A session by Laurel Campbell, Ian Glaser, Danielle Lewon and Jessica Reske
Goodnight Barn, Pueblo Heritage Museum,
JVA, Inc.,
State Historical Fund and
Form+Works Design Group
Themes covered by this session
About this session
In 2002, Colorado Preservation, Inc. listed the Goodnight Barn as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places. How does a significant c.1871 barn once threatened become saved and what can your community learn from this case study?
This session will look at the only structure remaining from the Charles Goodnight Ranch and share how a dedicated group collaborated with critical stakeholders to advance the project from vacant resource to community landmark. Learn how project funding was secured and technical challenges addressed.
The Goodnight Barn is a historically significant masonry structure located near Pueblo, CO. The barn was constructed with local materials and is a significant example of an early agricultural structure in this region. The barn was part of the Rock Canyon Ranch, operated by Charles Goodnight, which served as the northern headquarters for the Goodnight-Loving Cattle Trail. Originally constructed as a horse barn, the building was converted to a dairy barn around 1920. After 1970, dairy operations in the building ceased and it was converted to a storage building for a sand and gravel business. The site use and actively aided in keeping the barn intact. In the early-21st century, the barn was vacated entirely. The importance of the Goodnight Barn was noted in its 1975 listing on the National and State Registers. The building was identified as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places by CPI in 2002. This case study will introduce attendees to the challenges inherent in the rehabilitation of a historic barn as they pertain to current use and code requirements; build an understanding of the Secretary of the Interior’s Rehabilitation Standards and explore how these standards can be used in the reconstruction and replacement of historic materials. With rehabilitation complete, the building will soon be in use as a public resource, allowing for display and interpretation of the site as well as agricultural history in the area.