Hutchinson Homestead and Ranch

hutchinson-save

Year Listed: 2003
County: Chaffee County
Construction Date: 1868
Threat When Listed: Development
Status: SAVE -2013
 
 

This homestead ranch has been continuously owned and operated by the Hutchinson family since its establishment in 1868 by John Hutchinson, a Union Army Captain who also served as a representative in the territorial legislature. One of the oldest cattle ranches in the Arkansas Valley, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and features one of the earliest frame structures in the area.

The owner, his heirs, and the local community have rallied to support preservation of the site as an open-space buffer between Salida and Poncha Springs. Colorado Preservation, Inc. encouraged supporters to apply to the National Park Service for their Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program to develop a master plan for the site. They were accepted into the program in 2003.  A structural assessment was completed on the main home and additional State Historical Fund grant dollars were awarded in 2005 for its stabilization.

After 12 years of preservation work, hutchinson-beforethe historic Hutchinson Homestead Ranch and Learning Center is opening its gates to the public this summer with guided tours and children’s educational programs.  Today, this 1860’s homestead site is a museum that celebrates the history of high country ranching and a learning center that fosters agricultural and sustainable living education in Southern Colorado.

Additional Links:
Visit the Hutchinson Homestead & Ranch Learning Center

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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".