Colfax: History, Golf, and River Trail

Colfax offers several distinct points of interest for a trip: historic buildings and commemorative sites, as well as a golf course and a trail along the Palouse River. Details range from the visiting hours of the Perkins House and Cabin to the construction history of St. Ignatius Hospital. If you’re looking for a hotel in Colfax, you can start by considering whether you’d like your stay to focus more on local history, architecture, or outdoor activities.

History and Architecture in Colfax

Four blocks of Colfax’s Main Street are part of the Colfax Main Street Historic District. The district is lined with imposing buildings made of brick, stucco, and granite. This describes both the historic area’s size and specific features of its buildings. For guests who want to focus on architecture, the four blocks and combination of three building materials offer a clear theme. The district therefore represents a broader architectural context than a single landmark.

The Codger Pole offers a different historical focus: the monument stands in downtown Colfax and commemorates a football game from 1938. While the Main Street Historic District encompasses four blocks and their buildings, the Codger Pole commemorates a single event. Together, they present architectural heritage and a specific connection to sports as distinct forms of local history. The year 1938 refers to the football game.

St. Ignatius Hospital offers another historical perspective. It was built in 1893 by the Sisters of Charity, now known as the Sisters of Providence. The year of construction and the two names of the order provide a specific historical and institutional context for the building. This story complements the architectural heritage of the Main Street Historic District with a distinct look at the hospital’s origins and the community that built it.

Plan Your Visit

The Perkins House and Cabin can be visited on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; it is seasonally closed from December 22 through March. When planning, take into account both the day of the week and the time of year you’re traveling. Check the visiting hours again before you arrive to make sure they fit your planned visit.

Golf and a River Trail

The Colfax Trail is 2.5 miles long and unpaved. It follows a former railroad through a natural corridor along the banks of the Palouse River. Its length is a specific planning detail, and its former rail route gives the trail a historical connection. The surface and riverside location are additional features that help you consider it as an option for an outdoor-focused stay.

The Colfax Golf and Country Club course was first laid out in 1927 and has nine holes. It lies on the plain beside the gently curving North Palouse River. Its history, nine-hole format, and landscape together give the course a specific profile. For golf enthusiasts, it offers a different focus than the trail: here, the golf course’s layout and format take center stage, while the trail is defined by its length, surface, and route.

Choose the Focus of Your Stay

The building history, monument, golf course, and trail offer different themes; the seasonal visiting hours of the Perkins House and Cabin are an additional planning consideration.

Discover more destinations: Malden, Pullman.

Back to the main travel guide: Whitman County.