Cantril School

Overview

The Cantril School, located at 312 Cantril St., opened as Castle Rock Elementary School in 1897 and served Douglas County School District. The Town purchased the property from the School District in May 2023.

 The property was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1984 but does not hold any local historic designations. The building is over 14,000 square feet and sits on 2 acres located just east of Downtown Castle Rock in the historic Craig and Gould area.

The Town's primary goal for Cantril School is to provide options for public use while keeping the integrity of the building. Initial options are planned to include arts and enrichment classes and events. 

Under the purchase agreement, the School District will continue to use the building through the end of July 2023. The Town plans to offer arts and enrichment programming at the building beginning in fall 2023. 

Before the building can be fully open for public use, many updates will be needed. The Town anticipates improvements to the building will be needed over several years to accommodate full use of the property. The initial focus for the property will be bringing it up to Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and updating heating and ventilation systems. The work will be phased as funding allows.

Property details

• 14,462 square feet
• About 2 acres of property
• Two-story Italian Villa-style design
• Made from pink and tan rhyolite mined in Castle Rock-area quarries
• 54 on-site parking spaces
• The property is on the National Register of Historic places
• For many years, it was the only school in Castle Rock, serving all students from kindergarten through high school