HistoriCorps Projects

HistoriCorps is currently organizing several projects on public lands to be completed during the summer of 2010. These projects are intended to teach preservation maintenance and traditional building skills, while stressing the importance of maintaining the character and integrity of historic places through historically sympathetic and appropriate repairs, restorations and rehabilitations. All projects will be supervised by two HistoriCorps instructors and will be designed to optimize learning opportunities.  Five of our exciting projects planned for summer 2010 are detailed below.  

Alpine Guard Station

Purpose of the Project: The proposed project at the Alpine Guard Station will rehabilitate vacant buildings to use as vacation rental cabins, including the installation of solar energy systems to bring electricity to the site for the first time. The outcome of the project hopes to encourage more visitors to the site and continue regular maintenance of the site. 

History: The Alpine Guard Station was first constructed in 1913 as a remote ranger station for the United States Forest Service; the site is located within the Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, in Gunnison County, and includes three historic log buildings: a ranger’s residence, barn, and garage/equipment shed. The ranger’s residence was constructed in 1920 by rangers Henry L. Spencer and Bill Doran to serve as a seasonal guard station within the Alpine District of the Uncompahgre National Forest (which later merged with the Grand Mesa and Gunnison National Forests).  The site is associated with the early twentieth century sheep grazing industry of the Western Slope and stands as a good example of an early Forest Service administrative facility.

Scope of Work: Several projects will be conducted at the Alpine Guard Station site. All three structures will be reroofed with cedar shingles, all doors and windows will be repaired, and all of the sill logs will be replaced. Both the garage and dwelling will have interior repair and will be furnished. The dwelling will also have plumbing installed to accommodate a sink. The extended plan is to turn the garage into a bunkhouse with a wood stove, beds and a table. Crews will construct vault toilet facility and a solar energy shed, modeling a CCC-era equipment shed, to house photovoltaic panels, batteries and an inverter. In addition, the site will be graded for ADA accessibility.  The proposed projects at the Alpine Guard Station will provide participants with knowledge of the layout and assembly of wall frames, construction of roof trusses and roofing techniques, construction of historically accurate hinged garage doors, and the siding of walls with board and batten.

Fitton Guard Station

Purpose of the Project: The planned repairs and restorations will aid in the continued eligibility of the site and contribute to the historic integrity. The Fitton Guard Station is no longer used for administrative purposes by the USFS, and the barn has fallen into disrepair, lacking the necessary upkeep. Hence, the proposed project plans to rehabilitate to the barn, making it functional as a stable for equestrian travelers.

History: The Fitton Guard Station, formerly the Fitton Ranger Station, constructed by Ranger D.E. Fitton in 1906-1907  to serve as a timber sale cabin and later administer the eastern portion of what was then the San Juan National Forest. The site is currently located within the Rio Grande National Forest, Divide District and is managed by the United States Forest Service. The Fitton Guard Station includes two structures, a cabin that was continuously occupied until 1969 and a horse barn that was most likely also constructed by Fitton around 1908. The Fitton Guard Station was determined officially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, with the overall site representative of a pre-design era Region 2 USFS Guard Station constructed in the Rocky Mountain Cabin Style, as well as serving as the oldest administrative site on the Rio Grande National Forest.

Scope of Work: HistoriCorps plans to restore the existing barn structure at the Fitton Site; proposed projects for the barn involve: the re-establishment of the dry stone foundation, replacement of rotten sill and top logs, reroofing with rusted corrugated metal, reconstruction of the barn door with rough-sawn lumber, and the repair of existing wire fence.  All proposed work will mimic existing features on the barn, with foundation stones, logs, roofing materials and the barn door similar in dimensions and style as the original materials.

Lake City Outbuildings

Purpose of the Project:  The Lake City Outbuildings are listed on Colorado Preservation’s 2010 Endangered Places List due to the heightened threat of demolition by neglect. Outbuildings are often overlooked in favor of high-style architecture. However, the several outbuildings located within the Lake City Historic District are important associated structures that help tell the story of the nineteenth century mining town. Therefore, the purpose of the project is to provide technical expertise for the rehabilitation and stabilization of seven of these deteriorated outbuildings, following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.

History:  The town of Lake City was founded in 1874 as a supply and service center for hard rock mining. Today, the town of Lake City is a community of less than 400 residents, with a tourism-based economy. The Lake City Historic District is one of the largest, oldest and best-preserved historic districts in Colorado. In addition to the high-style Victorian and Italianate architectural examples featured through the town’s commercial and residential districts, associated structures comprise 37% of the historic district, including outhouses, mule barns and sheds. These associated structures now remain vacant, only used sparingly for storage purposes, and have largely fallen into disrepair. The deteriorated state of the outbuildings threatens the continued listing of the Lake City Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places.

Scope of Work: The proposed three-day workshop for the Lake City Outbuildings involves the stabilization and rehabilitation of seven outbuildings, including: the Bent Mule Barn, Brooks Avery outbuildings, McGehee Outhouse, Culver Outhouse, Brunson Outhouse, and the Pitney Outhouse. Volunteers will learn skills in basic stabilization including: realigning leaning buildings, bracing and reinforcing failed or compromised roofs and walls, reroofing original cedar shingled roofs and reroofing with Rusted Corrugated Metal. All of the work will serve to stabilize and weatherize these National Register listed outbuildings, without compromising historic integrity.

Off Cow Camp

Purpose of the Project:  The proposed project for the Off Cow Camp will rehabilitate the existing buildings as a cabin and stabling facility for use by equestrian travelers on the nearby trails. The site has been vacant for several years, and the cabin and barn have experienced deferred maintenance. This project will make the buildings functional for use by visitors.

History: The Off Cow Camp is located within the Rio Grande National Forest, on the south side of Burro Creek, at an elevation of 10,520 feet; due to this remote location, the site is accessible by foot, horse, bike, or ATV, but not motorized vehicles. The Off Cow Camp was constructed circa 1905, with improvements made to the log cabin and barn in 1915 by Simon Off, a local cattle rancher, for the site to serve as a cow camp used every year from 1915 to 1979. The Off Cow Camp site is significant as an example of permanent improvements by ranchers on the National Forests to serve the needs of agriculture. Furthermore, the Off Cow Camp site is architecturally significant as reflective of early cow camps in Colorado: often cabins, roughly constructed, with hewn logs and low gabled roofs exemplifying pioneer construction.

Scope of Work: The proposed project at the Off Cow Camp will involve repairs to both the cabin and barn.  Crews will restore the barn as a stabling facility for equestrian travelers through several projects including: the replacement of rotten sill and top logs, reroofing with rusted corrugated metal, the manufacture and installation of barn door constructed of rough-sawn lumber, and the installation of wood-sashed sliding glass windows in existing openings. The cabin will be rehabilitated as well, with rotted sills and top logs replaced, reroofing with rolled asphalt shingles, the cabin door reconstructed, and the construction of an unobtrusive cement pier foundation and wood flooring. Surrounding the site, crews will construct a buck-and-rail perimeter fencing. Furthermore, an outhouse facility, mimicking a nearby outhouse structure similar in size and materials, will be constructed on site.  These projects at Off Cow Camp will provide much needed preservation and maintenance to the site, and students and volunteers will learn valuable skills in log construction, door and window installation and roofing methods.

River Springs Work Center

Purpose of the Project: The buildings of the River Springs Work Center are in need of upkeep, including exterior painting and repair of water damage. The dwelling is vacant, and with rehabilitation, the dwelling will become a functional as a rental cabin. In effect, this project aims to ensure the continued eligibility of the site to the National Register of Historic Places.

History: Located in the Rio Grande National Forest, the River Springs Work Center (formerly the River Springs Ranger Station) was first constructed in 1909 to serve as a ranger station. The duties of the station were to oversee protection from fire and provide administration of forest services and development of resources.  The current site includes four main historic structures and several associated buildings; the guard building was constructed in 1930 and ranger’s dwelling, office and barn were constructed in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The River Springs Work Camp was determined officially eligible to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. Currently, the site serves work center for the United States Forest Service, used for the storage of materials and organization point for USFS teams.

Scope of Work:  The proposed project at River Springs will involve exterior painting of all structures and minimal rehabilitation to the interior of the ranger’s dwelling to repair water damage.

Get Involved!

All of the projects listed above will occur during the summer of 2010 (May – August). A calendar of specific dates and times will be posted as scheduling is finalized. If you are interested in learning more about HistoriCorps and how you can become involved with these great learning opportunities, please contact info@historicorps.org.