By Ronald J. Neely,
President

At 7:20 a.m., on Tuesday morning, January 22, 1974, the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at 6th and Taos Streets in downtown Georgetown.

The rear portion of Tina Desperte's apartment building was engulfed in flames. Fire Chief Harold Haskins and his volunteers knocked the fire down after a two-hour battle during which one fireman was injured and all were covered with sheets of ice. The five residents escaped without harm.

The cause of the fire, as reported in the Clear Creek Courant of January 25, 1974, was an electrical short on the second floor. What remained after the firefight was a burned out building, affectionately known as BOB, as pictured at right.

But the building was saved, thanks again to the brave and determined volunteers of Vigilant No. 5. Unfortunately, no one could do much with the building because it was considered a "total loss".

While many tried, nobody could put the deal together so it sat there, forlorn and neglected for some 26 years. Then along came Historic Georgetown, Inc., who said the building could and should be saved and set out to do it.

On November 22, 1999, HGI purchased the property. HGI was able to undertake this project thanks to a number of donors who believed in one of the underlying principles of historic preservation: that seemingly impossible projects can be successfully completed with the creation of innovative and meaningful partnerships.

We are proud to count as partners the many donors who enabled this project to come to fruition; the Colorado Historical Fund (gambling revenues) who donated $195,000 towards the $350,000 budget, the Town of Georgetown & Clear Creek County, the Xcel Foundation of Denver, Clear Creek National Bank, Clear Creek Economic Development Corporation, the Colorado Division of Housing, who also provided much guidance, and the membership of Historic Georgetown, Inc. All shared our vision of affordable housing in a historic structure.

 

The West elevation shown below will be the first view of the new center by traffic coming off I-70 onto 15th Street. The West elevation faces south into the parking area. The building will be located in the northeast corner of the site for two reasons: first, to eliminate shadows and minimize freezing in the parking lot and the entryway into the building, a persistent, nagging problem with our existing building, and second, so that the visitor's first view of Georgetown is an attractive building, not another parking lot.

The purpose of the new Center is to first provide traveler services to the some 25 million people who travel the Georgetown portion of I-70 every year, to provide visitor information and a sense of context about the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District and the Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway and, in so doing, to convert as many travelers to visitors as possible.

In other words, we will try to more effectively respond to the oft asked question "Is this all there is to Georgetown?" Likewise, we hope to set an architectural standard for new construction at this "first impression" entryway into our town.

Visitors will be in the Center for approximately 12-15 minutes during which time we will convey information about the importance of our Landmark District and why it is worth while for travelers to take the time to visit its cultural sites, dine at one of our many restaurants, and shop in our various businesses.

Currently, our most frequently asked questions concern directions and road conditions east and west, wildlife viewing, the Georgetown Loop Railroad, Guanella Pass, general inquiries about what to do, restaurants, and shops. Of course there are daily questions about directions to the Court House, Town Hall, and to "Aunt Emma's house".

(continued)