May is History Month!

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.