MacGregor Ranch

Client: Muriel MacGregor Trust

Site: Rocky Mountain National Park In Estes Park, Colorado

MacGregor Ranch is one of the original homesteads in Estes Park and still remains a working cattle ranch. Many of the buildings, having been continuously used for years, were quite worn and unstable. Ranch personnel were unable to use the buildings for the History Camp due to safety concerns. With private donations and Colorado State Historic Fund financial assistance, the ranch buildings are in the process of being preserved, in a manner that retains the aged and well-used look. These buildings were built by ranch hands as working buildings, and were built from materials at hand found at the site. "We must be careful to preserve and restore with the 'blemishes' still intact. These buildings lack polished craftsmanship, but are brimful of workmanship, so intrinsic to their true character. We want Muriel to be able to jump off her horse, walk the ranch, and know it as hers," states architectural conservator John Feinberg.