Arts for All
We are so lucky to live
in this wonderful community where we care for our neighbors, family, and
friends. At Buena Vista Heritage, we
understand that we have the power to change children's lives for the better,
and High Country Bank has proved their commitment to helping us be an agent of
positive change. Scott Erchul, Branch
President, and James Bove chose to sponsor a new program at Buena Vista
Heritage: "The Arts for All."
Our goal is to improve
children’s access to museums and the arts.
Museums provide memorable and immersive learning experiences, provoke
imagination, introduce new worlds, and offer unique environments for quality
time with family. Bringing children to museums opens their eyes to different
ideas and perspectives that can impact their lives. This exposure can help
develop higher critical and creative thinking skills, which are integral to
future success. We are committed to ensuring that families have the opportunity
to experience, learn, and grow in the areas of history, science, art, and the
natural world. We aim to inspire curiosity and creativity in all children
through joyful, transformative experiences.
BVH will use High
Country Bank’s donation to sponsor children and their families with a yearly
membership. This includes the 1882 Historic Chaffee County Courthouse Heritage
Museum, The Buena Vista Depot & Transportation Museum, and the Historic
Homestead Turner Farm & Apple Orchard Living History Museum.
"The Arts for
All" serves families who may not be able to afford the annual cost of
membership. With the generous support of High Country Bank’s sponsorship, more
children will discover, learn, and explore together – building strong families
and a stronger community. This program
makes it possible for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds from Buena
Vista to take advantage of our three museums.
Our children are our most precious resource. It is up to us as a
community to provide them with the best learning opportunities.
Buena Vista Heritage is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization that exists to preserve and share the history of Buena Vista and Chaffee County for the education and enjoyment of the public. Our goal is to preserve, protect and restore any historical site, building, and artifact pertaining to the Town of Buena Vista, Chaffee County, as well as areas in central and/or western Colorado. We want to recreate and share the special stories unique to our area.
Our organization and properties are managed by a limited staff and lots of volunteers. Volunteer? We would love to have you!
UPDATE ON THE CURRENT STATE HISTORIC FUND GRANT:
The Window and Door Restoration for the Chaffee County Courthouse (Buena Vista Heritage Museum)
The Historic Courthouse has a long history in the Town of Buena Vista. The original windows remain intact but are in poor condition and require restoration. The third State Historical Fund Grant provided funds for the comprehensive construction documents for all the window and door restoration plus the physical work to complete 6 of the windows and the front door.
First Floor - South Elevation. We chose these four windows, as their restoration will impact our visitors (the most visible). These windows were in fair to poor condition. The meeting rails no longer meet and seal, allowing moisture into the building. The upper and lower sashes have also deteriorated. The joints are loose and minor rot is visible at the joints, especially at the bottom rail. There is significant rot at the meeting rail with open joints and deterioration of the meeting rail to a point where it has slipped, opening the joints between the upper sash stiles and meeting rail, allowing glazing to become loose. The glazing is intact, but the glazing is loose in the upper sash and could continue to deteriorate until it falls out of the sash. The glazing putty throughout the window is in poor condition and partially missing. The exterior of the window is in poor condition and heavily weathered. The bottom rail has significant deterioration of the paint, with peeling, chipping, and alligatoring paint. The window stool has peeling paint and minor paint alligatoring and splits in the wood from heat buildup and the age of the wood and finishes. The hardware on the window is in fair/poor condition. The sash lifts & ropes are painted, making the window non-operational.
Second Floor: North Elevation. We chose this window because it is in poor to critical condition. There is visible damage to the bottom rails of both sashes, and the glazing putty on these sashes is mostly missing. There is a gap between the bottom sash and the sash stop, and the sash is very loose in the opening. The bottom rail of the top sash is also in critical condition as it appears that the bottom rail has slipped down, allowing the glazing to become loose in the opening. The bottom rails of both sashes are deteriorated with open joints and dry, brittle wood and peeling paint on the exterior. The interior finish no longer exists, and bare wood is visible where moisture damage has occurred. The sash stops on the interior and exterior are damaged and split. The hardware on the window is in fair to poor condition. The sash lift and ropes are painted, making the window non-operational.
Entry Door: The door is in fair condition. There is paint chipping from the surface, exposing bare wood. The wood bead at the glazing is in varying degrees of deterioration, but most are in fair condition. The lower left pane of glass in the north leaf has lost a portion of the wood bead, and the glazing is now held in by caulk. One pane in the transom glass is cracked and has a hole in it. Hardware: The hardware appears to be in good condition and operates as intended. The historic hardware that is installed on the inactive leaf is a bit stiff from no use. The trim is in fair condition with some open joints in the panels near the base of the door, and the opening between the wood paneling and masonry opening allows water and moisture to enter the wall cavity. Markings on the masonry jamb indicate that there was a trim piece at one time.
90% of the work is complete, with the balance to be finished before fall 2021.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE COURTHOUSE RESTORATION
Thanks to our sponsors