Hotchkiss Barn

Hotchkiss Barn

Year listed: 2013
County: Delta County
Status: IN PROGRESS

 

The Hotchkiss Barn is a unique 19th-century eclectic masonry barn. The Hotchkiss Barn is the oldest major building in the North Fork Valley surrounding the Town of Hotchkiss and reflects the agricultural nature of the area. It was built by Enos T. Hotchkiss who led a group of settlers into the area in August 1881, and who was instrumental in founding the town that bears his name.

The barn itself is unique because of its 12-inch thick walls of brick and its transverse timber frame structure. These bricks, made close to the site beginning in 1885, gave birth to a masonry industry that provided bricks for several other prominent buildings nearby. The timber columns were hand-hewn, and then joined with rough sawn beams and braces using pegged mortise tenon joints.

In 2010, a macroburst left the building with ¼ of its roof demolished and its brick walls in a shattered condition. There is a large hole at the southwest end that leaves the remainder of the building susceptible to further damage from rain, wind, and snowstorms. The wythes of the remaining brick walls have separated and are in danger of collapse.

Currently, under private ownership, restoration for the Barn would hopefully allow for public access and a variety of community events including barn dances that were historically held in the space in the late 1880s. CPI learned that a new wall will be built at the start of the damaged section. The status is unknown but restoration is underway, which gives hope for the future of this site. 

Additional Links:
Donate to Save the Hotchkiss Barn: Western CO Interpretive Association
Follow Save the Hotchkiss Barn Facebook Page

 

Donate to CPI

We hope you will extend your appreciation for Colorado's heritage by helping us take advantage of this $1 to $1 matching campaign. Learn more about our matching campaign and make your tax-deductible donation today!

Featured Project

Preservation for a Changing Colorado

Historic preservation has a direct economic benefit to communities and Colorado! Take a look at the 2017 study, which considered the ways adaption of historic places has a direct financial effect on the state.

This updated, most resent study, was the result of a partnership between Colorado Preservation, Inc and History Colorado, funded by a grant from History Colorado's State Historical Fund. Prepared by Clarion Associates, the new report document the economic benefits of rehabilitation projects, analyzes property values and neighborhood stability in local historic districts, and summarizes the increasing impact of heritage tourism, private preservation development and the success of Colorado’s Main Street program.

In a key finding, researchers determined that for every $1 million spent on historic preservation in Colorado it produced $1.03 million in additional spending, 14 new jobs, and $636,700 in increased household incomes across the state!

The 2017 report also considers the important role preservation plays in helping Coloradans provide new spaces for creative communities and co-working, create and sustain meaningful places, responds to the state’s changing demographics, and addresses climate concerns.

Click Here to see download and read the full report, "Preservation for a Changing Colorado".