Historic Preservation at Chatfield Farms

As Colorado’s Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month draws to a close, peek behind the scenes at the preservation project happening this spring and summer at Chatfield Farms!

Partially funded by a grant from the Colorado State Historical Fund, this rehabilitation project targets three of the buildings on the Hildebrand Ranch National Historic Site: the granary, the stables and the milking barn. 

The primary work on the granary was finished in mid-May. An unstable foundation was causing the granary’s lean-to shelter to wrench and warp itself away from the main building. Just like those on the other two buildings, the wooden wall planks had gone through so many years of Colorado’s weather extremes that they had begun to splinter and shrink. These were replaced or braced to seal the storage and shelter area for wagons and other historical farm equipment. 

Work is currently underway on the stables and milking barn. Both need to have sturdier foundations created to bring the buildings back to level and square and provide support for continuing use. Both are also getting repairs to holes in the walls and new roofs to not only keep the buildings standing for another 150+ years, but also to make more comfortable homes for our animal friends. We anticipate repairs of the stables and milking barn to be completed this summer. 

The rehabilitation of these buildings helps ensure their ongoing use at Chatfield Farms and that Hildebrand Ranch can continue to serve as an important historical and cultural resource for Colorado, providing an excellent illustration of the layout and function of late 19th and early 20th century ranches in this part of the state. 
 

This article was contributed by Program Coordinator, School of Botanical Art & Illustration Kati Fay, Ph.D., RPA. Photos by Kati Fay.