Old Ladore School, school building in Moffat County, Colorado

Old Ladore School is a school building in Moffat County, Colorado, built in 1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It features simple rectangular construction with large windows for classroom light, wooden floors, and basic furnishings typical of early 1900s rural schools.

The building was constructed in 1911 when rural schools in Colorado were expanding to serve scattered communities. It is part of the Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission, a collection that documents how education grew in remote areas during the early 20th century.

The school served as a gathering place for the rural community beyond just teaching, hosting meetings and social events that strengthened local bonds. Its simple design and remote location reflect how education in early Colorado was distributed across small settlements rather than concentrated in towns.

The school stands beside State Highway 318 by the Green River, about 85 miles west of Craig and 5 miles from the Gates of Lodore. The nearest services are in Craig, so fill up and carry water before the drive. The one-story building sits at ground level, but the surrounding ground is unpaved ranch country.

The school was built by carpenters Evers, Hunt & Hoover, not by architects. Its cupola-style bell tower conceals a brick chimney behind it. The name Lodore comes from John Wesley Powell, who chose it in memory of the poem "The Gates of Lodore"; local newspapers long misspelled it as Ladore.