The town was founded in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush by George and David Griffith, two prospectors from Kentucky. It was named "Georgetown" in honor of the older of the two brothers. Although founded during the gold rush, the town grew rapidly following the discovery of silver on September 14, 1864 by James Huff at a site approximately 8 miles (13 km) up the canyon in the Argentine Pass area.

In the following years, thousands of mines were dug in the mountains surrounding the town and the town quickly grew into a center for prospectors and mine workers in the surrounding mountains. Located in the valley floor, the town itself was not a mining camp but a center of commerce and entertainment for miners in the surrounding mountains.

Georgetown was incorporated on January 1, 1868 and a few months later it wrested the county seat from nearby Idaho Springs, which is a much larger community today. The historic courthouse dates from this year. Georgetown is the only Colorado municipality that still operates under a charter from the Territory of Colorado. The building of the narrow gauge Colorado Central Railroad up the canyon from Golden in the 1870s further increased the central position of the town.

You've probably already seen Georgetown!

The historic downtown was used as the location for the filming of a scene from the 1978 movie Every Which Way But Loose starring Clint Eastwood. The scene features the climactic showdown between Philo Bedoe (Eastwood's character) and the Black Widows motorcycle gang.

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT, starring John Denver, was also filmed in Georgetown in 1986. Several merchants carry John Denver merchandise and copies of the movie for sale as well.

The town sits at an elevation of 8530 feet (2600 meters), nestled in the mountains near the upper end of the valley of Clear Creek in the mountains west of Denver along Interstate Highway I-70. Although a small town today, the town was a historic center of the mining industry in Colorado during the late 19th century and at one time was the third largest community in the state, earning the nickname the "Silver Queen of Colorado". It has evolved into a lively historical summer tourist center today with many preserved structures from the heyday of the Colorado Silver Boom. The town stretches roughly north-south along Clear Creek, hemmed in by the mountains, with the historic downtown located at the southern (upper) end and modern development located at the northern (lower) end of town.

Georgetown has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.7 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (7.77%) is water. Georgetown is located at 39°42′45″N, 105°41′45″W (39.712381, -105.695845).

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,088 people, 503 households, and 278 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,146.2 people per square mile (442.2/km²). There were 670 housing units at an average density of 705.8/sq mi (272.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.96% White, 0.18% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.41% of the population.

(Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park®)
Georgetown to Silver Plume
National Register 12/18/1970; Amended to include additional resources, State Register 3/9/1994, 5CC.9

Built in 1877 to haul silver ore, the Colorado Central Railroad also enjoyed popularity as a tourist attraction. The Devil's Gate high bridge, considered to be an engineering feat and this most famous element of the route allowed climbing trains to circle back over the lower track as the railbed rose from Georgetown to Silver Plum. The bridge was dismantled in 1939. During the 1970s, the railroad resumed summer service over the rebuilt loop and 4.5 miles of track, the result of a restoration project coordinated by the Colorado Historical Society. The Society operates the railroad during the summer months. The property is associated with the Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission. (Photograph 2006)

Taos St., between 4th & 5th Sts.
National Register 8/14/1973, 5CC.5

Built on a steep hill by Cornish miners in 1870, the wood frame church has a steeply pitched front gabled roof and a gabled roof vestibule with double doors and transom set in a gothic arch. The clapboard walls have corner boards, and gothic arched windows are evenly spaced on both sides of the building. The interior is notable for its open truss roof structure, carved pew ends, and an 1877 organ.

Alpine St.
National Register 4/28/1970, 5CC.8

The two-story brick building is stuccoed, and its symmetrical facade includes tall, narrow segmentally arched windows on both floors. The building is one of Georgetown’s most impressive commercial structures. Originally constructed as a bakery in the 1870s, Louis Dupuy, a native of France, subsequently purchased the building. Circa 1889 he created the present facade as part of the building’s conversion into a hotel/restaurant. The Hotel de Paris, with its elegant appointments and extensive assortment of imported wines, provided a bit of France in the Colorado Rockies. In 1953, the Colorado chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames purchased the building for use as a museum.

919 Taos St.
National Register 12/5/1972, 5CC.11

The circa 1875 residence is an unusual 1¾-story front gabled roof building with the main entrance located toward the front of a side wall. One of the earliest buildings in Georgetown, it was constructed with whip-sawed boards applied vertically. Window and door frames and the large wooden quoins were planed and shaped by Erskine McClellan in his wood-working shop that stood at the rear of the property. McClellan was an important local figure who served in a variety of civic posts. His McClellan Opera House was destroyed by fire in 1892.