Bellvue boosters preserve history

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Who would have guessed that a proposed RV park could bring an entire community together?

That's been the case with the historic community of Bellvue. Citizens of this rural area banded together about five years ago to fight the county's plan to build an RV park near Horsetooth Dam. Since then, they've worked hard to get historic designation for the valley, to renovate the Bellvue Grange Hall and to provide community get-togethers.

In the process, Bellvue residents have gotten to know their neighbors.

"It's been a community builder," said Lisa Maser, member of the Bellvue Historic Foundation that has spearheaded projects in the community. "People have gotten acquainted again, and newer people have enjoyed finding out more about the history of the area."

One of the current projects is trying to get Pleasant Valley designated as a rural historic district. "That may or not happen," according to historic preservation consultant Ron Sladek, "but we've still achieved something great."

The "something great" is the historic survey of the valley that was completed this past spring. Maser stated that Bellvue folks are "becoming more aware of the historic value of their property" as a result of the survey.

History of effort

People organized to oppose the RV park, believing it would bring unwanted traffic and noise to the valley. When the county decided to scrap that plan, community leaders did not go back to their respective corners. Rather, they decided that they would seek historic designation for the entire valley and thereby protect it from future development ideas.

It's been an ambitious, expensive, multi-year project, led by the Bellvue Historic Foundation. The foundation has raised money by hosting community events like the Plenty of Foolin' parties and this year's Sun Daze. It has also received two grants from the Colorado State Historic Fund.

The community events have also exposed residents to the historic resources of the community. At Sun Daze, people were able to see five historic properties including the Grange Hall, Flowers House, Bingham homestead, Bosworth homestead and the Bellvue Store.

"There was a tremendous amount of curiosity" about the properties, Maser said.

The Grange Hall is of special interest, Maser noted, because it is "the heart of the community." It's rare, she said, that a historic grange hall is still used by an active Grange organization. One of the foundation's current projects is obtaining funding for the building's restoration.

At the same time the foundation was getting organized, other efforts at preserving Bellvue history were in the works. The late Ivan Read, who was serving as Grange master, wanted to get the Bellvue Grange on the Register of Historic Places. Also, Judy Jackson had hired Sladek to get her home, the historic Flowers House, designated on the register.

In the intervening years, both projects have been accomplished. The Flowers House is on the National Register of Historic Places, while the Grange Hall is on the state register.

Much has been accomplished by the group of Bellvue boosters, but the work of preserving Pleasant Valley is ongoing. The Colorado Historical Society will decide soon whether the valley is eligible for designation as a rural historic district. If the answer is yes, the foundation will submit its nomination. If that is approved, Pleasant Valley will be the first rural historic district in the state.

Part of this process involved the preparation of the historic survey and a project report. The two documents contain a history of the valley, as well as historic documentation of about 70 properties, each requiring a good deal of research and field work.

The foundation is also working to obtain a grant to restore the Grange Hall. That too is a multi-step process. An assessment has been completed that looks at the building's original style and how it has changed over the years. Architects and engineers studied what is needed to regain some of the historic appearance and how to make the building structurally sound.

The foundation is now working on a grant application for $400,000 from the Colorado Historical Society to restore the Bellvue Grange. The group will need to raise about $60,000 in matching funds to qualify for the grant. The State Grange has also committed to helping with funding.

Funding summary

The Bellvue Historic Foundation was awarded a $10,000 grant for the Grange Hall assessment and $23,500 for the survey project. Both grants came from the Colorado State Historic Fund.

With the community events, the foundation has raised more than $15,000 on its own. The following provides details about how the BHF funds have been spent so far, as well as funds that will be needed in the future to complete projects.

• $3,550: grant application for the Grange Hall assessment (spent)
• $3,500: grant application and matching funds for the historic survey (spent)
• $2,500: nomination request for the rural historic district
• Approximately $4,000: grant application for Grange restoration funds
• Approximately $60,000: matching funds for Grange restoration

To help with the Grange project, people may make tax-deductible donations to P.I.C.K., the 501(c)(3) branch of the State Grange organization. All contributions will be used for the Bellvue project. Send gifts to Grange Restoration Project at P.O. Box 231, Bellvue CO 80512. For more information, e-mail Neal Spencer at neal@usa.net.