Columbine functioned as both a major way stop and a destination for visitors in the late 19th century.  Miners, loggers, freight drivers, cattlemen and sheepmen came through for provisions, mail, a hot meal, temporary lodging and camaraderie.  Recreational activities became a popular pastime as mining diminished, and Columbine attracted fisherman, hunters, trappers and outdoor enthusiasts.  The population reached a peak of 68 in 1900 and rose again to 59 in 1930.  At its height the town consisted of a general store and post office, saloon, several hotels and boarding houses, a blacksmith shop, assay office, mining company offices, a gas station, restaurants, and cabins.

The district contains representative examples of Pioneer Log construction associated with the isolated mining camps of the Colorado mountains from the early 1880s up through the mid-20th century.  Builders used locally available logs and stone in the construction of the various buildings.  The earliest were one-room peeled log cabins with notched corners and front-gabled roofs set on simple stone foundations.  A later phase of building began with a change of ownership in 1936.  This phase brought Rustic style cabins blending well with the natural landscape.