Abbott Church
A lone white homestead-era church on the open plains east of Denver, made for sunsets and stars.
About Abbott Church
Abbott Church is a small white country church standing by itself in farmland north of the tiny town of Lindon, in Washington County, roughly 100 miles east of Denver. With nothing but wheat fields and sky in every direction, it is one of the most photogenic single buildings on Colorado's Eastern Plains.
A small cemetery sits behind the church, and the community still looks after the site, which is treated as a county historical site and is open to the public without a fee. Getting there means miles of gravel and rock county roads, which keeps visitors few.
For a landscape photographer, it is a classic plains subject: one simple structure, a huge horizon, and room for the sky to do the work — sunset color, summer thunderstorms and dark-sky nights.
A tiny nondenominational church about 100 miles east of Denver, standing alone against the surrounding farmland in a way that makes it feel far more remote than it actually is. The isolation traces back to the Homestead Act of 1862, which brought settlers to the region and, eventually, left this small church behind as one of the more photographed oddities on the eastern plains — a wide lens low to the wheat grass makes the isolation read even stronger in the frame.
History
The land around Lindon was settled under the Homestead Act of 1862, which granted settlers 160 acres if they lived on and cultivated it. Albert Abbott, a successful homesteader who owned much of the land just north of town, saw that the growing community needed a church and had this one built in 1913. It carries his name and has always been nondenominational.
The cemetery behind the church holds around 70 recorded burials, a quiet record of the families who farmed this stretch of the plains.
Photographing Abbott Church
Best light: Sunset and the first hour after dark are the best windows: the white siding takes on the color of the sky, then the open horizon gives you a clean Milky Way backdrop on moonless summer nights. Late spring and summer bring towering storm clouds and green or golden wheat around the church.
Shots to look for
- The church centered small in the frame against a big sunset sky, with a wide lens from the road to emphasize isolation
- A Milky Way composition with the church as foreground, lit softly or with low-level ambient light
- Summer thunderheads building behind the church, shot with a short telephoto from a distance to stack storm and building
- The cemetery headstones in the foreground with the church behind at golden hour
- Wheat or grass leading lines toward the church from the field edge (stay off private fields)
Photo tips
- Fill your tank before leaving the interstate — services are scarce out here
- The access roads are gravel and rock; they can turn slick and rutted after rain
- Be respectful in the cemetery and do not walk on graves for a composition
- Surrounding fields are private farmland — shoot from the road or church grounds
- This is dark-sky country; check the moon phase if you are going for stars
Know before you go
- The church is open to the public with no fee, but it is a community-maintained historic site — leave it as you found it
- Expect long stretches of unpaved county road and little or no cell coverage
- Plains storms can produce lightning and hail quickly; keep your car close in summer
- Use the coordinates (about 39.847, -103.418) and an offline map to navigate
Prints from Abbott Church
Every photo is available as a print on metal, canvas, wood or fine art paper.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Abbott Church?
It stands in farmland just north of Lindon in Washington County, about 100 miles east of Denver, reached by gravel county roads.
Is Abbott Church open to visitors?
Yes. It is maintained by the local community as a county historical site and is open to the public with no fee or appointment.
When was Abbott Church built?
Homesteader Albert Abbott had the church built in 1913, and it is named after him.
Featured in: Night Sky and Storm Photography in Colorado
Combine it with
Lindon · Byers · Pawnee Buttes · Eastern Plains
More Colorado spots
Wellington Lake · Boulder / The Flatirons · Sterling (storm/plains)
Sources & further reading: atlasobscura.com · findagrave.com. Conditions, fees and rules change; check with the managing agency before you go.