United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Meeker Historic District Rio Blanco County, CO Name of Property County and State 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 5. Classification Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) (Check only one box.) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing Private building(s) 32 21 buildings public - Local district 0 0 district public - State site 0 0 site public - Federal structure 0 0 structure object 0 0 object 32 21 Total Name of related multiple property listing Number of contributing resources previously (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) listed in the National Register N/A 2 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) DOMESTIC / Single Dwelling DOMESTIC / Single Dwelling DOMESTIC / Secondary Structure DOMESTIC / Multiple Dwelling DOMESTIC / Hotel DOMESTIC / Secondary Structure SOCIAL / Meeting Hall DOMESTIC / Hotel COMMERCE/TRADE / Business COMMERCE/TRADE / Business COMMERCE/TRADE / Professional COMMERCE/TRADE / Professional COMMERCE/TRADE / Financial Institution COMMERCE/TRADE / Financial Institution COMMERCE/TRADE / Specialty Store COMMERCE/TRADE / Specialty Store COMMERCE/TRADE / Department Store COMMERCE/TRADE / Restaurant COMMERCE/TRADE / Restaurant GOVERNMENT / Courthouse GOVERNMENT / Courthouse GOVERNMENT / Post Office 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Meeker Historic District Rio Blanco County, CO Name of Property County and State Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) GOVERNMENT / Government Office (Justice GOVERNMENT / Post Office Center) EDUCATION / School EDUCATION / Library RECREATION AND CULTURE / Theater RECREATION AND CULTURE / Museum RECREATION AND CULTURE / Museum INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION / Communications Facility DEFENSE / Military Facility LANDSCAPE (military post parade grounds) 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) LATE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN MOVEMENTS / Commercial Style foundation: CONCRETE, STONE LATE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN MOVEMENTS / WPA Rustic walls: BRICK, STONE, WOOD, STUCCO LATE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN MOVEMENTS / Minimal Traditional roof: ASPHALT LATE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN MOVEMENTS / Bungalow / Craftsman other: LATE VICTORIAN MODERN MOVEMENT MODERN MOVEMENT / Ranch Type OTHER / Pioneer Log OTHER / Classic Cottage OTHER / Hipped-Roof Box NO STYLE Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance of the property. Explain contributing and noncontributing resources if necessary. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, setting, size, and significant features.) Summary The Town of Meeker, with a population of 2,475 inhabitants, is at an elevation of 6,240’ above sea level in the White River Valley of northwestern Colorado. The town’s corporate limits encompass 3.51 square miles of land, with the original townsite, platted in 1885, located in sections 22 and 23 of Township 1 North, Range 94 West of the 6th Principal Meridian. Administratively, Meeker is one of two incorporated towns in Rio Blanco County, and has served as the county seat since 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Meeker Historic District Rio Blanco County, CO Name of Property County and State 1889 when the county was formed out of Garfield County to the south. Rio Blanco County is bordered by Moffatt County to the north, Routt County to the northeast, Garfield County to the south and southeast, and the Utah state line to the west. The closest incorporated towns are Rifle, located along Interstate 70, 41 miles to the south via Colorado Highway 13, Craig (the Moffatt County Seat), 48 miles to the north via Colorado Highway 13, and Rangely, 57 miles to the west via Colorado Highway 64. The White River, flows along the town’s southern periphery. A major tributary of the Green River (which in turn is a tributary of the Colorado River), the White River rises in the Flat Tops Wilderness east of Meeker. The river enters Meeker from the east and then flows generally westward past the abandoned townsite of White River City, past the incorporated community of Rangely, and into Utah to its confluence with the Green River south of Vernal. The Meeker Historic District encompasses all or portions of eleven city blocks that encompasses the historic downtown commercial core and portions of the adjacent residential neighborhood. As platted in 1885, these include blocks 1, 2, 6- 10, and 24. The district also encompasses two city blocks (currently respectively designated as the “Parade Grounds” and as the “Center of Town”), which are occupied by the Rio Blanco County Courthouse (built in 1935) and the former Meeker Elementary School (built in 1938-1939). The land encompassing these two blocks served as the parade ground for the U.S. Army’s Camp on White River that existed between 1880 and 1883, and later as Meeker’s town park until the courthouse was built in 1935. Overall, the district is bordered on the north by the alley between Park and Garfield streets, on the east by 4th Street, on the south by the alley between Main and Market streets, and on the west by 7th and 8th streets. 1 The District’s Buildings The district is composed of fifty-two buildings. Thirty-one buildings are considered contributing, while twenty-one are considered noncontributing. Dates of construction in the district range from 1880 to 2011, with only five buildings constructed after the periods of significance which end in 1967. The other sixteen noncontributing buildings date from the period of significance, but have been altered to such an extent that they no longer convey a sense of their historic significance. Two of the contributing buildings are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places: the International Order of Oddfellows Building at 400 Main Street (NRIS: 14000060; 5RB.2245), and the Meeker Hotel at 560 Main Street (NRIS: 800009235RB.985). One contributing building is individually listed in the State Register of Historic Properties: the Hugus Block / A. Oldland & Company Building at 594 Main Street (5RB.2242). The district’s three oldest buildings were built in 1880 as part of the U. S. Army’s “Camp on White River,” and are notable examples of “piece-sur-piece” Pioneer Log construction. Elsewhere, the district includes 23 commercial buildings, 19 single-family dwellings, one multi-family dwelling, and six governmental / institutional buildings. The commercial buildings form the core of Meeker’s downtown business district, and primarily display attributes of Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century commercial styles of architecture. These are almost entirely rectangular-shaped one-story and two-story buildings that front directly onto wide concrete sidewalks, primarily along Main and 6th streets. Residences within the district include examples of Late Victorian, Classic Cottage, Bungalow, Craftsman, Minimal Traditional, Modern Movement, and Ranch, 1 A challenge to the nomination was the lack of research materials, particularly those that provide detail and help identify dates of construction, dates of additions and alterations, and when materials may have changed. There are no Sanborn maps or city directories for Meeker, and virtually no building permit files. Building permits were issued by the county until the late 1980s, with no permit records from that time period and earlier known to exist. More recent building permits, issued and administered by the Town of Meeker, were reviewed but contain very limited information for only a handful of buildings. Moreover, even today, permits are required only for relatively major projects. For example, per information from the Town Manager: “The Town has not previously and still does not require permitting for façade, cosmetic, and non-structural improvements such as stucco, exterior remodeling, or awning replacements/installations.” Historic photos were reviewed at various repositories and were of some help in identifying dates of additions, alterations, and changes in materials. Most historic photos, however, were taken early in Meeker’s history and tended to be general views of streetscapes rather than of individual buildings. Oral information regarding additions, alterations, and changes in materials was sought from building and business owners and others, with somewhat limited success. As part of this methodology, a number of public meetings were held at the Rio Blanco Heritage Center where members of the community viewed photos of various buildings and related what they knew or remembered about when certain building features may have changed – particularly additions, façade changes such