Historic Georgetown Inc.

A TIMELY RESCUE EFFORT: The Colorado State Historical Society recognized the value of preserving the Centennial Mill.

To that end, the HGI Board of Directors will be forming a neighborhood group to examine alternatives for the building's eventual use in our community. It could become a mining museum, a combination of mining and community museum, a museum and site of archival storage, or even a theater, among other possibilities. The committee will need to examine the cost of any potential use and consider the structural capabilities of the preserved exterior. Neighborhood impacts, including zoning, will also be factors. If you are interested in serving on this committee or making a donation, please contact Dana Abrahamson, HGI Executive Director, or Sharon Rossino, HGI Director of Development.

Our concern at the moment is to get through the paperwork of the grant process as quickly as possible so that stabilization work can begin this spring. In the meantime, if we get a snowstorm similar to that of last March, or if higher-than-normal winds prevail, the walls of the structure may fail, thereby forcing us to radically re-think this whole process. Pray for us!

As mentioned in the last issue of this newsletter, HGI had taken out an option to purchase the old Centennial Mill at 3rd and Taos Streets in Georgetown. The option was, of course, subject to HGI raising the necessary funds. We are pleased to announce that the first part of the funding has been approved by the State Historical Fund (gambling revenues) in the amount of $217,196. This amount represents 75% of our total budget of $289,595; the remaining 25% ($72,399) must come from members and friends of HGI, including residents who are in the neighborhood of the old mill. This $289,595 will enable HGI to purchase the property and to stabilize the mill by reconstructing its bearing walls, installing a new roof, reattaching existing and adding new siding, and generally cleaning up the property. HGI's mission is to preserve and interpret the cultural and natural assets of the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District. Of those cultural assets, that of mining, within the town itself, has not yet reached its potential, partly because of lack of funding, and partly because so few of those assets remain‹the Centennial Mill is the last of many mills that once dotted the town. With the help of the State Historical Fund and the continued generosity of our friends, we can make a major contribution to that rarely-seen part of our past. Preservation of this structure would insert a unique industrial gem amidst the teacups and yellow roses of Georgetown! We hope that when this work is completed we will have saved the exterior architectural features of the mill. However, the future use of the structure has yet to be addressed in any detail.	A TIMELY RESCUE EFFORT: The Colorado State Historical Society recognized the value of preserving the Centennial Mill. To that end, the HGI Board of Directors will be forming a neighborhood group to examine alternatives for the building's eventual use in our community. It could become a mining museum, a combination of mining and community museum, a museum and site of archival storage, or even a theater, among other possibilities. The committee will need to examine the cost of any potential use and consider the structural capabilities of the preserved exterior. Neighborhood impacts, including zoning, will also be factors. If you are interested in serving on this committee or making a donation, please contact Dana Abrahamson, HGI Executive Director, or Sharon Rossino, HGI Director of Development. Our concern at the moment is to get through the paperwork of the grant process as quickly as possible so that stabilization work can begin this spring. In the meantime, if we get a snowstorm similar to that of last March, or if higher-than-normal winds prevail, the walls of the structure may fail, thereby forcing us to radically re-think this whole process. Pray for us!