Regional historic sites receive History Colorado funding

WELD and BOULDER COUNTIES — Historic sites in Weld and Boulder counties are among those that have received grants from History Colorado’s State Historical Fund. 

History Colorado, a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit, provided nearly $850,000 in grant funding for preservation efforts in 17 counties across the state. According to a press statement, these awards leverage $481,419 in matching funding provided by grant applicants to exceed more than $1.3 million in total funds for the projects.

Receiving a grant this round was Dearfield, the 320-acre in Weld County created by Oliver Toussaint Jackson, an African American who sought to create a welcoming place for Black Americans through land ownership. The grant for Dearfield totaled $37,350.

While the settlement initially attracted numerous settlers, the dust bowl and economic conditions of the 1920s and 1930s decimated the town. Only three structures remain. The grant will be used to develop construction documents for restoration of the structures.

Also receiving a grant for $37,350 was Colorado Chautauqua in Boulder County. Chautauqua is a National Historic Landmark, originally constructed in 1898 during the Chautauqua Movement. About 120 structures on the west Boulder facility still stand as part of the historic district. Because of the facility’s exposure to wildfire, the grant will be used to fund phase two of its wildfire mitigation plan. Phase two will be a search for wood-frame building protection mechanisms and materials. 

Other recipients this round are the Granite Hotel and Stage Stop in Chaffee County, the Exon Mercantile Building in Montezuma County, and Mesa Verde National Park, also in Montezuma County.

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