The Amazing Colorado Story Behind Christ of the Mines

For unprepared drivers, traveling on Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway might involve random prayers for safety as you head over the sheer drop-offs of Red Mountain Pass. By the time you make it to Silverton at 9,318 feet, you might even swear you saw Jesus.

Fear not. If you are looking at the side of Anvil Mountain in the San Juan, you’re seeing the Christ of the Mines Shrine. Unlike many roadside attractions, the Christ of the Mines Shrine tells a deeply personal story about a Colorado community fighting for its future.

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From a Church Meeting to a Symbol of Hope

The Remarkable Story Behind Silverton's Christ of the Mines Shrine — Google Street

The Christ of the Mines Shrine is one of the most recognizable monuments in the San Juan Mountains. A sixteen-foot-tall, twelve-ton marble statue of Jesus is hard to miss on the side of a 12,500-foot mountain. The idea for the shine is credited to the St. Patrick Catholic Church and the parish's Catholic Men's Club in 1958.

AtlasObscura.com says by the late 50s, the largest mine in San Juan County had just closed, and the Durango railroad was about to discontinue service. The shrine was added to the mountainside as a symbol of faith for miners and their families who faced dangerous conditions underground, and an uncertain economic future above ground.

Why Anvil Mountain Was Chosen

Silverton residents who organized the shrine selected Anvil Mountain because its slopes overlooked almost the entire town, allowing the statue to act as a visible guardian. The statue was made from Carrara marble imported from Italy and cost the townsfolk about $5000. The organizers opted for the same material used by Michelangelo. The statue was carved overseas and then shipped to Colorado.

The Timing That Created Local Legends

Soon after the shrine's dedication in 1959, mining fortunes improved with renewed activity tied to the Sunnyside Mine and American Tunnel projects. Historians credit economic factors, but many longtime residents connected the turnaround to Jesus himself, helping cement the statue’s reputation as a symbol of hope and resilience in Silverton. More than six decades after its dedication, it is both a monument to faith and the town's mining history.