Supporting History

Don't Fence Me In: Preservation Outside of the Box

April, 2002

While most State Historical Fund projects involve buildings and structures of one type or another, the Fund can, and has, participated in the restoration or evaluation of resources that do not fit into that particular mold. Following are a few examples of how the Fund thinks "outside of the box."

Founded in 1870, Columbia Cemetery in Boulder is the resting place of many of the town's pioneers, University of Colorado professors, the wealthy, and the penniless. After it was deeded to the city in 1965 the Boulder Parks Department took over care of the property. In 1977 the city of Boulder landmarked the property. Situated in the University Hill area between College Avenue and Pleasant Street, the facility contains one of the thinnest, yet longest projects the SHF has funded: nearly 1,900 linear feet of wrought iron fence.

The decorative, three-foot-high perimeter fence was installed in 1913 and consists of half-inch square pointed vertical posts spaced four inches apart that are set into one-and-a-half-inch top and bottom support channels. This assembly is supported in turn every eight feet by support poles topped by fleur-de-lis finials that are sunk into footings or stone foundations. Ornate end posts tie the parts together and pedestrian gates allow access at various locations.

The fence deteriorated from normal aging and a few out of control cars did their damage as well. Various "safety" measures that had been implemented in an effort to cap the pointed verticals distracted from the historic design. A 1997 master plan, funded in part by the SHF, estimated that 5 percent of the vertical elements and 23 percent of the finials were missing and roughly half of the fence was bent out of alignment. Rust and broken welds contributed to its overall dismal condition.

Two grants for overall conservation and preservation of headstones and grounds contained components allowing for restoration of the fence. Bent sections were removed, straightened, sanded, repainted, and reinstalled. Elements that were beyond repair were recreated with special consideration for authenticity in design and materials. The inappropriate capping was removed and a more sympathetic design was developed that provided for safety while respecting the original design. Surrounding neighbors are delighted with the project. What was once an eyesore has been returned to an aesthetic neighborhood element.

Other projects are big and hollow enough to drive a train through, as is the case with Tunnel #3 on Gold Camp Road above Colorado Springs. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Gold Camp Road was once the bed for the 1910 Short Line to Cripple Creek Railroad. When abandoned in the 1920s the track was removed and the route was converted to the Corley Mountain Highway, an early tourism endeavor. The process exemplifies a process found throughout Colorado-a railroad establishes a route through the mountains that later is converted to automobile use. The Short Line utilized proven engineering methods to cut an impressive route towards Cripple Creek. So impressive in fact that when then Vice-president Theodore Roosevelt traversed the route in 1901 he is crediting with saying that it was a "trip that bankrupts the English language."

In 1988 a collapse of timbers in the east end of the tunnel put it in jeopardy of total collapse and the tunnel was closed off, effectively severing the route at this point. A recent SHF grant to the non-profit Short Line to Cripple Creek, Inc., contributed $120,000 towards a total project cost of $465,000 to reopen the tunnel, establish trailheads, install interpretive signage, and provide engineering reports. Plans call for removal of failed timbers and rubble and stabilization of the tunnel walls. Internal drainage will be improved and a suitable roadbed will be installed. Though new timbers will have to be used, the original wood type, dimension, and framing pattern will be preserved. When completed, travelers will once again be able to cover the entire route and experience a rare sample of the railroad-automobile transition era.

One project is particularly fluid, and changes it's shape as part of it's design, the Electric Fountain at Denver's City Park. On May 30, 1908 Mayor Speer pulled a switch that activated the fountain for the first time. The fountain's jets changed levels as a twelve-valve operating system opened and closed in random timing while a light display with a ten-color spectrum shone on the jets. Occasionally, this display was choreographed to band music playing in the nearby pavilion. This spectacular show was one of only three in the world at the time.

In 1996 the Park People came to the Historical Fund for assistance in restoring this watery marvel. A grant was awarded to study the repair measures needed on the mechanical and electrical components. The system is housed in a concrete vault that sits in the middle of Ferril Lake. Here several people would manually open and close valves to activate electrical switches that create fantastic shows. This vault itself was in need of sealing and repair. The grant paid for engineering investigations that resulted in plans and specifications for restoration. Though restoration itself will be expensive and complicated, hopefully funds can be raised to revive a favorite memory from this author's childhood.

These are only three of the many "oddities" that the SHF has participated in that show the variety of projects that can be funded. Preservation is not a one size fits all proposition and future columns will explore the many shapes and sizes of resources that can be found and how the Fund can help in their interpretation and preservation.

BY LYLE MILLER, Technical Advisor, State Historical Fund