The National Trust for Historic Preservation and History Colorado celebrates Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month in May of each year to recognize our rich local, state, and national heritage. The theme for this year is “People Saving Places”. The goal is to encourage statewide participation in archaeology and historic preservation events. As part of this nationwide Preservation Month, the City of Grand Junction Historic Preservation Board, Museum of Western Colorado, and other communities in the Grand Valley will sponsor events during the month. This year’s events can be found below:
Saturday, May 14 – Historic Preservation Awards
Each year, the Grand Junction Historic Preservation Board selects properties or projects that embody the goal of preserving the cultural history of our community. This year, the Board will present two awards. One is to the second grade STEAM class at Tope Elementary for its work on researching and presenting the history of their school for its 80th anniversary. The second award will go to Elysium Studios for its ongoing work on the former First Church of Christ, Scientist building at 535 North 7th Street in the North Seventh Street residential historic district. Both awards will be presented at the Historic Preservation Celebration.
Saturday, May 14 – Historic Preservation Celebration
The Historic Preservation Board is celebrating Historic Preservation Month at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 535 7th North Street on Saturday, May 14th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm. The church was constructed in 1929 and has since been renovated and is currently being repurposed into a tattoo parlor by its current owner. The owner has been working closely with the Historic Preservation Board in maintaining the buildings’ historic aesthetic. The day will consist of the announcement of the Historic Preservation Awards at 11:00 a.m., followed by two walking tours of the churches downtown and the Legends sculptures, an ice cream social, henna art, sidewalk art, and other kids’ activities, and entertainment.
Community members are also invited to tell their story of how COVID impacted them through documentation (and ultimately preservation) with the Museums of Western Colorado. The Museum of the West is working on a grant dedicated to preserving and documenting various communities’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Community members can participate by sharing their stories with the Museum via Omeka, an open-source publishing platform for sharing digital collections, which will be available all day. Get to know the Historic Preservation Board and learn about restoring and preserving historic buildings.
Story Map – A Journey Through Time: The Historical Locations of the Grand Valley
The Grand Junction Historic Preservation Board, City GIS staff, and students of the CMU Public History class developed a Story Map that can be found in the Open Data Portal. Various topics and locations throughout the Grand Valley are summarized to present the story of the community’s history. The Story Map is a work in progress and the Historic Preservation Board welcomes ideas for future topics to be added. Please email ideas to: comdev@gjcity.org.
Museum of Western Colorado Events – Call 242-0971 for further information, Museum hours, and fees
- Cross Orchards will be reopening for the season on Thursday, May 5. Come see the beautiful grounds and gardens, explore historic buildings, and learn about vintage equipment, agricultural heritage, and railroad cars.
- Dinosaurs Macabre opens to the public on Friday, May 13 at Dinosaur Journey in Fruita and will be on display through the summer, ending in September. Admission to the special exhibition is included with the price of admission to Dinosaur Journey, part of the Museums of Western Colorado. Dinosaurs Macabre exhibition is a journey beyond fossil bones into the living, and often gross, world of dinosaurs. Experience the interconnected world of dinosaurs through their ecosystems, bodily functions, death, decay, injuries, and disease. This exhibition will reveal how scientists reconstruct the soft and slimy details of the dinosaur world from the cold, hard bones in the fossil record.
- On Thursday, May 19 at noon, join the Museums of Western Colorado’s Curator of History and Archaeology, Vida Jaber, at the Public Library! Her lecture, “Preserving Personal and Familial Histories” will discuss how to care for personal objects and proper storage of various items like old letters, photographs, digital materials, and physical objects.
- Saturday, May 28, the Antique Truck Show will be happening at Cross Orchards. The community is invited to explore the historic site and immerse themselves in antique vehicles.
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Contact: Isabella Vaz, Communications Specialist | 970-244-1503 or isabellav@gjcity.org