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Board OKs staff pursuit of local historic designation and grant options for Thomasville lime kilns
Summary
Staff briefed the board on plans to stabilize the Thomasville lime kilns and recommended pursuing local historic designation and State Historic Fund grants. The county budget already includes roughly $365,000 for the project; staff said the stabilization concept and site safety measures can be refined if grant funding is available.
Pitkin County staff presented a condition assessment and preservation approach Tuesday for three historic lime kilns at Thomasville in the Fryingpan Valley, and commissioners directed staff to pursue local historic designation and potential grant funding while keeping interim safety measures in place.
Background and significance
The county owns two extant lime kilns at Thomasville; a third was destroyed in the early 20th century. Staff noted the kilns are among a small number of intact lime‑kiln structures remaining in Colorado and represent the region’s late‑19th/early‑20th-century mineral‑extraction and railroad economy. The structures were previously documented as endangered and stabilized in 2006 with a CMAC grant and local match.
Condition, proposed stabilization and outlook
Consultants and county asset staff briefed the board on recent inspections, described delamination of the upper cap stones, vegetation and bird/animal nesting that are accelerating masonry deterioration, and presented a preferred approach that places the kilns on a more durable capped core (concrete cap, anchored edge stones) and improved drainage so the structure sheds water rather than letting water percolate through the masonry. The team estimated regular maintenance (waterproofing every 5–10 years; periodic repointing) after a one‑time repair and cap would be far less expensive than repeated emergency work.
Funding and designation
Staff said the County included $365,000 in the 2025 budget for the project; the consultant noted the present design would need roughly an additional $35,000 in contingency to complete the work as designed. Staff recommended seeking local historic designation (county register) and pursuing State Historic Fund construction grant funding (the state program can award up to $250,000 in construction grants for eligible projects). Staff explained that listing on local or state registers does not by itself obligate the county to a preservation covenant, but State Historic Fund grant awards include grant conditions and covenants for funded work; grant‑driven design sometimes requires adjustments to meet state treatment standards.
Board direction and next steps
Commissioners expressed differing views about relative priority, but the board directed staff to proceed with steps to pursue local historic designation and to prepare a grant application for the State Historic Fund. Commissioners asked staff to return with the designation application, a summary of grant timelines and any design adjustments that may be required if the project is funded. Staff also said they will use interim safety measures (closing off openings, removing climbable elements and periodic inspections) and will return with a project schedule and funding options.
