A plan to preserve Calkins school building in Cortez is good news. An out-of-state development group has committed to maintaining the historical integrity of the building and placing it on the National Register of Historic Places, even as it repurposes the structure for profitable use.
It is the kind of arrangement that should be looked at by small towns across Colorado – and the West. Our history is our heritage and architecture can embody it.
An attractive building, Calkins is well worth preserving. Cortez has relatively few examples of its early architecture, because the community was small for many years and was never as prosperous as Durango. Besides Calkins, the stone buildings across from each other at the corners of Main Street and North Market, plus the Cortez Cultural Center building, are about it.
The Calkins building is in a style that will not be duplicated; buildings like that simply are not being constructed any longer. It also has the advantage of substantial grounds that, as recently as couple decades ago, were beautifully landscaped. It can again be a jewel in the central part of town.
It also holds warm memories for several generations of students, and that sense of ownership of history is an important value in a small town.
Using grant funding, Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 began to renovate the building, but structural problems were discovered that were not covered by the grant and the project has languished for nearly a decade. Just a block from Main Street, the stately sandstone building is marred by broken windows and temporary plywood patches.
For some people, the transition from public ownership to a developer is painful. We agree it is too bad that the district could not finish the renovation and make use of the space, but that has not happened. Now it is time for someone else to step in before it deteriorates beyond repair.
School officials are correct in saying that historic preservation is not central to the district’s mission, and while grants are available, matching funds are required. As the local schools strive to improve student achievement, and as construction on the new high school wraps up and teachers and students move in, no further distractions are needed.
Its sale would return money to the school district and also would place it on the property tax rolls. Redeveloping it would help reinvigorate the downtown area, which is already gaining vitality as its storefronts are filled.
The deal should firm up the promise to reserve public space for a museum that would highlight the rich history of the area. Cortez has not had a museum for far too long. Some exhibits have been dispersed to other public places, and other materials languish in basements and attics.
The details of the transaction remain to be fleshed out, and there are many potential slips between a proposal, an executed contract, and a completed renovation. While the district investigates further, local historic preservationists, former students and others will be paying attention.
So far, though, the plan looks like a very positive development for a community that deeply values its heritage. If the details can be worked out, it deserves the same strong community support consistently given to plans to save the Calkins Building.
