Six sites have been selected for Colorado’s 2010 Most Endangered Places list. The Colorado State Capitol Dome inDenver tops the list and other sites include Brown’s Sheep Camp,  the Elkhorn Lodge in Estes Park, the Rio Grande Western Railroad Depot in Grand Junction, the outbuildings of Lake City and the Willowcroft Manor and Farm in Arapahoe County’s city of Columbine Valley.

Since 1997, Colorado Preservation, Inc. has produced an annual Colorado’s Most Endangered Places list to build awareness of, and assistance for, historically significant places within the state that are in danger of being lost. Of the 80 sites that have been named to the list since its inception, 17 have been designated as saved, 34 are in progress, 26 remain in alert and three have been lost.

“We have selected six diverse but very significant sites this year that need special help,” James Hare, Executive Director of Colorado Preservation, Inc., said.   “Demolition, neglect, natural forces, land value fluctuation, and unsympathetic owners are the forces that typically threaten historic buildings; however this year bank foreclosures, and in the case of the Capitol Dome, the State’s current budget crisis have significantly increased the danger to the unique places that link us to Colorado’s past and form the foundation for our identity as Coloradans in the future. Colorado Preservation, Inc. devotes staff time and resources to raise funds and rally concerned citizens so that listed sites can be saved.”

Colorado Preservation, Inc., founded in 1984, is dedicated to promoting and advancing historic preservation in the State of Colorado.  Colorado’s Most Endangered Places list is announced each year at the organization’s Saving Places Conference which is the largest statewide historic preservation conference in the country.  This year, the list was announced at the 13th Annual Saving Places Conference, in Denver February 4, 2010.  

COLORADO’S MOST ENDANGERED PLACES --2010

Colorado State Capitol Dome – Denver, Colorado Colorado’s gold-plated Capitol Dome is an iconic symbol of unparalleled historical significance in the state. Originally intended by architect Elijah E. Myers to be copper-plated, the citizenry of Colorado demanded something grander and more fitting for their statehouse. So with a hefty donation from mining magnates of the time, the Dome was first gilded in 1908 with 200 ounces of 24-karat gold. As one of only eleven capitol buildings in the nation to feature a gold-plated dome, the Colorado Capitol is an architectural and historical treasure.  Alas, the Capitol Dome has fallen into serious disrepair. The cast iron superstructure is rusting to the point that an architectural inspection team declared that “the potential loss of strength as a result of deterioration is a significant hazard to the building and its occupants.” In 2007, a nearly ten-pound chunk of cast iron fell from the Dome, which prompted work crews to install netting in order to catch falling debris. The current economic crisis has seriously hampered the ability of the State Legislature to fund the needed repairs, which are estimated at between $11 and $30 million.  In early 2009, the Colorado State Historical Fund approved a $3 million grant, but the Legislature was unable to reach an agreement to contribute $8 million in matching funds. As a result, the Dome’s condition continues to deteriorate. The same architectural inspection team concluded by writing, “The entire Dome will require extensive work to repair current damage and preserve the feature for future generations. This work is time sensitive because the rate of decay is increasing with the passing of each winter.” Working in close cooperation with the Capitol Building Advisory Committee, Colorado Preservation, Inc. has recently agreed to lead an advocacy and outreach campaign to raise funds for, and awareness about, the Dome. The campaign will include working with the public, legislators, Colorado corporations and other preservation organizations on this important and desperately needed undertaking.  

Brown Sheep Camp – Piñon Canyon , Colorado Located in the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, the land that comprised Brown’s Sheep Camp was first purchased by Samuel Taylor Brown in 1882. Brown’s business partner and eventual son-in-law was Julius Gunter, who is best known as Colorado’s 21st Governor. Governor Gunter inherited Brown’s Sheep Camp in 1917 and was active in the operation and management of the ranch until his death in 1940, by which time he and his wife Elizabeth had accumulated over 26,000 acres. Structures at the ranch headquarters includes several homes, a bunkhouse, a garage, working corrals, a large two-story adobe barn that is widely considered to be one of the finest of its type in the region, and a wood-framed barn with an interior covered in drawings, brands and names added over decades. This collection of rare and significant folk art is an important documentation of the story of Brown’s Sheep Camp and of the ranching community in the Purgatoire River Region of Southeast Colorado. In the early 1980s, The Department of Defense (DoD) started acquiring land in Southeast Colorado in order to develop a live fire maneuver site for  training. The owners of Brown’s Sheep Camp at the time refused to sell and the land was eventually condemned. The DoD has made an effort to protect the buildings by constructing a fence, but maintenance of the structures has been lacking. Many of the roofs are in poor condition, jeopardizing the structural integrity of the buildings and in particular the drawings on the interior of the wood-framed barn. Dense vegetation has been allowed to grow around the buildings, increasing the fire risk in an area that suffered from a devastating wildfire in 2008. Though determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, the DoD has been reluctant to allow a formal listing process to proceed.  Supporters of the preservation of Brown’s Sheep Camp are hopeful that the DoD can be convinced to implement, in cooperation with Colorado Preservation Inc., a long range maintenance and preservation plan that will benefit all historically significant structures on the Maneuver Site. Furthermore, documentation of the folk art drawings in the wood-framed barn is a top priority.  

Elkhorn Lodge – Estes Park, Colorado Considered to be the oldest, continuously operated hotel in Colorado, the Elkhorn Lodge is a terrific example of a late 19th century hunting lodge that was built to serve the burgeoning demand from tourists for an immersive “Rocky Mountain” experience. Originally comprising several thousand acres that have since been deeded to the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Lodge, which has structures dating back to the 1870s, now includes 65 acres and 35 buildings completed in the rustic style. The buildings include the main lodge, Estes Park’s first school building, the ranch house, the coach house that over time was both a stage stop and casino, a number of cabins, a horse barn, two dormitories and a small building in the rustic stick style known as the chapel. Elkhorn Lodge was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and was recently discovered to be the site of one of the first golf courses built in Colorado. Elkhorn Lodge faces substantial development pressure and is currently listed for sale. A recent proposal would have resulted in the construction of an intensive mixed-use development that required demolishing many of the historic structures and destroying the stunning and character-defining setting that the Lodge now offers to visitors. High maintenance and utility costs have caused the closure of several of the buildings and the Lodge now operates only seasonally. A high asking price combined with Estes Park’s need for growth put the future of the Lodge in serious jeopardy.  The current operator of the Lodge is hoping to secure financing and grants so that he can purchase and rehabilitate the Lodge. Other ideas include working with a land conservation organization to protect and preserve the open space surrounding the Lodge in order to prevent unsympathetic development and updating the National Register nomination so that more of the buildings will be determined contributing.

Grand Junction Depot – Grand Junction, Colorado Built in 1906, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Depot in Grand Junction opened on September 18, 1906, the same day that the tragic earthquake struck San Francisco. In fact, the first people through the Depot were not rail passengers, but rather refugees fleeing the nearly destroyed city. Physicians attended to the ill and injured, while volunteers served food, set up cots and handed out clothing as needed. The Depot was a most magnificent refugee camp. Designed by famed Chicago architect Henry J. Schlacks in the Italian Renaissance style, the Grand Junction Depot was considered to be the finest depot of its size in the West. Constructed of white brick with fine terra cotta details, the Depot featured a glass passenger canopy, large arched stained-glass windows, and an interior with 22-foot ceilings, solid oak trim and plaster pilasters. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported at the time of opening that the Depot was “…a credit to a city five times as large. The putting into service of this splendid railroad building marks an important era of local history.” The Grand Junction Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.  Unfortunately, the Depot has fallen out of service and now stands vacant. The most recent owners of the Depot planned a full rehabilitation and restoration of the building with the intention of operating a brew pub; however, the economic crisis dashed those plans and as a result the Depot was foreclosed upon and is now bank-owned. Some time before 1930, the magnificent waiting room was converted to two levels in order to accommodate offices on the second floor. The second floor was subsequently removed, which has left vicious scars that will require substantial restoration of the original plaster details. In addition, electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems need complete updating in order to accommodate a new use for the Depot.  A “Friends of the Grand Junction Union Station” group has organized and recently applied for and received a grant from the State Historical Fund to complete a historic structures assessment. Colorado Preservation, Inc. plans to work with the friends group and the bank in order to assist in finding a preservation-minded buyer, while also collaborating with the City of Grand Junction in an effort to use the rehabilitation of the Depot as a catalyst for revitalization of the surrounding area. 

Outbuildings of Lake City – Lake City, Colorado Founded in 1874 as a supply and service center for hard rock mining, Lake City is now a community with a year-round population of less than 400 and a tourism-based economy. Key to Lake City’s heritage tourism efforts are their beautifully preserved commercial district and residential neighborhoods, which feature many spectacular examples of Victorian and Italianate architecture. The Lake City Historic District is one of the largest, oldest and best preserved historic districts in Colorado. Interestingly, 37% of the contributing structures to the historic district are ones that are often overlooked and forgotten: the outbuildings and accessory structures of the brightly painted high style buildings that line the streets. The outbuildings include a wide array of structures, including outhouses, mule barns, carriage houses, coal sheds, root cellars, chicken coops, and sheds. Though modest in size and style, these buildings help tell the story of a frontier town and how Lake City residents lived in the late 19th century. Many of the outbuildings are obsolete in terms of their original use. As a result they are not being maintained and have reached a critical point of deterioration. Local preservation ordinances disallow the active demolition of historically significant buildings that contribute to the district, but to date, measures to prevent demolition by neglect haven’t been exercised. Town officials and historic preservation advocates are concerned that if this trend continues the Lake City Historic District will be at risk of being delisted from the National Register of Historic Places. Lake City has a proportionately large percentage of significant accessory structures, but a number of communities across the state share this issue of threatened outbuildings. The story of early life in these towns will be incomplete if only the high style buildings are preserved. Lake City officials are proposing to work with Colorado Preservation, Inc. and willing property owners on an innovative program that would provide funding and technical expertise so that the outbuildings can be stabilized and rehabilitated according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. The preservation of these buildings will not only protect Lake City’s Historic Landmark District status, but also serve as a model to other Colorado communities facing similar challenges.

Willowcroft Manor & Farm – Arapahoe County’s City of Columbine Valley Added to the Colorado State Register of Historic Places in 1993, Willowcroft Farm is rich in both architectural significance and social history. Pioneer, politician and one of the most important early settlers in the Littletonarea, Joseph W. Bowles, hired noted Denver architect Robert Roeschlaub (known for the Central City Opera House, Trinity Methodist Church in Denver, and the Chamberlin Observatory) to design the main house in 1884. The house still stands, as does a bunkhouse, a smokehouse, the horse barn and a large two story barn that was originally built to house a dance hall and speakeasy in the 1920s. The main house, which is constructed out of rose-colored lava stone quarried in Castle Rock, was intended to be an architectural and technological showpiece. A newspaper article from 1884 reported that the house was “furnished with hot and cold water on every floor, heated by furnaces and lighted by gas made on the premises. Nothing has been omitted that could add to the comfort and convenience of the household.” The article later added, “It is one of the most elegant residences in the state… and is a fitting home for pioneers who have built up the country and their own fortunes and a charming family.” It is reported that Willowcroft Farm is the only remaining historically significant property within the city limits of Columbine Valley.  The Farm, at its height, included several thousand acres, but now just over nine acres remain. Willowcroft is surrounded on two sides by a neighborhood of multimillion dollar homes, which results in significant development pressure. While still livable, the main house is suffering from deferred maintenance, as are the barns and other outbuildings. The Farm sold at auction in the summer of 2009 to a buyer who has received a number of lucrative development proposals – most of which would include demolishing the buildings and subdividing the property into small, residential lots.  Colorado Preservation, Inc. has started a discussion with the owner, encouraging preservation of both the land and the buildings as an urban farmstead. The goal is to work in cooperation with a number of local government agencies, historic preservation groups, and land conservation organizations in order to develop a long term plan for preservation and reuse of this significant piece of Colorado history.