Bent County Courthouse and Jail

The Bent County Courthouse and Jail, located at 725 Carson Ave. in Las Animas, Colorado, was constructed in 1887 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 along with two contributing buildings: the jail and a brick garage or extension. The courthouse cost $58,429 to build and furnish between 1886 and 1889, featuring a Victorian architectural style with Romanesque arches, symmetrical design, and beige sandstone trim. It is a two-story red brick structure on an elevated basement.

The site was acquired in 1887 when James Jones sold his land for one dollar under the condition it be used for the courthouse. Construction began July 4, 1887, but the original building burned down January 10, 1888 and was rebuilt the same year. The current structure, completed in March 1889, includes antique oak furnishings.

The adjacent jail, built in 1902 as a two-story brick Classical Revival-style building, closed in 2000 due to not meeting federal standards. Despite this, the courthouse remains operational and is Colorado's longest-standing functional courthouse.