Historic + Abandoned: The Ruins of Colorado’s St. Aloysius Church

Colorado has a lot of history, much of which has to do with the mining boom of the mid-1800s. Many of these old mining towns were abandoned for one reason or another, leaving countless ghost towns all across the state.

These ghost towns come in all varieties including places where you're allowed to visit, toxic towns that are off-limits, and ghost towns that have very little if anything still standing.

One of these ghost towns was the once-prosperous Morley, Colorado, an old mining community that has been completely abandoned with the exception of the St. Aloysius Church. Keep scrolling to take a virtual tour of the ruins.

Morley Colorado Was Once a Prosperous Mining Town

Morley, Colorado was located south of Trinidad just before the New Mexico border. The town was first established in 1878 and by the 1920s, was home to over 600 residents.

However, the recession of 1949 hit Morely hard and the company that owned the mining operations, CF&I out of Pueblo, began firing employees until closing the mine for good in 1956.

Closing the mine prompted a mass exodus with many of the residents relocating to Trinidad and consequently, the majority of the buildings that once stood in Morley were demolished.

However, it was believed by the crews that were tasked to conduct the demolitions that it was sacrilegious to tear down a holy building and the St. Aloysius Church was spared. It remains the only remnant of Morely, Colorado to this day.

Keep scrolling to take a look at what this historic Colorado church looks like today: