Colorado Chautauqua receives History Colorado grant funding for wildfire mitigation work
Jun. 10—The Colorado Chautauqua Association received $37,350 in History Colorado grant funding that it will use to study wildfire mitigation.
The project was one of 23 funded through the most recent round of grant funding distributed by History Colorado's State Historical Fund. This round provided almost $850,000 for preservation efforts across the state. According to a History Colorado news release, research shows that every $1 million spent on historic preservation in Colorado creates 14 new jobs, increases household incomes by almost $640,000 and stimulates another $1 million in spending.
The Colorado Chautauqua, built in 1898, was originally constructed to house a summer training program and lecture series for Sunday school teachers as part of the "Chautauqua Movement." Over the years, various structures were built on the land, including 98 cottages, a dining hall, an academic hall, and several houses. About 120 structures still stand today.
However, the wood framed buildings have become an issue as wildfire risk increases in Boulder County. According to the release, the concern is in part due to the site's proximity to wildland forest and grassland and recent Boulder County wildfires and the need to understand how to protect historic structures from fire.
Phase 2 of the Colorado Chautauqua Association's wildfire mitigation plan will study specific historic wood-framed building protection mechanisms and materials. The finding will be turned into a report that can be used at Chautauqua and beyond.
