Hutchinson Homestead and Ranch
Year Listed: 2003
County: Chaffee County
Status: PROGRESS
Context: Agriculture
Date Constructed: 1868
Significance:
This homestead ranch has been continuously owned and operated by the Hutchinson family since its establishment in 1868 by John Hutchinson, a Union Army Captain who also served as a representative in the territorial legislature. One of the oldest cattle ranches in the Arkansas Valley, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and features one of the earliest frame structures in the area.
Threat When Listed:
Changing economics, encroachment
Since Listing: The owner, his heirs, and the local community have rallied to support preservation of the site as an open-space buffer between Salida and Poncha Springs. Colorado Preservation, Inc. encouraged supporters to apply to the National Park Service for their Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program to develop a master plan for the site. They were accepted into the program in 2003 and work has begun. A structural assessment was completed on the main home and additional State Historical Fund grant dollars were awarded in 2005 for stabilization of the home. Work is currently underway.
Updated: July 2006