Members of AURA and the City of Alamosa’s Historic Preservation Advisory Committee were pleased with the excellent turn-out for the Preservation Month events they hosted in May.

Dan Corson’s talk on May 11, Green When Green Wasn’t Cool, greeted about a dozen attendees including members of HPAC and the greater SLV community. Two contractors were present, including an adobe specialist.

Dan’s thought-provoking talk pointed out the deep connections inherent in preservation to sustainability especially when one considers all of the energy that the building materials embody and weighs this against the resource extraction, manufacture, and transportation of new materials. Also implicit is the labor of human muscle that created many of our older buildings as opposed to the equipment that is generally used in construction today. Throwing used materials into the landfill also increases emissions into the atmosphere. All of this adds up to a much larger carbon footprint for new construction than that of maintaining and preserving the old. Durability is also generally proven through the denser materials–stone, brick, old-growth wood–that were historically used; whereas mass-produced contemporary materials are often not expected to last more than 20-30 years. This additional expense and additional carbon cost that is often overlooked when considering new construction rather than identifying adaptive reuse for vacant buildings.

After the talk we were excited to hear from Rob Santoro of San Luis Valley Public Lands about the Historicorps projects coming up in the Valley this summer. These are volunteer opportunities in which one can learn about preservation first-hand by helping to preserve some older buildings on public lands. Rob can be reached at 719-852-6267/rob@voc.org or more info. is available at www.volunteeroutdoors.net.

Finally, despite the windy day, on Saturday, May 22, some 14 people enjoyed a walking tour of historic buildings south of Main Street in downtown Alamosa. We began at State and Main and continued south down State to view a few private homes on 7th and 8th, the Baptist (formerly Mormon) church at State and 10th, Boyd School, and the Green Spot buildings. Ruthie Brown gave us an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, including the vast basement with elevator, wooden delivery chute, and intriguing signatures on the columns. Over the years the buildings have housed a lumberyard, coal and ice house, seed store, the Alamosa Coca-Cola Company, and in more recent years, Oba’s produce.

May will soon be here and nationally the month is celebrated as Historic Preservation Month. In celebration AURA and the City of Alamosa’s Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC) are hosting two events:

On Tuesday, May 11, Dan Corson, Intergovernmental Services Director at the Colorado Historical Society, will present an informative and thought-provoking talk on preservation as a “green building” approach, Green When Green Wasn’t Cool.
Join us at 6 PM for the presentation at Alamosa City Hall in the City Council Chambers upstairs (425 Fourth St.). Refreshments will be served. For those who may wish to stick around for local preservation discussions, the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee’s quarterly meeting will follow the presentation (around 7pm).

On Saturday, May 22, 10 AM-noon, AURA and HPAC will present a Historic Building Tour featuring sites south of Main Street. Sites will include early railroad worker housing and other historic homes on Eighth St., as well as the 1914 Mormon Church (now Baptist Church), Boyd School, and the Green Spot’s historic buildings. The tour will begin in downtown at the corner of State and Main and continue down State to the Eighth and Tenth Street sites. Join us for a fun and enlightening look at one of Alamosa’s oldest neighborhoods.

AURA is Ten Years Old!

Finally, the current inauguration of AURA’s website, www.alamosaAURA.org, marks another milestone for local preservation. AURA celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, having become formally recognized as a non-profit in April 2000. In partnership with local property owners, AURA has accomplished four major building restoration projects on three properties: the American National Bank Building (1909-10, now Community Banks), St. Thomas Episcopal Church (1925-30), and the Alamosa Masonic Hall (1887), which is currently undergoing a second phase. The website offers a glimpse into these projects in the Preservation Projects and Before and After Photos sections.

We are deeply indebted to Marilyn Loser of Alamosa for her talents creating this website for us. Marilyn’s generous spirit and donation of her time and skills allow us to present to all highlights from AURA’s accomplishments of the past ten years.

AURA’s volunteer Board of Directors, led by Rob Oringdulph, President, has pursued a vision for downtown that has met with much success. The completed restoration projects, the establishment of annual events such as the ArtWalk and holiday Train Lighting, and the much-loved downtown farmers’ market are just some of AURA’s lasting achievements that support the vibrancy of historic downtown Alamosa.

AURA welcomes inquiries about potential local historic preservation projects including designation, assessment, rehabilitation/restoration, and funding opportunities.

Join Us!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

10 a.m. to noon

Free and open to the public.

In celebration of Historic Preservation Month in May, this year’s tour focuses on historic sites south of Main Street on State and on 7th and 8th Streets:

• the ornamental concrete block Willow House (c. 1907),
• a Terrace Style duplex (c. 1910),
• early railroad worker houses,
• SLV Baptist (formerly Mormon) Church (1914),
• Boyd Elementary School (WPA, 1936-37),
• Green Spot’s historic buildings (c. 1900), and
• a nearby late 19th-century home.

We will meet at the corner of State & Main (westbound US Hwy 160) in front of the Narrow Gauge Newsstand.

To reserve a spot on the tour or for more information call AURA at 719-580-8125.

(Reservations appreciated but not required!)