History Lives Here

Hello! The topic of implementing some form of regulation (as opposed to optional guidelines) for East Main Street has been discussed for several months with much public input. A complete (clean) version of Chapter 19 of our Municipal Code as would be amended with proposed changes from the Historic Preservation Commission is ready and available with a summary page here.

Any and all community members or stakeholders are encouraged to provide input and public comment on these proposed changes and may do so in one of three ways:

1. By emailing Planning Director Joseph Teipel at jteipel@buenavsitaco.gov prior to March 3^rd, 2023. Public comments will be reviewed and included in the staff report to the Board of Trustees.
2. By coming to the HPC meeting on March 2^nd, 2023 at 3pm. This meeting’s physical and virtual location will be published on the Town website by Friday, February 24^th.
3. By coming to the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, March 14^th, 2023 at 7pm. The full Board agenda, along with physical and virtual location information will be posted to the Town website by close of business on Friday, March 10^th.

As a follow up to the August 30th public meeting the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is inviting the public to a work session on the topic of design regulation and the Architectural Design Guidelines (ADGs) at their normal meeting on Thursday, October 6th at 5:30pm. The meeting will take place in the Pinon Room of the community center at 715 East Main Street. Members of the public will also be able to participate via Zoom using the information below.

• Please take some time to reach the ADGs which can be found on our website here.
• A full draft of the proposed code changes to Chapter 19 of the Municipal Code is available here.
• The referenced ADG checklist is available here.

Zoom details:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81327370379?pwd=NkpteWFxNmRYU2U4TkVBVGRGTG94QT09

Meeting ID: 813 2737 0379

Passcode: BuenaVista

One tap mobile +13462487799,,81327370379#,,,,*7241539984#

The Town of Buena Vista and the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) invite community members to a two-part public meeting on Tuesday, August 30^th beginning at 5:30pm at the Community Center on East Main Street. A presentation on the Historic Survey of 25 properties in town will begin the evening followed by a presentation and discussion on codifying the Architectural Design Guidelines for existing and new buildings on East Main Street beginning at 6:30.

The Historic Survey is made possible by a $25,000 grant from History Colorado awarded to the Town earlier this year. Tom and Laurie Simmons of Front Range Research Associates have been selected to conduct the survey and will be there to discuss the upcoming survey work and answer any questions. Historical property surveys like this are helpful to documenting historic structures in Town, capturing their unique stories, and laying the groundwork for possible local, state, or federal landmarking or designation should the property owners so choose.

The Architectural Design Guidelines, which were originally adopted by the Board of Trustees in January of 2021 to offer detailed recommendations and guidance to owners and developers of property on East Main Street. Updated in 2022, the guidelines are still just that – suggestions. The Board of Trustees has offered clear direction for the HPC to develop a framework to move from suggestions to mandatory requirements in the form of code language. This presentation will offer an overview of the draft regulatory framework and seek feedback from the public.

This meeting is open to the public and members of the HPC as well as Town Planning staff will be available to answer questions on the historical survey, Architectural Design regulations, preservation and restoration grants, and tax credits available to the owners of locally landmarked historic properties here in Buena Vista.

To join the meeting via Zoom (listening only - no participation)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87693297311?pwd=cy9QWmdYYWpsSlg5WVJrbFJBcXJtdz09

Meeting ID: 876 9329 7311

Passcode: 277247

One tap mobile +13126266799,,87693297311#,,,,*277247# US

The Buena Vista Historic Preservation Commission (BVHPC) is sponsoring its inaugural celebration of Historic Preservation Month in May. This nationwide commemoration, established in 1973, is an opportunity for communities to celebrate historic places, heritage tourism, and the social and economic benefits of restoring historic buildings. The BVHPC has been around for over five years, but this is the first time the group has marked Historic Preservation Month.

Month-long activities will kick-off with a mayoral proclamation for Historic Preservation Month at the April 26, 2022, Board of Trustees meeting. Two HPC-sponsored events will honor the 1882 Chaffee County Courthouse at which currently serves as the BV Heritage Museum on East Main Street. The Commission, partnering with the BV Library, is launching an art contest for children and students aged birth to eighteen. Also, there will be a local landmark plaque ceremony at the Museum.

Update May 23rd - check out all the amazing coloring entries on display in the library!

Local schools, the Library, and HPC members will be distributing contest coloring sheets with an outline of the historic courthouse. Aspiring young artists are invited to decorate this sheet using any medium-- crayons, markers, paint, or others-- with all submissions limited to a single side of the entry form. There will be a large box at the Library for participants to submit their completed artwork. The deadline is Saturday, May 14^th. All artwork will be posted at the Library between May 19 and 21. Community members are invited to vote for their three favorite pieces. Voting times at the Library include Thursday, May 19^th from noon to 3pm; Friday, May 20^th from 3:00 to 6:00pm; and Saturday, May 21^st from 9am to noon. The artwork with the most votes-- everyone is invited to vote-- in each of four age brackets will receive a gift card from a BV business and their framed, prize-winning entry. All winners will be notified by May 28^th. HPC member Mary Therese Anstey, who chairs the Historic Preservation Month subcommittee, hopes the art project will not only encourage local youth to visit the Museum for inspiration but also look more closely at BV’s distinctive historic architecture.

The plaque ceremony will be held at the BV Heritage Museum on May 20, 2022. The purpose of the event: to honor the 1882 Chaffee County Courthouse and its designation as a Buena Vista local landmark. Local landmarking recognizes the architectural and historical importance of the former courthouse and provides protection for this iconic building from demolition or inappropriate alterations. The building also is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.

This house is still standing on the bank of Cottonwood Creek at 308 River Street. This house which was built by Scotty Craig and his wife.

(by Suzy Kelly - as published in the Chaffee County Times in November, 2021)

This is a Midland train at the town of Wild Horse. The engine is facing south so the tunnels are behind it. This town was located three miles north of Buena Vista on the flat before the tunnels on County Road 371. Wild Horse had a railroad repair yard and as can be seen in the photo three sets of tracks. It had a turntable which was replaced with a wye in 1903. This Wye allowed the Rio Grande and the Midland to exchange track use. The Colorado Midland came from Colorado Springs and arrived in Buena Vista in July 1887. The tracks stayed on Midland Hill 450 feet above town. The Depot and other buildings were located here. The Barbara Whipple Trail was the stage road down into town from the Depot. At the Arkansans River there was a wooden bridge close to South Main, and used until it was burned in 1955-56.

The town of Wild Horse was located in the 4 mile area south of the tunnels on County road 371. There were homes, section houses a water tank and a schoolhouse. Nothing is left of the town but there are homes built where some of Wild Horse stood. It was built here because there was not enough room on Midland Hill where the depot was located. The four tunnels still are used as a county road and are the only place in the U.S. where the engineer could see through all four as he started through them. The tunnels were numbered 12, 13, 14, & 15. The big rock called Elephant Rock was used for a back drop on excursion train photos. The price for these wild flower excursions round trip from Colorado Spring were one dollar and fifty cents.

One of the last recorded accidents on the Midland Railroad happened at the the tunnels in 1917. The brakeman on a freight running north out of Wild Horse started walking on top the cars, back to the caboose and forgot about the tunnels, He hit his head on the first tunnel and was knocked unconscious, but was not seriously injured and recovered.

The two railroads sometimes had races in this area and were pretty evenly matched but the Rio Grande got bigger engines and easily beat out the Midland. When the Rio Grande Track washed out with high water in the spring they had an agreement to share the Midland tracks. Rock slide could close both tracks at times.

The Colorado Midland ran its last passenger train through Buena Vista and Wild Horse in 1918 and its last freight train in 1921. The track and steel trestles were dismantled for scrap during WW II.