Last updated: 3/10/2012
340 High Street
Lyons, CO 80540
P.O. Box 9
Lyons, CO 80540
Monday - Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
12:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Others times are by appointment only by calling 303-823-5271
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Lavern Johnson
phone: 303-823-5925
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The Lyons Redstone Museum (the town’s old schoolhouse built in 1881) is one place in Lyons, Colorado for folks to visit. It features Lyons history in displays, photographs, and genealogy. There is also a book sale and gift shop. The Museum is open daily June through September. Our visitors include tourists, residents, past and present students, and those “seeking their heritage”.
The stone school house was originally built as a 30 foot by 40 foot stone school building in 1881. The stone was obtained from the nearby quarries. and was completed and ready for the 40 students the fall of 1882 with Mr. T. J. Thorne as the first teacher.
In 1895 the stone building was remodeled into a two-story building with two classrooms. Then in the spring of 1902 it was remodeled again this time into a four-room, two-story building, looking like it does today.
The Lyons Historical Society was organized in 1973 by Dorothy Paxton who had moved here from Sterling. The organization was started to save the old historic Lyons train depot that was built the summer of 1885 by Mark W. Boyd of Longmont, and owned by the Denver, Utah & Pacific Railroad. It was described as the "handsomest depot building north of Denver" in the newspapers. In 1973 the Depot was threatened to be torn down or taken apart stone by stone and reassembled in another area of Colorado.
The newly formed Historical Society was not going to allow that to happen, so they proceed to get clear title, put the ownership in the name of the town, and carry out the restoration. The building was nominated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and was approved by the National Park Service in December 1974. This building is now the Lyons Depot Library.
Then in 1976 the 1881 school building was threatened. This time with Mrs. LaVern McConnell Johnson at the helm, the school was saved and was restored to become the Lyons Redstone Museum.
The 1881 School Museum now houses: Photographic Display on Lyons by Manual Weiss (funded by the State Historical Society), as well as various local and county displays.
Lyons Historical Society and Lyons Redstone Museum keep and maintain personal family files, old newspapers, reference books and picture files to help genealogist in their research.
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