 contributors worldwide.