ROUTT COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD APPLICATION FOR LOCAL HISTORIC DESIGNATION
Date of Submission: January 26, 2018
Name of Site or Property to be used for Designation:
Elmer House
Other Names Site or Property may have been called:
N/A
Property is being nominated as a : Site___ Building _X_ District___Structure___ (check one. See helpful hints for definitions)
Physical: 39911 County Rd 80 Hayden CO
Legal: TR of land in NE4NE4 9-6-88 Total 5.41A
Please note: A copy of your most recent tax assessment notice from the Routt County Assessor’s Office is required. Large properties might require a detailed description. Only the portion of the property being nominated should be included in the legal description provided in the application. Your application should state clearly whether the property is to be nominated as a site. building, district, or structure. Please consult an RCHPB Member or staff if you need help with this determination. Routt County Assessor’s Office Schedule Number:
The house sits on property listed on parcel # 940091007 Acct# R4356503.
Name of Owner of the Structure:
Sally Tyler
Owner Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 874 Hayden, CO 81639-0874
Contact: Sally Tyler
Contact Address (if different from Owner):
Does the property have State and/or National designation? If so, what is/are the number(s) and date(s) listed?
No ______
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Following are 8 parts to this application process. Each part must be completed in full and submitted with nine (9) copies, for the application to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Board. Completed applications should be submitted for consideration to the Routt County Historic Preservation Board (RCHPB), P.O. Box 773598, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477, or hand delivered to the Board of County Commissioners’ Office, Courthouse Annex, 136 Sixth Street, one month before the meeting of the Board. Verify time and place with the RCHPB Assistant (879-0108).
PLEASE USE ONLY ONE SIDE OF EACH PIECE OF PAPER AND NUMBER YOUR PAGES CONSECUTIVELY. THANK YOU.
Part 1: Statement of Significance Please select the most significantly appropriate criterion or criteria. Note that only one criterion is necessary for designation.
X A. Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of Routt County, the State of Colorado, or the United States. ___ B. Its location as a site of a significant historic event. X_ C. Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the culture and development of Routt County. __ D. Its exemplification of the cultural, economic, social, or historic heritage of Routt County. ___ E. Its portrayal of the environment of a group of people in an era of history characterized by a distinctive architectural style. ___ F. Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type or specimen. ___ G. Its identification as the work of an architect or master builder whose individual work has influenced the development of Routt County. ___ H. Its embodiment of elements of architectural design, detail, materials, and/or craftsmanship that represents a significant architectural innovation. ___ I. Its relationship to other distinctive areas that are eligible for preservation according to a plan based on an historic, cultural, or architectural motif. _X_ J. Its unique location or singular physical characteristic representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, a community, or Routt County.
The Statement of Significance:
The Elmer house is a residential home located just outside the Town limits of Hayden on the northern continuation of Walnut Street where it becomes County Road 80. The house meets three of the Routt County Historic Preservation Board criteria: (A.) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of Routt County, State of Colorado or United States; (C.) Its identification with a person or persons, who significantly contributed to the culture and development of Routt County; (J.) Its unique location or singular physical characteristic representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, a community, or Routt County.
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The Elmer house is a distinctive and familiar landmark just north of the railroad tracks from the Town of Hayden. It is a unique building constructed for Mathias and Maria Elmer, after they semi-retired from successfully homesteading and ranching in the Morgan Bottom area. They had the house built for them with all of the modern conveniences available at the time so they could move to town and semi-retire from ranching while allowing their youngest daughter to pursue her high school diploma. The house, built of brick and including modern conveniences in its construction, exemplifies the Elmer’s growth in affluence afforded to them from proving up on their homestead and successfully ranching for a number of years in the area. The construction of larger homes with modern conveniences were due in part to the economic boom following the arrival of the railroad in 1913. The Elmers both contributed to the development of the area and were active members in the Hayden community. The brick house is a visual feature of the area just north of Hayden on County Road 80.
Background History of Hayden Area: Hayden was first settled in 1874 by Albert Smart and J.B. Thompson, who brought their families to the valley.1 The area was called the Bear River Colony, an enterprise which sought to establish an agriculture based “colony” of homesteaders in an effort to settle the area. However, due to the proximity of the White River Indian Reservation Agency, growth was slow. Many of the early homesteaders, including the Smart and Thompson families, evacuated the area in the aftermath of the Meeker Massacre at the White River Agency in September of 1879. After the removal of the Utes from Colorado to Utah in the early 1880’s, homesteaders began to trickle back into the area, taking up preemptive land claims under the Homestead Act. The town site of Hayden was developed during the 1890’s and incorporated in 1906. In 1909, the area of West Routt County was “recognized as one of the garden spots of this great state,” due to its relatively flat pastures, available water from the Yampa River and various creeks and tributaries, and temperate weather temperatures, which enabled a wide variety of crops to be grown in addition to livestock ranching. Furthermore, plans for a railroad to pass through the area drew more settlers to the region.2 David Moffat, Denver banking and railroad magnate, planned to build a rail line westward from Denver to Salt Lake City through Northwest Colorado creating a transcontinental line with Hayden as a shipping center for the county. This would allow area ranchers and farmers to readily transport goods to distant markets and catalyzed the development of the area’s vast coal fields. The rail line reached Hayden in October of 1913. However, due to financial setbacks and the death of David Moffat, the rail line abruptly ended in Craig, Colorado that same year and the rail line to Salt Lake City never materialized.3 Nevertheless, the line did connect northwest Colorado to Denver markets. Hayden became a shipping hub for the immediate area, spurring the development of area coal mines that led to an economic boom.
1 Jan Leslie. Anthracite, Barbee and Tosh A History of Routt County and its Post Offices, 2005, p 33 2 Steamboat Pilot, Progress Edition “Town of Hayden Occupies commanding Position” November 18, 1909. Supplement. 3 Winter and Company, “Historic Context of Routt County” January 1994.
3 Elmer Family Mathias (Matt) Elmer was born in Switzerland on April 18, 1851.4 He apprenticed as a butcher and worked in Paris, France before coming to the United States in 1874, where he relocated to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.5 In 1876 he moved to Colorado – first to Denver and then Central City. It was there that he met Marie Geisel, who was born March 16, 1863 in Wurttemberg, Germany. They were married September 29, 1881.6 The newlyweds briefly went to the Black Hills of South Dakota before returning to Colorado in 1883, where they took up a homestead and preemptive claim on the Morgan Bottom area near the emerging town of Hayden in Routt County.
Matt Elmer was a successful rancher, and both he and his wife Marie took active roles in the development of the Town of Hayden and Routt County. Marie took on a number of roles in the community, including the organization of the Congregational Church, Routt County Schools, and political roles. Marie served on the Morgan Bottom School Board in the early years while they proved up on their homestead.7 She later served as Routt County School Board secretary for Hayden. Marie was a devout member of the Hayden Congregational Church, serving as a Hayden delegate to the Congregational Association of Northwestern Colorado, as well as a church deaconess and as the Chairwoman of the Women’s Association for a number of years.8 Marie was politically active as a staunch democrat and served as Hayden’s democrat delegate to the 1922 assembly in Steamboat Springs.9 She also served in the County office as committeewoman for Precinct no. 4 for several terms.10 Marie was one of the organizers of the Women’s Auxiliary War Council in 1917. Both Matt and Marie were active members of the Pioneer Association. Matt and Marie had four daughters who married local Hayden businessmen who were influential in the development of Hayden including: D.L. Sellers, owner of a meat market; George H. Kleckner, owner of Kleckners City Grocery and Meat Market; Henry Summers, partner of George Kleckner; and Elmer Birkett.11
Elmer House By the 1910’s, Mathias and Marie Elmer had decided to move closer to town so their youngest daughter, Emma, could attend high school. In 1917, they purchased the property just north, across the railroad tracks at the depot, from John W. Cawfield.12 They contracted with Tuplin and Kitzmiller of Denver to construct their new house, which “was to be one of the finest residences in this part of the state, constructed of fine brick, with two bathrooms, a sun room, hot water heat, private sewer system, and electric lights”.13 The building also had a matching garage built onsite, noting that the Elmers were able to afford an automobile. Tuplin and Kitzmiller subcontracted the concrete work to “the Klausen boys,” who dug the basement and laid the
4 “Matt Elmer Pioneer of Hayden Valley, Dead”, Routt County Sentinel. January 13, 1922. p 5 Ibid 6 “Mrs. Maria Elmer” Steamboat Pilot Sept 11, 1931, p 7 “Routt County School Districts” Routt County Republican July 4, 1913 p 4 8 “Hayden Church Offices”, Routt County Sentinel January 13, 1922 p 5. 9 “Local News of the Week” Steamboat Pilot July 19, 1922 p. 6 10 “New Precinct Officers” Steamboat Pilot Sept 20, 1916 p 1 11 “Matt Elmer” Steamboat Pilot, January 18, 1922 12 Zimmerman Abstract Title Co., deed recorded at Book 100, p 247 entry 52 13 “To Build Fine New Residence”, Routt County Republican 1917
4 concrete foundation which was completed in the fall of 1917.14 The finishings in the house were to be the very best, with every convenience that could be devised at a cost of approximately $7,000.15
Mathias Elmer lived in the house until his death in 1922. According to his obituary in the Steamboat Pilot, he was “earnest, active and upright,” and a “well known and influential citizen”.16 Marie Elmer stayed in the house and practiced as a midwife. It is not known how many babies were delivered in the house. One verified birth was of Marlys Reeve (Myers) on July 2, 1925. Marlys was the daughter of Mrs. Ralph Reeve from the Youghal area in Moffat County.17 18
Marie died in 1931, having deeded the house to her daughter Emma and son-in-law, Elmer Birkett, in February of 1930.19 Emma sold the house in 1946 to Lester and Elva Grandbouche.20 Lester Grandbouche managed the Hayden Grain Elevator for several years. He and his family lived in the house until 1957.21 The house was then sold to George and Keturah Burrell, who lived there until 1981. The Burrells sold the house to Gerald and Pat Ford, owners of the Hayden Mercantile.22 The Fords, in December of 1989, sold the house to the current owner, Sally (Geissinger) Tyler.23
Part 2: Architectural Description
The Elmer House is located on the north side of Hayden on a continuation of Walnut Street approximately 200 yards north of the railroad tracks where the name of the street changes to River View Drive and whose modern designation is County Road 80. The house sits on 5.4 acres of pasture land with several outbuildings (old and new) adjacent. County Road 80 runs along the east side of the house. Across the road to the east is open pastureland and immediately to the north of the house is a mid-1940’s era frame house. Large, mature narrow leaf cottonwoods mixed with large weeping willows, blue spruce, and ponderosa pines surround the house. Numerous smaller trees including cottonwood, ornamental crabapple, fruiting apple, aspen, ash, and lilacs fill the yard. The yard is enclosed by woven wire fencing on the east side, which may be original to the house.
The house does not perfectly fit any particular construction style, the closest being a Federal design with touches of Queen Anne. It has two stories constructed of brick, with solid outside walls, 2 bricks thick, set on a 4 foot high concrete foundation that is 12” at the top tapering to approximately 24” at the bottom above a concrete full semi basement.
14 Work on Matt Elmer House” Routt County Republican November 30, 1917 15 “To Build Fine New Residence” Ro Co Republican 1917 16 “Matt Elmer”, Steamboat Pilot, Jan 18, 1922 obit 17 Dan Davidson, Museum of Northwest Colorado executive Director, grandson of Mrs. Ralph Reeve and nephew of Marlys Reeves (Myers) as related to Jim and Sally Tyler Sept 2017. 18 Routt County Sentinel, June 26, 1925 19 Warranty Deed recorded at Book 164, Page 344, entry 44 Ro Co Clerk Office 20 Warranty deed recorded at Book 218, page 396, entry 59 Ro Co Clerk Office 21 Warranty deed recorded at book 280 page 453 entry 69 Ro Co Clerk 22 Warranty deed recorded at book 521 page 850 Routt County Clerk 23 Warranty deed recorded at book 649, page 1204 Ro Co Clerk
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The roof is a clipped gable design modified by dropping the first three feet of the corners of the gable ends by approximately three feet. It is almost square (31’ x 33’) with an 8’ x 26’ screened porch centered on the south side and an 8’ x 12’ eight window sunroom/living room on the first floor, east side. The sunroom/living room ceiling forms a second floor balcony accessed from the second floor master bedroom.
An 8’ x 10’ ground level addition on the northwest corner forms the secondary entryway with a six riser stairway up to the kitchen and a six riser stairway down to the full semi basement. The stairway to the main entry door was originally centered on the south facing screen porch but was moved to the current position on the east end of the screen porch. The original back entry way was on the north wall where paint and later brickwork visible on the wall indicate some kind of porch and doorway. Later brickwork and visible tops of concrete walls indicate there was an outside basement access under this porch.
Most of the windows are wood frame, single hung, single pane. There are seven wood frame casement windows around the semi basement. The south side windows are four-over-one windows; the west side lower south has three two-over-one windows and the west side upper and lower north levels have three-over-one windows. The east side has all three-over-one windows. The north side has three upper and one lower three-over-one and two lower casement windows. All windows have concrete sill. Hinged removable wood frame storm windows cover 20 of the 34 outside windows.
The interior has a central floor plan with the main entry door opening into the first floor. The first floor has nine-foot ceilings, a north-south hallway which contains the staircase with wooden railing and newels to the second floor, and open arches to the left and right. The sunroom/living room is in the southeast quarter and has a fireplace on the north interior wall which is a kit type ordered from the 1917 Sears & Roebuck & Co catalogue.
The dining room is in the southwest quarter of the entry with a door opening into the kitchen on the northwest quarter. From the entry, there is a door opening off the hallway which enters a bedroom on the northeast quarter. The lower bathroom is on the north wall between the bedroom and kitchen and there is a closet under the staircase which faces the bathroom door.
The second floor has a bathroom at the head of the staircase, in the northwest quarter. The second floor has eight-foot ceilings. A north-south hallway runs alongside the stairwell with three bedrooms which open off of it, one each in the northeast, southeast and southwest quarters. A built-in wooden linen closet and separate smaller nursery room occupy the west side between the southwest bedroom and the northwest bathroom.
Heat is supplied by hot water to the original radiators. The coal stoker boiler has been replaced with a natural gas boiler.
The wood trim and doors throughout the house appear to be original and are stained. The roof is pro-panel.
6 The immediate yard surrounding the house, approx. 50 feet from the house on the east, west and south sides and approx. 35 feet from the house on the north side, contain large trees that date back to the early years of the house, based on their size. There are trees surrounding the house which stand almost twice as tall as the house. These include 2 large pine trees, spruce, narrow leaf cottonwood, a weeping willow as well as large lilac bushes along the original fence. A driveway on the south side of the house leads to a brick garage built at the same time as the house with the same bricks, clipped eave roof design, and pro-panel roof. The garage measures approx. 14’ x 20’ and sits 24 feet from the southwest corner of the house. The garage originally had wooden doors that swung open. They were removed several years ago and exchanged for a rolling track garage door. The area behind the house to the west was originally a kitchen garden area. However, due to the tree growth, it has been turned into lawn in recent years.
Bibliography:
“Congregational Association of Yampa”. Routt County Republican. June 18, 1909. Accessed December 2, 2017. URL: www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org.
“Hayden Community Made Much Growth during 1917”. Routt County Sentinel. January 4, 1918. Accessed 12/1/2017. URL: www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org Leslie, Jan. Anthracite, Barbee and Tosh: History of Routt County and Its Post Offices. Hayden: Walnut Street Publishers, 2005. “Local News”. Routt County Republican. November 13 1908. Accessed December 1, 2017. URL: www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org.
“Local News of the Week”. Routt County Sentinel. May 4, 1917. Accessed 12/01/2017. URL: www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org
“Mrs. Maria Elmer”. Steamboat Pilot. September 11, 1931. Accessed December 1, 2017. URL: wwwcoloradohistoricnewspapers.org
“New Precinct officers”. Steamboat Pilot. September 20, 1916. Accessed December 1, 2017. URL: www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org.
“Pioneers Spend Happy Day at their Annual Reunion”. Routt County Sentinel. September 1, 1922. Accessed December 3, 2017. URL: www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org
“Routt County School Districts”. Routt County Republican. July 4, 1913.
“Work on the Elmer House”. Routt County Republican. November 30, 1917.
Part 3: Summary The Elmer house embodies the period of significance, 1910 - 1920, when Hayden was going through an economic boom. This was a period of unprecedented growth due to the prospect and subsequent construction of the railroad. The Elmers were long-time residents and early pioneers of the Hayden area. They were influential and active members of the community and contributed to its development. Their home at 3911 County Rd 80, which they built after spending years of
7 their lives ranching, is a reminder of Hayden’s early boom days and is a distinctive visual feature of the north side of Hayden.
8 Part 4: Maps:
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11 12 Part 5: Photos
Below: Southeast corner -Street view
Below: South facing side
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. Below: Southwest corner
Below: West side/ rear of the house
14 North side
Northeast corner
15 North side showing where the original door and basement assess were located by a previous owner- unknown when the change was made
Garage South side
16 Garage west side
Below: Garage east side with northeast corner
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The Elmer family (daughters with husbands) in 1905: L-R Mattie (daughter Elmer) and Henry Summer; Ida (Elmer) and husband George Kleckner; Bertha (Elmer) and Dave Sellers; Marie and Matt Elmer holding youngest daughter Emma who would later marry Elmer Birkett.( HHC collection call # 200201447)
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Elmer House ca 1923 (HHC collection call # 200901119)
Elmer House- Photo from Hospital Hill ca 1930’s (HHC Collection Call # 200201389)
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