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San Miguel County now owns Norwood Boy Scout building; commission questions historic grant eligibility after building was moved
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Summary
County staff told the San Miguel County Historical Commission the Boy Scout building at the Norwood fairgrounds is now county property but may have limited eligibility for preservation grants because it was moved from its original location; commissioners discussed cleanup, salvage and potential reuse.
San Miguel County owns a small wood‑frame building on the Norwood fairgrounds that has been used recently to store Boy Scout memorabilia, county staff told the Historical Commission at its March 10 meeting.
The building’s provenance: county staff and commission volunteers traced the structure to a Methodist church/parsonage built in the early 20th century and later moved in 1955 to the fairgrounds area. Barbara Youngblood and local volunteers provided historical photographs and documentation showing the parsonage and church in their original locations; one county file notes materials cost of $624 for early construction or repair (citation in county files). Preservation architect Tim Stroh inspected the building and concluded that because it was relocated its eligibility for many competitive grant programs is likely compromised, though the structure remains in serviceable condition and would respond to cleaning, basic foundation repair and painting.
What members decided: commissioners did not commit to a full restoration. They agreed to salvage historic items where possible, pursue targeted cleaning (the building was described as a rodent habitat that needs thorough cleaning), and evaluate costs before applying for preservation funding. County staff noted that a Montrose collector and other volunteers had already removed some Scout records and that larger artifacts (tents, poles, and camping gear) remain to be recovered by scouting organizations.
Context: commission members said the building offers local interpretive value but that limited grant funds and the building’s moved status reduce the likelihood of winning large state historic preservation grants. They suggested inventorying artifacts and exploring temporary public‑access displays or storage solutions as intermediate steps.
Next steps: staff was asked to follow up with the preservation architect about possible eligibility pathways, to document/photograph remaining artifacts, and to coordinate with scouting representatives who have volunteered to reclaim items. No formal action was taken at the meeting to commit county funds for restoration.
