Wheatridge Historic Park Stabilization Plan

Client: City of Wheat Ridge & Wheat Ridge Historical Society

Site: Wheat Ridge, Colorado

The City of Wheat Ridge created the Wheat Ridge Historic Park in 1974 at the site of a turn-of-the-century brick house and sod house dating form the 1870’s. A log cabin was moved to the site to complete the collection of pioneer building types. The buildings, their original owners, and the site were all important representations of the way in which Wheat Ridge became a city, and the Historic Park was determined to be the best way to preserve this heritage. When significant deterioration threatened the sod house, the City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Historical Society retained the firm to complete evaluations of the physical condition of each structure and to prepare recommendations of stabilization.

Most seriously threatened was the Sod House, one of the very few remaining structures of this type. A Master Site Plan was also completed, which showed the location of paths linking the buildings, parking, signage, and other features necessary for the public to understand the site. The first goal of the Master Stabilization Plan was to eliminate the causes of deterioration to the historic buildings; the second goal was to repair damage; and the third was to mitigate, to the extent possible, additional damage to the buildings and site from public use, while maximizing the public’s understanding of the site.

As a second phase of this project, the firm prepared the plans and specifications necessary to implement the recommendations made in the Stabilization Plan and the master site plan.