Restoration of Midland Depot at Divide just keeps chugging along, slowly but surely. A project whose public voice has been one of Teller County’s railroad historians, Dave Martinek, the depot has a new roof and will, at some point, have a new gas forced-air furnace.

The depot, built in 1886, burned a year later and built again in 1903, distinguishes Divide with its reference to the old railroad days.  Until 1949, the Midland Terminal Railway stopped at the depot on the route from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek.

In 2005, the nonprofit Teller Historic Coalition began the decades-long project to restore the old building. Martinek joined the project in 2008.  

“That was the year we did our first grant and began getting historic designation from Teller County,” Martinek said. “The county first designated the building as historic and then did another designation for the 1 ¾ acre of land that was basically the grade of the railroad tracks.”

Because of the annex to the original building the project does not qualify for designation as a state historic site but is still eligible for grants.  The annex was built in 1985.

“The annex was where the people lived in who ran The Whistle Stop,” said Martinek, referring to the local hangout. “In 2035 we can count the annex.”

Along the way, Martinek and T.H.E. Coalition secured nonprofit status for the owner of the Divide property, Midland Days at Divide, Inc.

The roof and furnace were funded by a grant awarded in 2023 from the State Historical Fund of $153,832 which included local matching funds and is one of several grants awarded over the years.  

“We saved the metal from the old roof in case we can use it in other ways,” Martinek said.

As the price of materials rose along the way since 2023, the coalition intends to apply for other grants to fund installation of the furnace in addition to removal and replacement of asbestos.

“We still have a lot to do,” Martinek said.