Ewing Farm

Client: City of Lafayette

Site: Lafayette, Colorado

The Ewing Farm, founded in 1885 by John N. Ewing, is a valuable remaining representation of Colorado’s 19th and early 20th century agricultural heritage. The main farmhouse is a simple vernacular two-story side-gabled house with a hipped roof front porch and shed addition. The bunkhouse is a one-story, two-room side-gabled house with shed addition in back. These houses are the embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, valuable for the study of period type, method of construction, and use of indigenous materials. As part of a Colorado Centennial Farm, the style and materials reflect those of an early settler who needed a quickly built, but sturdy home for his family. The structures represent a small multi-generational family farm typical for those that existed throughout the area, and part of Colorado’s agricultural heritage, which is rapidly disappearing to new real estate development. In the hopes of preserving this historic farm, the City of Lafayette contracted with the Collaborative, inc. to prepare a Historic Structures Assessment. The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate the Ewing Farm house and accompanying smaller structures, discuss existing problems and possible solutions, analyze the condition of all materials, determine structural stability, and recommend appropriate preservation treatments. Our assessment was followed by presentations for cost estimates of recommended preservation treatments, and restoration efforts are now underway.