Flood recovery, Aspen chalets, other efforts noted in preservation awards

By Michael de Yoanna
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<p>(Photo: Boulder County Open Space)</p>
<p>The historic Ramey granary was moved out of the St. Vrain Creek after it washed into the creek during the 2013 Boulder County flood. </p>

The site in Lyons dates to 1862 and is one of the oldest agricultural sites in the region. County workers helped cut through the paperwork and coordinate volunteers in their efforts to save it -- one of the county’s many efforts to preserve historical places. Boulder County's work helped it nab a Stephen H. Hart award. The awards are named for the state’s first historic preservation officer and go to outstanding individuals and efforts in the world of preservation.

History Colorado will present six such awards tomorrow. One will get the top honor: the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation.

History Colorado also lauds Boulder County for its efforts saving properties such as the Wood-Cobb Cabin and the Salina “Red Barn.” Those places “might no longer be with us but for county intervention,” the organization says.

Other Hart winners include:

  • Ernest House, Jr., state’s executive director of the Commission of Indian Affairs. He is noted for his service to American Indian history, including the Sand Creek Massacre Commemoration Commission and his work surrounding the repatriation of native remains and artifacts to native peoples.
  • Marilyn Martorano, who manages the Cultural Resources Division of RMC Consultants Inc., is noted for her study of trees modified by native peoples. There are hundreds of such trees at 22 sites in Great Sand Dunes National Park, the Conejos Creek and Saguache Creek areas. They might just look they’ve been struck by lightning, but closer inspection reveals their bark might have been torn off to be used as tools and other items.
  • The City of Aspen and Aspen Historic Preservation Commission are receiving a Hart award for efforts to preserve Swiss-style chalets associated with the city’s early ski days. “Aspen is a small city of 6,700 residents, and the average price of a house is $3 million,” History Colorado notes. “High property values render development pressure intense, making historic preservation a tough sell.”
  • The cultural resources staff of the Colorado Department of Transportation are being honored for historic preservation efforts. So is Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in the town of Gothic.

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