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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/05/2008 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 006, 2008, DESIGNAT ITEM NUMBER: 19 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: February 5, 2008 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Karen McWilliams SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No.006,2008,Designating Grandview Cemetery, 1900 West Mountain Avenue, as a Fort Collins Landmark Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Code. RECOMMENDATION The Landmark Preservation Commission and staff recommend adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. At a public hearing held on December 12,2007,the Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend designation of this property. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The owner of the property, the City of Fort Collins, is initiating this request for Fort Collins Landmark designation for the property. The cemetery property contains one historic building, and several historic structures, objects, and features, including historic bridgework, entryway features, statuary, grave markers and monuments, and a historic segment of the New Mercer Canal. All of these historic resources contribute to the architectural and historical significance of the cemetery. The property also contains two non-historic,metal workshop/garage buildings,one non-historic circa 1970s residential dwelling, a non-historic pumphouse, and two other small storage sheds of recent vintage. These buildings are non-contributing elements of the cemetery property. While all cemetery lots are owned by the City of Fort Collins,individual grave markers belong to the families of the deceased, who have the legal right to remove, modify or replace the markers. The City's Master Plan for Grandview Cemetery, once developed,will be used in conjunction with the criteria in Section 14-48 of the Municipal Code to determine compliance with historic preservation standards. In the event of a conflict between the Master Plan and the Code, the Code will control. BACKGROUND On August 15, 1887, the City of Fort Collins purchased 80 acres of land located a mile and a half west of the city,for$50 per acre, for a new cemetery. The first interment in Grandview occurred on November 21, 1887,the burial of three month old Felix Scoville. A one-half acre plot was set aside and dedicated to the uses of George H. Thomas Post No. 7, Grand Army of the Republic. Standing in the center of this section is the Soldier's Monument,a life-size figure of a Union Civil War soldier standing at parade rest,erected here in 1905. On June 13, 1909,another significant monument was added to the cemetery, a volunteer fireman's memorial statue,dedicated in honor of those who had served with the department. It is a granite,life-sized figure of a fireman in full uniform and hat. The February 5, 2008 -2- Item No. 19 fire bell that once hung in the bell tower on the roof of the old fire station on Walnut Street is mounted in cement in front of the monument. Grandview Cemetery contains several significant structures and features. The brick and moss rock Grandview Office is a notable depression-era building. Built in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC),it is located at the entrance to the cemetery. In 1924,a reinforced concrete bridge was moved to the entrance of the cemetery,replacing an old wooden bridge. Previously located 150 feet north of Mountain Avenue, across the New Mercer Canal, the bridge had been built by the Denver and Interurban Railway(1907-1918) across from their streetcar station at the cemetery. Once in it new location,it was renovated with rustic"mountain rock"side-walls and rustic ornamental flower receptacles. This coincides in time with the similar native rock walls that were built in City Park. There are also three historic moss rock planters, roughly the same vintage as the bridge, located in Section H. Each of these structures features very good to excellent historic integrity. Grandview displays many different types of headstones and monuments, documenting changes in Fort Collins residents' style, taste, available materials, and economic prosperity throughout the decades. Early monuments were often of marble. Around the turn of the twentieth century a popular style was a round granite orb affixed to the top of a rectangular stone. Also popular during this same time period was the placement of copings around family plots,which served the purpose of grouping families together. Between 1900-1930, monuments in the shape of a tree stump were used to identify members of the organization known as Woodmen of the World. From 1900-1940, monuments made of granite became more popular and marble fell to the wayside. Apex monuments, featuring a drop wash base, were typical during this period. The base was designed to keep water and snow away from the attached monument. From the early-to-mid twentieth century, variations of taller monuments were another significant stylistic feature. During the Depression and post-WWII years, the flat, flush marker became popular. Grandview Cemetery is the most heavily wooded public park in Fort Collins, with more than 600 trees planted on 40 acres. To perpetuate this forested environment, new and replacement trees are planted on an annual basis. Of special significance are three towering blue spruce in the soldier's section ofthe cemetery,beautiful examples of Colorado's state tree. A state champion Ohio buckeye has recently received recognition by the State Forest Service. A total of thirty four different species of trees are found within Grandview. Aside from its aesthetic beauty,Grandview's expertly crafted urban forest makes for an abundant wildlife habitat. A herd of deer makes its way in and out of the cemetery, especially in the winter months. Fox, skunk, raccoon, and smaller mammals make their homes in the grounds. The occasional coyote, and even black bear, have been spotted within the cemetery. One hundred seventy six species of birds have been recorded at Grandview, including many rare and unusual examples. The cemetery is perhaps the best place in all of Colorado to find the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an eastern woodpecker that rarely winters in our state. The Broad- winged Hawk,an eastern raptor,has been documented nesting in Colorado only once:in Grandview in 1978. And then there is the"crown j ewel"of Grandview Cemetery's bird history—the appearance in 2005 of Colorado's only record of Tropical Parula. This Mexican warbler had never previously been seen north of Lubbock,Texas. Grandview's history as a wildlife habitat is greatly appreciated by visitors, both casual and passionate, and expands the cemetery's value far beyond its primary function as a respectful final resting place for loved ones buried here. February 5, 2008 -3- Item No. 19 Today, Grandview Cemetery is under the management of the City of Fort Collins' Parks and Recreation Department,and consists of approximately 45 developed acres,34,000 grave spaces, 70 crypts, 336 niches, and nearly 26,000 burials. ATTACHMENTS 1. Historic Landmark Designation Nomination Form. 2. Landmark Preservation Commission Staff Report dated December 12, 2007. 3. Pictures of Grandview Cemetery. 4. Agreement. 5. Resolution 8, 2007 of the Landmark Preservation Commission Recommending Landmark Designation of Grandview Cemetery. Community Planning and Environmental Services ATTACHMENT 1 Advance Planning Department Historic Preservation Office 6iA PO Box 580 Fort Collins,CO 80522-0580 970-221-6376 City of Fort Collins Historic Landmark Designation Nomination Form DATE: October 30, 2007 LOCATION INFORMATION: Grandview Cemetery Address: 1900 West Mountain Avenue Legal Description: See attachment Property Name (historic and/or common): Grand View Cemetery/Grandview Cemetery OWNER INFORMATION: Name: City of Fort Collins, Department of Parks and Cemeteries Phone: (970) 221-6660 Address: 413 South Bryan Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521 CLASSIFICATION Category Ownership Status Present Use Existing Designation H Building H Public H Occupied ❑ Commercial ❑ National Register H Structure ❑ Private ❑ Unoccupied H Educational ❑ State Register H Site H Religious H Object ❑ Residential ❑ District ❑ Entertainment H Government H Other FUNERARY: Cemetery FORM PREPARED BY: Name and Title: John Ferguson, Historic Preservation Intern. Address: City of Fort Collins, City Planning and Community Development Department, P.O. Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 Phone: 970-224-6078 Relationship to Owner: Staff Revised 09-2004 Page 1 TYPE OF DESIGNATION and BOUNDARIES ❑ Individual Landmark Property ® Landmark District Explanation of Boundaries: Grandview Cemetery is an approximately 40-acre site located within the boundaries of Taft Hill Road to the west, Laporte Avenue to the north, Grandview Avenue on the east and the City Park Golf Course to the south. The boundaries of the property being designated as a Fort Collins Landmark correspond to the legal description of the Grandview Cemetery property, as described in the accompanying Attachment. The cemetery property contains one historic building, the CCC office building, and several historic structures, objects, and features, including historic bridgework, entryway features, statuary, and a historic segment of the New Mercer Canal. While all cemetery lots are owned by the City of Fort Collins, individual grave markers belong to the families of the deceased, who have the legal right to remove, modify or replace the markers. All of these historic resources, including grave markers and monuments, contribute to the architectural and historical significance of the cemetery. The property also contains two non-historic, metal workshop/garage buildings, one non-historic circa 1970s residential dwelling, a non-historic pumphouse, and two other small storage sheds of recent vintage. These buildings are considered to be non-contributing elements of the cemetery property. SIGNIFICANCE Properties that possess exterior integrity are eligible for designation as Fort Collins Landmarks or Fort Collins Landmark Districts if they meet one (1) or more of the following standards for designation: ® Standard 1: The property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history; ® Standard 2: The property is associated with the lives of persons significant in history; ® Standard 3: The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; ® Standard 4: The property has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Of outstanding historical significance, Grandview Cemetery is unusual in that it is eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark under all four designation standards. Established in 1887, Grandview is the oldest operating cemetery in the city, and is the resting place of many Fort Collins residents. The cemetery is associated with events significant to the founding and early growth of the city of Fort Collins. The people interred at this site include some of our city's, and indeed, Colorado's, most influential politicians,business people, and pioneers. The property's historic structures and landscape features, such as its unique moss rock bridge, circular drive layout, moss rock planters, marble, granite, flagstone, sandstone, and cast iron grave markers, and, of course, its association with the historic New Mercer Ditch which bisects the cemetery grounds, embody Revised 09-2004 Page 2 distinctive characteristics of design and construction. Furthermore, the historic office building located at 1900 West Mountain Avenue, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, also represents these distinctive characteristics. Finally, this property serves as a record of the city's past and will continue to yield important information for decades to come. Grandview Cemetery, along with its myriad of significant resources, is certainly eligible for inclusion on in the National Register of Historic Places and should be formally recognized as a Fort Collins Landmark. HISTORICAL INFORMATION Grandview Cemetery, the oldest and most historic cemetery in Fort Collins, was established in 1887. It is not, however, the first and only cemetery in Fort Collins. It was preceded by both the Post Cemetery, which was located on the site of the old Post Office, at the comer of Oak and College Avenue, and by Mountain Home Cemetery, which was located near present-day Eastdale Drive. Lt. Col. William O. Collins ordered the establishment of a military post in what is now the City of Fort Collins on August 20, 1864. After the post was built and occupied, the need arose for a burial site for deceased soldiers and pioneers. It was decided to place the new cemetery on high ground about a half mile southwest of the post. Located at what is presently the old Post Office/One West Art Center, at Oak Street and College Avenue, the Post Cemetery was used for the interment of soldiers who died between 1864-1867. Less than a dozen soldiers appear to have died at the post between the fall of 1864 and the spring of 1867, the length of the military occupation of Fort Collins. The cemetery was abandoned in 1873, and during that year, ground in the area of present Eastdale Drive then southeast of the town , was purchased and laid out p with burial lots. The new cemetery was named Mountain Home. The remains of soldiers, as well as some of the area's early settlers, were disinterred from Post Cemetery and transported to Mountain Home. Up to ten remains were found; most were unidentified. (One burial contained a small bottle with a note written about the deceased, identifying the remains as those of W. W. Westfall of Company J, of the 13ffi Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, who died November 3, 1865.) By the mid-1880s, the town's population had experienced unprecedented growth, much of it to the southeast. Eventually, Mountain Home, threatened to be surrounded by residential neighborhoods, became too confined to meet requirements. The city decided to find a new site, far enough from town to keep it in a rural setting. The property which now contains Grandview Cemetery was originally owned by Civil War veteran Jacob Collamer. After mustering out of the army, he homesteaded here in 1871 and built a house and horse corrals at the site. (The exact location of either of these structures is no longer known). At some point over the next 16 years, the land was acquired by Thomas Connolly. On August 15, 1887, the City of Fort Collins purchased from Connolly 80 acres of land located a mile and a half west of the city. The tract of land, forty acres of which were to be used for the new cemetery, was immediately laid out by expert landscape gardeners and named Grand View Cemetery. The cemetery grounds were laid out in various sections, separated with circular drives. Within each section, bluegrass and decorative flowers and shrubbery were planted. Several trees were also planted, creating what has subsequently become the Grandview Forest, currently consisting of over 600 trees of 34 different varieties. The first interment was made on November 21, 1887. The burial was a three month baby named Felix Scoville, buried in Section K. The work of removing the remains from Mountain Home Cemetery to the new location began on December 24, 1887. No record remains of the number of burials in Mountain Home Cemetery, nor how many of those burials were re-interred at Grandview. W. W. Westfall was again moved, and now lies on Revised 09-2004 Page 3 the front edge of the soldier's section at Grandview, marked by a simple marble stone. A plot of one-half acre was set aside and dedicated to the uses of George H. Thomas, Post No. 7, Grand Army of the Republic, which removed to its plat the remains of the soldiers buried at Mountain Home. Since 1887, many of the members of that post, who were all Civil War veterans, have been buried in the soldier field. There are over 200 Civil War era veterans buried at Grandview, and 5 to 6 of these individuals were Confederates. One of the Union soldiers spent time in the notorious Confederate POW camp of Andersonville, and another Union soldier, H. C. Howard, was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Veterans of the Spanish-American War, the two World Wars, and the Korean War have also been laid to rest in this same area. Standing in the center of this section is the Soldier's Monument. In 1905, a life-size figure of a Union Civil War soldier standing at parade rest was erected here. This significant feature is discussed in further detail below. On June 13, 1909, another significant monument was added to the cemetery. It was a volunteer fireman's memorial statue meant to honor those who had served with the department. This memorial still stands and is also discussed below. Grandview remained outside the city limits for several years. Its location became an issue only once, in 1907, when citizens objected to the city's proposed purchase of the blocks on the south side of West Mountain Avenue as land for the new City Park. They did not feel the street to the cemetery should have a recreation area bordering it, so that row of blocks was cut off from the original park proposal. Throughout subsequent years, the cemetery would undergo more changes. Owing to the severe influenza epidemic, which was spreading across the country and arrived in Fort Collins in 1918, the available space for burials in Grandview's original layout, encompassing 38 acres, was reduced to such an extent as to make necessary the opening of additional lots in a new cemetery addition. This addition saw the inclusion of about 10 acres south of the original location and was known as the Grand View Cemetery Addition (Sections 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9). It was opened in 1915, in anticipation of the coming epidemic. Sadly, Fort Collins' foresight was merited. In 1918, almost 5% of Fort Collins' 7,000 citizens died, and were buried at Grandview. In the decades to immediately follow, Grandview continued to adapt to the changing dynamics of a growing city. The entrance to the cemetery, originally located off of Laporte Avenue, crossing south through section M, was closed in the early 1920s and relocated to West Mountain Avenue, its current location. In 1924, a reinforced concrete bridge was moved to the entrance of the cemetery to span the New Mercer Canal, replacing an old wooden bridge. Previously located across the New Mercer Canal 150 feet north of Mountain Avenue, the bridge had been built by the Denver and Interurban Railway(1907-1918) across from their streetcar station at the cemetery. Once in its new place, it was renovated with rustic "mountain rock" side walls and rustic ornamental flower receptacles. This coincided in time with the native rock walls that were built in City Park. Also at this time, the moss rock planters were erected surrounding section H. With the many improvements and the increased flow of tourists and picnickers going to City Park in the 1920s, city fathers determined it necessary to greatly improve the entrance to the cemetery. Designed by Professor B. O. Longyear, "Grand View Cemetery Entrance Park" was located in the block between the canal ditch in the cemetery and the new road between Mountain and Laporte Avenues, known as Grandview Avenue. From 1924 to 1926, the entrance was enhanced with a lawn, shrubs, trees, and flowers along the borders. A concrete fountain was planned so that there Revised 09-2004 Page 4 would be an "artistic entrance to the greenhouses on the south side of Mountain." At this location a little over a decade later, in 1938, the CCC constructed a one room, moss rock office. This significant and historic building remains and is discussed further below. Also in 1938, a nine hole golf course was developed on the racetrack land in Prospect Park and on the property south of the cemetery which had been part of the original 80 acre purchase. Through the early years, this southern section of the cemetery's land was leased for agricultural purposes. Although the land had been acquired by the city for future expansion of the cemetery, it had not, up to that point, been developed for that use, and a group of local businessmen convinced the city to use the land instead for the city's first public golf course. The Fort Collins Municipal Golf Association was incorporated and its by-laws written that same year. The golf association signed an agreement with the city that it would pay the sponsor's share of a federal Works Project Administration(W. P. A.) project to construct a municipal golf course, and to partly compensate the city as long as they used the land as a golf course. Raising funds was very difficult due to the nation's crippling economic depression. Through small donations, the association was able to raise $10,000 and the W. P. A. paid wages amounting to about $40,000. The association could not afford to hire an architect to design the course, so local golf enthusiast, Don Chapin, incorporator of the first investment company in Fort Collins, designed the grounds himself based on his experiences at other golf courses. Grading work and pipe lines were laid in the fall and winter of 1938. All work was done by hand, and the course was completed in 1940. The final layout of the golf course surrounded Grandview Cemetery in an L-shape. The completion of this work began the city's long lasting association with the City Park Nine golf course. The annual rent in 1940 was set at$750. The agreement with the city was that the land was to be used exclusively for a golf course and club under the control of the Board of Directors of the golf association. However, with the golf course completed, Grandview was left with very little property on which to expand in the future. Two decades later, in 1960, Grandview added its last two sections (10 and 11) just south of the canal. Although Grandview has run out of space on which to further expand its grounds, this does not mean that the cemetery has ceased to add new features. Cemetery supervisors continue to update the grounds by carefully managing their current holdings. In 1994, the Armed Forces Flag Display was completed at the entrance, and the following year saw the opening of the Four Seasons Columbarium. Additions to the Four Seasons area are planned for the future. In 2001, the Memory Wall was completed. Furthermore, the cemetery recently completed the Rock Garden for the interment of cremated remains. Today, Grand View Cemetery(the name has for some time now been written "Grandview") is under the management of the City of Fort Collins' Parks and Recreation Department and consists of approximately 45 developed acres, 34,000 grave spaces, 70 crypts, and 336 niches. Thousands of trees and shrubs have been planted over the years, making Grandview one of the most beautiful cemeteries in this area. About 26,000 people are buried at Grandview, and the average number of interments is about 200 per year. Revised 09-2004 Page 5 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION - BUILDINGS Grandview Cemetery contains one contributing building, the Grandview Office, and several non- contributing buildings within the property boundaries. Contributing Building Grandview Office: This brick and moss rock building is a historic and distinctive feature of the cemetery. Built during the depression in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), it is located at 1900 West Mountain Avenue at the entrance to the cemetery. It is a single story, flat roofed building with 569 square feet of office space, 36 square feet of storage space, a 27.5 square foot indoor restroom, and a 27.5 square foot outside restroom. This outside restroom contains its original sink and split toilet. The building originally consisted of one room until, in 1976, a second room was added to the west side. While this addition is also covered with a moss rock fagade, it is clearly distinguishable from the original historic building. The building is significant under standards one and three due to its association with the CCC and because of its unique architectural features. It has retained a preponderance of integrity and now serves as the head office for both Grandview and Roselawn cemeteries. Non-Contributing Buildings The cemetery grounds contain six other non-historic buildings: Grandview Maintenance Center. Located at 1902 W. Mountain, it is a metal sided, metal roofed building with a large work area, parts and tools storage area, restrooms, and a break room for cemetery staff. Grandview Equipment Storage. This building is also composed of metal roofing and siding. It has 1152 square feet of storage space. Grandview Hazardous Materials Storage. This is a small, 80 square foot, wood sided building with an asphalt shingle roofing. Pump House. This is a small, metal sided and roofed building. Mausoleum Equipment Storage Shed. This is an 80 square foot, wood sided building with an asphalt shingle roof. Grandview Residence. This house, located at 149 Grandview Avenue, on the northeast corner of cemetery property, was built in 1975. It is an 1800 square foot, wood framed building with wood siding and an asphalt shingle roof. It also has a 400 square foot garage. The original house on this property was built in 1895 and torn down in 1975. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION—STRUCTURES,MONUMENTS AND FEATURES Soldier's Monument/Civil War Statue: The statue faces east on a six foot high base. The granite monument is 12 feet high and was erected in May, 1905,by the Women's Relief Corp. of the George H. Thomas, Post#7, at a total cost of$1,250. Three large silver spruce trees, planted by Civil War veterans over a century ago, stand at three corners of the monument's base. There used to be trees at all four corners, however, one of these had to be removed after it was damaged in a windstorm. Furthermore, there used to be two Civil War era cannons in front of the monument, which were gifts to the city from the G. A. R. Post. One was dated 1862, and the other 1864. Neither of these cannons stands today. One was heavily damaged by vandals in 1972 and only the barrel remains. The remnants of both cannons are now in storage awaiting their return to the cemetery. The monument is elegantly tall and slender, a nearly life-sized statue of a Union soldier at parade rest. It sits on a tall grey granite pedestal and presides over the veteran's burial section (section S). On the front of the pedestal is the inscription: "Dedicated to G.A.R. BY W.R.C., May 30, 1905." On the back of the pedestal is inscribed: "In memory of the Known and Unknown Dead." Revised 09-2004 Page 6 Fireman's Statue: Across the gravel drive to the east of the Soldier's Monument is the Fireman's Statue, dedicated to the city's Volunteer Fire Fighters who served from 1880-1914. The inscription on the statue reads, "Erected by the Fort Collins Volunteer Fire Department, June 13, 1909, In Memory of Deceased Firemen." It is a large, granite, life-sized figure of a fireman in full uniform and hat. The old fire bell that once hung in the bell tower on the roof of the old fire station on Walnut Street is mounted in cement in front of the monument. This bell called together the volunteers from around town. The initials V. V. F. inscribed on the bell stand for Veteran Volunteer Firemen. T.P. Treadwell, former department chief, and John H. Cameron, a volunteer for 23 years, took the bell to the cemetery after having the initials and the date 1880-1914 inscribed on it around 1930. The fire station on walnut was remodeled in 1932 and the cupola(bell tower) was taken down. Entry Bridge and Planters In 1924, a reinforced concrete bridge was moved to the entrance of the cemetery, replacing an old wooden bridge which no longer exists. Previously located 150 feet north of Mountain Avenue across the New Mercer Canal, the bridge had been built by the Denver and Interurban Railway (1907-1918) across from their streetcar station at the cemetery. Once in place, it was renovated with rustic mountain rock side-walls and rustic ornamental flower receptacles. This coincides in time with the similar native rock walls that were built in City Park. There are also three historic moss rock planters, roughly the same vintage as the bridge, located in section H. Each of these structures is in excellent condition. (Please see attached photos of the planters and bridge) Gravesite Monuments Several types of burial monuments have been used throughout the decades at Grandview, composed of several types of material. The most common material is granite, but marble, sandstone, flagstone, and cast iron have also been used. (Today, Grandview, with very rare exception, only allows granite headstones, as these other materials have proved too fragile to withstand centuries of abuse from the elements.) While Grandview displays headstones of many different materials, it also displays the varying styles of monuments popular throughout the decades. One style popular around the turn of the twentieth century was to affix a round granite orb to the top of a rectangular stone. The cemetery features several stones of this type, each with its own unique elements. Another style popular during this same time period was the placement of copings around family plots which served the purpose of grouping families together. However, this option was quite expensive. Eventually, the popularity of coping faded due to maintenance problems and the fact that families no longer stayed in the same geographic location, but instead spread across the country. Between 1900-1930, monuments in the shape of a tree stump were popular and can also be found throughout the cemetery. These were used to identify members of the organization Woodmen of the World. From 1900-1940, monuments made of granite became more popular, and marble fell to the wayside as the preferred material. Apex monuments featuring a drop wash base were typical during this period. The base of these was useful in keeping water and snow away from the attached monument. This style of base tended to be purchased by wealthier people, since the extra cuts required in the base drove up the cost of the monument. From the early-to-mid twentieth century variations of taller monuments were another significant style. However, given the size and proportional cost of these monuments, they usually were purchased by wealthier people. During the Depression and post-WWII years, the flat, flush marker became popular. This was the case primarily because cemetery officials were promoting the sale of flat markers, and it was believed these markers would reduce maintenance costs, and, of Revised 09-2004 Page 7 course, reduce the cost to the consumer during these lean years. However, it was later found that flat markers did not reduce maintenance costs but, in fact, led to maintenance problems. In addition, loved ones were unhappy that grass had grown over much of the marker they had purchased. Though still used today, this concept has lost a great deal of its appeal in favor of upright monuments. While all cemetery lots are owned by the City of Fort Collins, individual grave markers belong to the families of the deceased, who have the legal right to remove, modify or replace the markers. Interment Grandview Cemetery has historically offered several different interment options. The full earth burial with casket and vault can be arranged with a single grave for the interment of one casket. A double depth grave is also offered and allows for the interment of two caskets, one on top of the other. Finally, there is a side-by-side option. This option is two or more single graves located side by side. Each grave is for the interment of one casket. Grandview Cemetery also has an above ground mausoleum which offers single and companion crypts. The single crypt holds one casket. The companion crypt holds two caskets placed end to end. The large mausoleum building was completed in 1994. Two smaller niche units have subsequently been added, about one every five years. Many of the crypts and niches display not only the name of the interred,but often include an intricate symbol or picture carved in the granite, corresponding to an important aspect of the person's life. Earth interment of cremated remains is also offered. A cremation grave may be purchased for one interment, with the option to purchase rights of interment for up to five additional cremains on that space. Furthermore, the cemetery offers above ground interment in a columbarium. Located near the mausoleum are a variety of niches, including niches located in a wall and in a smaller, free-standing columbarium. Finally, there are the Memory Wall, Gardens and Ossuary. The Memory Wall, completed in 2001, consists of six Rushmore mahogany granite panels that allow for engraving the name and dates of loved ones. Each panel of the stone wall is six feet high by two feet and six inches wide. The person does not have to be interred at the cemetery to have their name placed on the wall. As part of the fee for engraving, vital information on the individual will be added to the cemetery database. In conjunction with the Memory Wall, Grandview Cemetery offers a Garden Ossuary, which is a place where cremated remains can be co-mingled in an enclosed structure. Significant Burials Aside from the many historic landscape, architectural, and monumental features of Grandview, many significant Fort Collins residents, including the city's founding pioneers, have a resting place here. A few of these prominent individuals include Myron H. Akin, who with his brothers is credited with being the first to bring sheep into Larimer County, ultimately establishing our popular sheep-herding region. Akin also served as mayor of Fort Collins from 1909-1910, and Akin Street in Fort Collins is named after him. Prominent Fort Collins farmer, stockman, and banker Wiliam A. Drake was elected in 1904 to the fourteenth Colorado Assembly as a senator from Larimer County. Charles A. Lory taught physics at Colorado Agricultural College in Fort Collins. In 1909 he became President of the college, presiding over some of the schools' most significant changes as Colorado State University. Elizabeth "Auntie" Stone is believed to have been the first white Revised 09-2004 Page 8 female permanent resident of what is now Fort Collins. Following the death of her husband, Lewis, she proved herself to be an able businesswoman and was responsible for the first flour mill and brick kiln in the city. Her wood cabin, now at the Fort Collins Museum, was also used as the city's first hotel and schoolhouse. Her niece, Mrs. Elizabeth Parke Keays Stratton was the first school teacher in Fort Collins, teaching classes in an upstairs bedroom of Auntie Stone's cabin. She married Harris Stratton, a representative of Larimer County in the Territorial Legislature. Their wedding was the first solemnized wedding ceremony in Fort Collins. hi 1866, Mrs. Stratton made her classroom available to Bishop Joseph P. Machebeuf of Denver, where he delivered Fort Collins' first Catholic mass. The gold rush at Pikes Peak led Abner Loomis to Colorado at age 21. He eventually came to Fort Collins in 1880. Loomis was the first president of the Latimer County Board of Commissioners, and president of the Poudre Valley National Bank for ten years. Loomis is credited with introducing the first alfalfa into Larimer County, and brought apple trees to this region. Loomis Avenue was named in his honor. He died in 1904 at age 75. Benjamin Whedbee, known as "Uncle Ben", was the first mayor of Fort Collins, and Larimer County's first Treasurer. He came to Fort Collins in 1871, and opened the first drugstore north of Boulder that same year. He started the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal, which is where the cemetery, golf course, and City Park get their water for irrigation. Montezuma W. Fuller is acknowledged as Fort Collins' first architect. His first recorded work in Fort Collins was in 1883, when he remodeled a barn into a lab and scientific classroom on the college campus. He designed upwards of 400 homes, churches, and schools in Fort Collins, several business blocks in the downtown area, and 1100 structures throughout the Front Range. Joseph Mason was the first white settler of Fort Collins. Following the 1863 flood that destroyed Camp Collins, Mason is credited with choosing the military camp's new location, effectively establishing Fort Collins. He served as sheriff from 1971-1973 and also served as postmaster. On February 11, 1881, while at the Sherwood farm attempting to break a horse to harness, he was kicked in the head, resulting in his death. Mason Street is named after him. Three former United States Congressmen are buried at Grandview. Charles Bateman Timberlake (1854-1941) of Sterling, Colorado was born in Ohio in 1854, and served as the Republican, 2nd District Representative from 1915-33. He Died in 1941. William Silas Hill (1886-1972) of Fort Collins was born in Kansas in 1886. He served as the Republican, 2nd District Representative from 1941-59. He died in 1972. Fred Nelson Cummings (1864-1952) of Fort Collins was born near Groveton, New Hampshire on September 18, 1864. He served as the Democratic, 2nd District Representative from 1933-41. He died in Fort Collins on November 10, 1952. Franklin Avery traveled west at age twenty one and joined the Union Colony in Greeley in 1870. He platted the town of Fort Collins in 1873, and became a prominent and prosperous businessman. Avery was the chief promoter and organizer of the Larimer County Ditch Company, the largest irrigation system in Colorado. In 1880, he founded the Larimer County Bank, later changed to First National Bank. He built his house at 328 West Mountain Avenue. Completed in 1880, it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He died on April 24, 1923. The History ofLarimer County, written by Ansel Watrous in 1911, is where all local research begins for local historians and history aficionados alike. Watrous arrived in Colorado in 1877. In 1885 President Cleveland appointed him postmaster for Fort Collins, a position held until June, 1889. Founded and editor of the Fort Collins Courier, he was an active promoter of the sugar beet industry in our city and advocated for the city's public library. He died in 1927. Revised 09-2004 Page 9 Armed Forces Flag Display In 1995, the cemetery added an armed forces flag display to its front entrance. The project was in part the result of a series of surveys put out by the cemetery to determine what improvements citizens wanted to add. The flag display has five poles, with flags from every branch of the armed forces. The frontal flag is the Army's banner and, moving clockwise in the order in which each branch was founded, are banners for the Marines, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard. The flags are raised daily at sunrise, and the cemetery management takes extra care to have the appropriate flag up when a veteran is buried. Flags for display were donated by the various branches of the armed forces and other parts of the display were arranged by the office of Congressman Wayne Allard. HISTORIC LANDSCAPE Circular Drives These features, as mentioned before, were part of the cemetery's original design. However, as their original design was based on accommodating horses and buggies, over the years, these drives have been widened to accommodate today's cars. Yet, is important to note that these drives have always been composed of gravel, with no sidewalks (the grass sloping directly into the street edge), and as such, adds significantly to the rural historic integrity of the grounds. (Please see attached map and photos) Canal Another landscape feature associated with the cemetery, but also of wider regional significance, is the New Mercer Canal. The New Mercer Canal bisects the cemetery from the north to the south on the cemetery's east side. There is also a small section of the canal which runs along the cemetery side of Laporte Avenue on the northwest corner of the property. The canal was one of the earliest irrigation ditches built in Fort Collins. It was named after Mercer, Pennsylvania,home of the men who started the ditch. On August 1, 1869, a party of six men left Mercer, Pennsylvania bound for the Cache la Poudre Valley in Colorado. Reverend W. P. McAdam, the former chaplain of a Civil War regiment, led the party. He was accompanied by two other members of that regiment and by three boys about 18 years old, one of whom was Alfred A. Edwards, who later became the president/manager of the Water Supply and Storage Company. One month later, the party arrived in Laporte, Colorado and filed on government land near present day Fort Collins. At the time the main irrigation was on crops planted adjacent to the Cache la Poudre River. In order to get water to the land this party had claimed, they had to build irrigation ditches. The Mercer Pole and Ditch Company was formed and construction of the Mercer Ditch began in the spring of 1870. The start of the ditch was at its diversion point from the Cache la Poudre River about one mile west of Laporte where a diversion dam was constructed at an elevation of 5065 feet. Financial problems impeded progress on the ditch construction. A new ditch company, the New Mercer Ditch Company was formed, and the ditch was then constructed in a southeasterly direction to the land in Fort Collins and several miles beyond. This ditch has been determined eligible for the National Register by the State Historic Preservation Office. Fence Between 1980 and 1985, a cedar fence replaced a wire and steel post fence on the cemetery's southern border with the City Park Golf Course. This fence is non-historic. Revised 09-2004 Page 10 Lights The cemetery also erected several street lights located throughout the grounds to illuminate the area at night and hopefully deter vandals. These features are recent additions of the last ten years. However, due to their vintage appearance, they blend nicely with the otherwise historic surroundings. Flora and Fauna Grandview Cemetery is the most heavily wooded public park in Fort Collins with more than 600 trees planted on 40 acres. This computes to an average of nearly 14 trees per acre. Trees in the Grandview Forest consist of two major age classes. Original plantings were primarily maple, spruce, and elm and date back 60 to 90 years. A new generation of replacement and infill trees has been added more recently. The younger trees are predominately linden and burr oak. To perpetuate this forested environment, new and replacement trees are planted on an annual basis. Of special significance are three towering blue spruce in the soldier's section of the cemetery. These magnificent trees are beautiful examples of Colorado's state tree. In 1905, four of these blue spruce trees were planted at each corner of the soldier's monument. However, in later years, one of these trees had to be removed after it was damaged in a wind storm. A state champion Ohio buckeye (as well as the largest such tree in Colorado) has recently been recognized in Grandview by the State Forest Service, which keeps records of the largest specimens of each tree species. The buckeye is located along Grandview Drive, 75 yards north of the cemetery office. This species is typically a smaller tree, but this one has grown to a 23-inch trunk diameter. Other notable trees include the large sugar maple and the many groves of Douglas fir throughout the grounds. Dutch elm disease has had a major impact on the Grandview Forest in the past. More than 50 American elm trees have been lost since 1969 due to the disease. Early detection of Dutch elm disease through diagnostic lab analysis and routine pruning of diseased limbs has greatly reduced recent losses. Presently 168 American elm trees stand in the cemetery. All of the trees at Grandview enhance the beauty of this cemetery. The forest provides a natural windbreak and plenty of cooling shade for visitors. All tolled, there are 34 different species of trees located within Grandview cemetery. Aside from its aesthetic beauty, this expertly crafted urban forest makes for an abundant wildlife habitat. Herds of deer make their way in and out of the cemetery, especially throughout the winter months. Fox, skunk, raccoon, and smaller mammals make their homes in the grounds. The occasional coyote, and even black bear, have been spotted within the cemetery. One hundred seventy six species of birds have been recorded at Grandview. The cemetery's nesting Great Horned Owls, usually one pair but sometimes two, are always a big attraction. Seeing the young owls become active in April and May is a special event and many people of all ages have had their interest in birds elevated by these charismatic predators. Mountain species like Pine Siskins, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Western Pewees, and Red-breasted Nuthatches nest in Grandview's conifers almost every summer. The cemetery is perhaps the best place in all of Colorado to find the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an eastern woodpecker that rarely winters in our state. Almost every year from November thru March, a sapsucker is found within the cemetery or nearby, subsisting on sap it benignly obtains from large Austrian, Scots, and Ponderosa Pines. Revised 09-2004 Page 11 The Broad-winged Hawk, an eastern raptor, has been documented nesting in Colorado only once: this event took place in Grandview in 1978. Crossbills, both Red and White-winged, occur in Grandview at unpredictable intervals of several years. These conifer seed-eating finches roam widely, and when shortages occur in the mountains, the spruce and other trees in the cemetery become highly attractive. White-winged Crossbills are particularly unusual at low elevations, and when they show up at Grandview,birders rush to see them. Other species quite unusual to this region have been found at Grandview Cemetery over the years including a Mississippi Kite, several rare warblers (including Yellow-throated, Blackbumian, Cape May, Tennessees, Black-and-whites, Black-throated Green, Northern Parulas, Bay-breasteds, Chestnut-siseds, Black-throated Gray, and Hooded), Gray Flycatchers, Western Bluebirds, Red-eyed Vireos, Summer Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Swamp Sparrow, Pine Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, Harris's Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, and Peregrine Falcons. And then there is the "crown jewel"of Grandview Cemetery's bird history—the appearance in 2005 of Colorado's only record of Tropical Parula. This Mexican warbler, which normally only occurs with regularity within the United States along the Rio Grande River in extreme south Texas, and which had never been seen previously north of Lubbock, was found on June 18, 2005 and persisted until at least July 4`h. During its brief stay of 17+days, this very misplaced little male sang with gusto in vain trying to find a mate, and delighted over 200 birders who came from all over Colorado and as far away as Alaska to see him. His territory in Section 8 centered on some large Honeylocusts, which apparently resembled mesquite and other leguminous trees common in its normal southern environment. Birds and birders are just a few of the Cemetery's user groups that benefit from its unique atmosphere. Its history as a wildlife habitat is greatly appreciated by visitors,both casual and passionate, and expands the cemetery's value far beyond its primary function as a respectful final resting place for loved ones buried here. Secondary Uses Aside from its traditional purpose, Grandview serves as a place for recreation, leisure, and community events. The cemetery's value to wildlife enthusiasts has already been mentioned. Additionally, the cemetery has long been a popular place for joggers, casual walkers, and runners. It has also served as a training ground for the CSU Track Team for many years. Another popular event is the Cemetery Crawl/Stroll. This has been an annual event at Grandview each September for the past eleven years. It is a living history presentation portrayed by local actors. A significant aspect of the cemetery, and yet, not immediately apparent to the casual visitor, is the cemetery's extensive historical records of those interred here. The cemetery, in the last several years, has made dramatic leaps in its record keeping and now provides highly accessible information to professional and casual researchers. Indeed, its records not only provide detailed records on those individuals interred here, but also provide invaluable data on the trends of our city's history. For example, based on these records researchers can determine that, in 1902, the average person in Fort Collins died at the age of 30. This number rose to 40 by 1920, age 50 by 1930, 70 years by 1970, Revised 09-2004 Page 12 and rose to the current level of age 74 by 1989. As previously mentioned, in 1915, the cemetery was enlarged in anticipation of an influenza outbreak that was sweeping across the country. The virus arrived in Fort Collins in 1918, and the devastating results are apparent in the records. In 1917, there were 172 interments at Grandview. This number rose to 319 in 1918, and then tapered down to 236 by 1920. A further trend found in the cemetery's records is the dramatic drop in infant mortality rates. From the cemetery's founding until roughly 1907, the number of infant deaths tended to match the total number of adult deaths per year. The infant mortality rate then slowly began to decrease, and by 1919, the total number of infant deaths reached roughly half that of adult deaths. By 1925 that number had further dropped to one third, to one fifth by 1950, and one tenth by 1960. By 1980, infant deaths had become rare, and by 2000 the number of infant deaths, for the first time in the cemetery's history, totaled zero. SURROUNDING CEMETERIES While Grandview is certainly the largest and most significant of the communities surrounding cemeteries, it is important to briefly mention three other properties that have been significant to the community. The community of Pleasant Valley, near present-day Laporte, was settled by several prominent individuals significant to regional history, including Abner Loomis. The region's first cemetery, the Bingham Hill pioneer cemetery, was established nearby. There are very few marked graves located here and no cemetery records were kept. The burials here began as early as 1862 but there is no information regarding how many people were buried here over the years. However, the total number exceeds 200. The original names of this cemetery were Laporte Cemetery and Bellevue Cemetery. The cemetery took on the name Bingham Hill Cemetery after it was no longer in use. Today, the old cemetery is cared for by Rose Brinks, who has published a book with its history, and a listing of all extant headstones. Harmony Hill Cemetery was another pioneer cemetery. It was located two miles south of what is now Drake Road, serving the community of Harmony. The cemetery was first used in 1880, and its last known burial was performed in 1941. It contains about 50 graves. The cemetery has been plotted and all headstones recorded. Fort Collins is also home to Roselawn Burial Gardens, located on East Mulberry. It was established by a private association in 1947 to provide additional burial space within a garden-type cemetery. The City of Fort Collins took over the operation of Roselawn in 1959. Roselawn provides nearly 30 acres of trees and shrubs, manicured lawns, and a magnificent view of the foothills. Over 2500 burials have been performed at this cemetery. Revised 09-2004 Page 13 REFERENCE LIST or SOURCES of INFORMATION Grandview cemetery records. Ahlbrandt, Arlene. Kathryn Stieben., eds. The History of Larimer County Colorado Vol. II Dallas: Curtis Media Corporation, 1997. Watrous, Ansel. History of Larimer County Colorado. Fort Collins: The Courier Printing & Publishing Company. 1911. "Myron H. Akin" Larimer County Colorado. 2007. <htip://www.larimerco.com/3history/32002Mvron H Akin.htm> Colorado USGenWeb Archives. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/—usp,enweb/co/costones/index.htm#larimer> Fort Collins Public Library Online Local History Archive. 2007. <httv://histor-Y.fcgov.com/archive/Searches/search oyns.htm> "Cemeteries and Memorial Sites of Politicians in Larimer County". Political Graveyard. 2007. <http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/CO/LR.httn]#CEM> Brinks, Rose L. Brigham Hill Cemetery. Fort Collins: Don-Art Printers, 1990. Frost, Patricia. History of Fort Collins Cemeteries. 1985. (Document on file at the City of Fort Collins Preservation Office) Clements, Josephine. "Monument to Soldiers". Senior Voice. May, 1995. fcgov.com. "Parks" 2007. <httv://fegov.com/parks/histor-y.php> "The Musgrove Gang" over-land.com. 2000. <http://www.over-land.com/musarove.html> Grandview Cemetery Forest brochure. City of Fort Collins Cemetery Division. Knierim, Kurt; Dale and Fran Crawford; Gary Hixon; Joan Day; Lennie Epstein. Cemetery Stroll profiles. Sep. 16, 2006. City of Fort Collins Grandview Cemetery Interment Options Brochure Grandview Cemetery Memory Gardens brochure Beatty, Mildred P. "Reminder of the past". Review. Jan. 25, 1978. Ahlbrandt, Arlene. "History Presentation at Fort Collins "Cemetery Crawl."' Fort Collins Forum. Sep. 9, 2004. Revised 09-2004 Page 14 Tomjack, Lee. "Cemetery Changes". Fort Collins Triangle Review. May 26, 1995. David Leatherman. Letter to Phil Carpenter. 13 Apr. 2007. (On file at the city of Fort Collins Preservation Office) Sundburg, Wayne. Historic Fort Collins. Fort Collins: The Old Army Press. 1975. Persons, David. "Carpenter sees cemeteries place of peace for the living". The Coloradoan. Feb. 2001. Colorado Cultural Resource Survey. New Mercer Ditch. 2003. 5LR.10681.1 Grandview Cemetery: Cemetery Stroll booklet. Ferguson, John, Personal Communication with Phil Carpenter, 6/20/07 and 7/17/07 Revised 09-2004 Page 15 Attachment I DESCRIPTION OF THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF THE GRANDVIEW CEMETERY A tract of land located in the Southwest quarter of Section 10, Township 7 North, Range 69 West of the Sixth Principal Meridian, City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado, the said tract is the area known as the Grandview Cemetery, being more particularly described as follows; Considering the west line of the said southwest quarter of Section 10 as bearing South 00 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds West between a 2.5" aluminum cap monument, PLS 10740 at the west quarter corner of the said Section 10 and a 3" aluminum cap monument, PLS 20123 at the southwest comer of the said Section 10,based upon City of Fort Collins coordinate base and G.P.S. observation; Commencing at the said west quarter corner of Section 10; THENCE along the said west line of the southwest quarter, South 00 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds west for a distance of 30.00 feet; THENCE South 89 degrees 14 minutes 43 seconds East for a distance of 30.00 feet to the intersection of the south right of way of LaPorte Avenue and the east right of way of Taft Hill Road, the said intersection point is also the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THIS DESCRIPTION; THENCE along the said East right of way of Taft Hill Road, South 00 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds West for a distance of 1471.75 feet; THENCE leaving the said east right of way, South 89 degrees 15 minutes 02 seconds East for a distance of 942.92 feet; THENCE South 89 degrees 19 minutes 07 seconds East for a distance of 350.20 feet; THENCE North 00 degrees 19 minutes 25 seconds West for a distance of 39.13 feet; THENCE South 88 degrees 29 minutes 09 seconds West for a distance of 45.93 feet; THENCE North 09 degrees 30 minutes 05 seconds East for a distance of 390.95 feet; THENCE North 07 degrees 38 minutes 26 seconds East for a distance of 53.31 feet; THENCE North 05 degrees 36 minutes 22 seconds East for a distance of 219.08 feet to the south right of way of West Mountain Avenue; THENCE along the said south right of way of West Mountain Avenue, North 89 degrees 14 minutes 43 seconds West for a distance of 94.36 feet to the southerly extension of the west right of way of Grandview Avenue; THENCE along the said southerly extension and along the said west right of way of Grandview Avenue, North 00 degrees 36 minutes 02 seconds East for a distance of 776.30 feet to the said south right of way of LaPorte Avenue; THENCE along the said south right of way of LaPorte Avenue,North 89 degrees 14 minutes 43 seconds West for a distance of 1235.08 feet to the point of beginning. Containing 42.683 acres more less. The above described tract is subject to all easements and rights of ways now existing or of record. Revised 09-2004 Page 16 ATTACHMENT LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION December 12, 2007 STAFF REPORT REQUESTS: Landmark Designation of Grandview Cemetery, 1900 West Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado STAFF CONTACT: John Ferguson, Preservation Intern; Karen McWilliams, Preservation Planner APPLICANT: City of Fort Collins, Department of Parks and Cemeteries. Significance and Physical Integrity: Of outstanding historical significance, Grandview Cemetery is unusual in that it is eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark under all four designation standards, Standards 1, 2, 3, and 4. Established in 1887, Grandview is the oldest operating cemetery in the city, and is the resting place of Fort Collins residents. The cemetery is associated with events significant to the founding and early growth of the city of Fort Collins. The people interred at this site include some of our city's, and indeed, Colorado's, most influential politicians, business people, and pioneers. The property's historic structures and landscape features, such as its unique moss rock bridge, circular gravel drive layout,moss rock planters, marble, granite, flagstone, sandstone, and cast iron grave markers, and, of course, the historic New Mercer Ditch which bisects the cemetery grounds, embody distinctive characteristics of design and construction. Furthermore, the historic office building located at 1900 West Mountain Avenue, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, also represents these distinctive characteristics. Finally, this property serves as a record of the city's past and will continue to yield important information for decades to come. Grandview Cemetery, along with its myriad of significant resources, is certainly eligible for inclusion on in the National Register of Historic Places and should be formally recognized as a Fort Collins Landmark. Architecture: Grandview Cemetery contains one contributing and several non-contributing buildings within the property boundaries. The contributing building is the Grandview office. This brick and moss rock building is a historic and distinctive feature of the cemetery. Built during the depression in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), it is located at 1900 West Mountain Avenue at the entrance to the cemetery. It is a single story, flat roofed building with 569 square feet of office space, 36 square feet of storage space, a 27.5 square foot indoor restroom, and a 27.5 square foot outside restroom. This outside restroom contains its original sink and split toilet. The building originally consisted of one room until, in 1976, a second room was added to the west side. While this addition is also covered with a moss rock fagade, it is clearly distinguishable from the original historic building. The building is significant under Standards 1 and 3 due to its association with the CCC, and because of its unique architectural 1 ATTACHMENT features. It has retained a preponderance of integrity and now serves as the head office for both Grandview and Roselawn Cemeteries. Non-contributing buildings consist of metal and wood maintenance buildings and sheds, dating to the modem period, with no architectural or historical features. In 1976, a residence was constructed on Grandview property, at 149 Grandview Avenue. This building is also non- contributing Grandview Cemetery also contains several significant structures and features. In 1924, a reinforced concrete bridge was moved to the entrance of the cemetery, replacing an old wooden bridge. Previously located 150 feet north of Mountain Avenue, across the New Mercer Canal, the bridge had been built by the Denver and Interurban Railway(1907-1918) across from their streetcar station at the cemetery. Once in it new location, it was renovated with rustic"mountain rock" side-walls and rustic ornamental flower receptacles. This coincides in time with the similar native rock walls that were built in City Park. There are also three historic moss rock planters, roughly the same vintage as the bridge, located in Section H. Each of these structures features very good to excellent historic integrity. Grandview displays many different types of headstones and monuments, documenting changes in Fort Collins residents' style, taste, available materials, and economic prosperity throughout the decades. Early monuments were often of marble. One style popular around the turn of the twentieth century was a round granite orb affixed to the top of a rectangular stone. The cemetery features several monuments of this type, each with its own unique elements. Another popular technique during this same time period was the placement of copings around family plots, which served the purpose of grouping families together. However, this option was quite expensive. The popularity of coping faded due to maintenance problems and the fact that families no longer stayed in the same geographic location, but instead spread across the country. Therefore, the need for family plots (around which copings may be placed) diminished. Between 1900-1930, monuments in the shape of a tree stump were popular, and examples are found throughout the cemetery. These were used to identify members of an organization known as Woodmen of the World. From1900-1940, monuments made of granite became more popular and marble fell to the wayside as the preferred material. Apex monuments, featuring a drop wash base, were typical during this period. The base was designed to keep water and snow away from the attached monument. This base tended to be purchased by people of greater means, since the extra cuts required in the base drove up the cost of the monument. From the early-to-mid twentieth century, variations of taller monuments were another significant stylistic feature. However, given the size and proportional cost of these monuments, they usually were purchased by wealthier people. During the Depression and post-WWII years, the flat, flush marker became popular. This was in great measure due to cemetery officials promoting the sale of flat markers, and it was believed these markers would reduce maintenance costs, and, of course, reduce the cost to the consumer during these lean years. However, they did not reduce maintenance costs but, in fact, increased maintenance problems. Loved ones were often unhappy that grass had grown over much of the marker they had purchased. Though still used today, this concept has lost a great deal of its appeal in favor of upright monuments. 2 ATTACHMENT History: Lt. Col. William O. Collins ordered the establishment of a military post in what is now the City of Fort Collins on August 20, 1864. After the post was built and occupied, the need arose for a burial site for deceased soldiers and pioneers. It was decided to place this first cemetery on high ground about a half mile southwest of the post. Located at what is presently the old Post Office/One West Art Center, at Oak Street and College Avenue, the Post Cemetery was used for the interment of soldiers who died between 1864-1867. Less than a dozen soldiers appear to have died at the post between the fall of 1864 and the spring of 1867, the length of the military occupation of Fort Collins. The cemetery was abandoned in 1873 and during that year, ground around present Eastdale Drive was purchased and laid out with burial lots. The new cemetery was named Mountain Home. The remains of soldiers, as well as some of the area's early settlers, were disinterred from Post Cemetery and transported to Mountain Home. Up to ten remains were found, and most were unidentified. One burial contained a small bottle with a note written about the deceased, identifying the remains as those of W. W. Westfall of Company J, of the 13`s Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, who died November 3, 1865. Eventually, Mountain Home became too confined to meet needs. By the mid-1880s, Fort Collins' population had experienced unprecedented growth, much of it to the southeast. Mountain Home Cemetery was threatened with becoming completely surrounded by residential neighborhoods. The city decided to find a new site far enough from town to keep the cemetery in a rural setting. The property which now contains Grandview Cemetery was originally owned by Civil War veteran Jacob Collamer. After mustering out of the army, he homesteaded here in 1871 and built a house and horse corrals on the site. At some point over the next 16 years the land was acquired by Thomas Connolly. On August 15, 1887, the City of Fort Collins purchased from Connolly what is now the present site of Grandview Cemetery, for$50 per acre. The purchase consisted of 80 acres of land located a mile and a half west of the city. The tract of land, forty acres of which were to be used initially for the new cemetery, was immediately laid out by landscape gardeners and named Grand View Cemetery. The grounds were laid out in various sections and separated with circular drives. Within each section,bluegrass and decorative flowers and shrubbery were planted. Several trees were also planted, creating what has subsequently become the Grandview Forest, currently consisting of over 700 trees of 34 different varieties. The first interment was made on November 21, 1887. The burial was a three month old baby named Felix Scoville, buried in Section K. On December 24, 1887, the work of removing the remains from Mountain Home Cemetery to the new location began. A one-half acre plot was set aside and dedicated to the uses of George H. Thomas Post No. 7, Grand Army of the Republic, which removed to its plat the remains of the soldiers buried at Mountain Home. Since 1887, many of the members of that post, who were all Civil War veterans, have been buried in the soldier field. There are over 200 Civil War era veterans buried at Grandview, and 5 or 6 of these individuals were Confederates. One of the Union soldiers spent time in the notorious Confederate POW camp of Andersonville, and another Union soldier, H. C. Howard, was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Later, veterans of the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, and the Korean War have also been laid to rest in this area. Standing in the center of this section is the Soldier's Monument, a life-size figure of a Union Civil War soldier 3 ATTACHMENT standing at parade rest, erected here in 1905. On June 13, 1909, another significant monument was added to the cemetery. It was a volunteer fireman's memorial statue, dedicated in honor of those who had served with the department. Grandview Cemetery remained outside the city limits for several years. Its location became an issue only once, in 1907, when citizens objected to the city's proposed purchase of the blocks on the south side of West Mountain Avenue as land for the new City Park. They did not feel the street to the cemetery should have a recreational area bordering it. To solve the issue, the row of blocks bordering the street was cut off from the original park proposal. In subsequent years, the cemetery would undergo several changes. Owing to the severe influenza epidemic, which arrived in Fort Collins in 1918, available space for burials in Grandview's original layout, encompassing 38 acres, was reduced to such an extent as to make it necessary to expand the cemetery. This addition encompassed about 10 acres south of the original location, and was known as the Grand View Cemetery Addition, now including Sections 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9. Sadly, Fort Collins' foresight was proven accurate. In 1918, almost 5% of Fort Collins' 7,000 citizens died, and were buried at Grandview. Today, Grand View Cemetery(the name has for some time now been written as "Grandview") is under the management of the City of Fort Collins' Parks and Recreation Department, and consists of approximately 45 developed acres, 34,000 grave spaces, 70 crypts, 336 niches, and nearly 26,000 burials. Thousands of trees and shrubs have been planted over the years, making Grandview one of the most beautiful cemeteries in northern Colorado. Aside from the many historic landscape, architectural, and monumental features of Grandview, many significant Fort Collins residents, including the city's founding pioneers have a resting place here. Review Process: To ensure that the cemetery's ability to continue its intended purpose is not abridged in any manner, the City's adopted Master Plan for Grandview Cemetery will be used in conjunction with the criteria in Section 14-48 of the Municipal Code, to determine compliance with historic preservation standards. New burials and new markers and headstones are considered routine additions, and do not require historic preservation review. Gravesite monuments are privately owned, and by law may be removed by the family of the decedent. Additionally, routine care and maintenance of existing historic features, including historic headstones, will be reviewed in accordance with the agreed upon Master Plan. More significant work, for instance alterations to the exterior of the historic CCC office building or construction of new buildings or structures, would require review. Depending upon the scope and complexity of the proposed work, it may be reviewed and approved administratively by staff or, if more extensive, may need Landmark Preservation Commission approval. 4 ATTACHMENT RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Landmark Preservation Commission finds that Grandview Cemetery, at 1900 West Mountain Avenue, is eligible for individual designation as a Fort Collins Landmark, having significance to our community under Landmark Standards one, two, three, and four. The cemetery's significance lies in its association with the early development of Fort Collins, the many significant individuals interred at the site, its distinctive architectural, landscape, and monumental features, and its potential to provide future information. Furthermore, the Commission acknowledges that the City's adopted Master Plan for Grandview Cemetery will be used in conjunction with the criteria in Section 14-48 of the Municipal Code to determine compliance with historic preservation standards. 5 lY' Ar /r .� � �58�: .�'�0!>!' tom'.;• i . K "1 .� ,• �o 1� {II�IIM IOYYI M/Irt 11M1 [f�/ I [gym 1peLLl � _ � e ATTACHMENT 3 F Mausoleum and IRL wn wR�Opl . nn —�` } 4: Memory Gardens . M r ��" sue ' � • y�'`�•' � A, . ,� ..t.. - ,w r• f a - - 'r y v • v. a r� {• 64 U ' P .m ME 7�^ rF y a\ i i 1 f ` ATTACHMENT 3 shed,Equipment storage Maintenance center it (. .- � • � '� .. _ y�M i � s s1ti'` }�,� s ;�" y .� • . . �•' �.y �� �.,�''�. < . _ �� ' .� � ��Ash s ns t �. � .�, w I .a tip - l ♦ � ' 1 ... . . �hr �ti . v � . �-AF� �� • `'� .iL: ' s+� s:� 1. �,� r; \ 'fie � .y `,�?^ _ � ' • .eti"� ♦`s __'__"gam. _ . Alt' � -w.+t]s• " t� a • ATTACHMENT 3 1p rl dd lure A Hazardous • • " and pump house Ya • � L A t, Residence r 1 , ATTACHMENT 3 Ip • • Monument Planter OIIIMM�p I r S` i IN w t yip rOF C � . f ' Nit !"K , woo IN 41, I. +` IN qKw IN _ a IN 'tom t� r . of �•Y 4. a'r�♦ Ic IN . - m No � �. Ilk IN y • r .s+ �poet W — INN �v N6 Its lk WN WIN In T►� t K �. Kf. WNW, WI -I •. �po It IN W- - �' - r j .n ti NWNlp Not, NN,w IN .. •. 40 ✓. •. . i -T. Nx . pt . i• , I .1 .'• •- . • .4 . N f n 4 , t r Vl : . yy • 'b ' NN - • J•, -• .T r` 7L N. IN NIN, IN It IN, WIN F : WNNWNNN� IN r :ru. . r' : � r r • ! ,y , F .. �1 IN IL r ` a IN Y• ATTACHMENT 3 L , 14 • � / t J .%mmY r Ile �j lS y 1 rryy ~ E • 44 lV VI Vlll— V. Entrance and flag display r, ATTACHMENT 4 AGREEMENT The undersigned owners) hereby agrees that the property described herein be considered for local historic landmark designation, pursuant to the Fort Collins Landmark Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 14 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. I understand that upon designation, I or my successors will be requested to notify the Secretary of the Landmark Preservation Commission at the City of Fort Collins prior to the occurrence of any of the following: 1. Preparation of plans for the reconstruction or alteration of the exterior of improvements on the property; 2. Preparation of plans for the construction, alteration, relocation or demolition of improvements on the property. ogL ow».H� A � ED C I I day of 200- . tQP O C Owner Name (please City Clerk Ow�erSlgnature State of �-Cl!(/�� ) County of 1 L1(t/h ))ss. Subscribed and sworn before me this day al 200�, Witness my hand and official sea commission expires 74 Nota ubllc GON= p...........4� V•r ':N 5 NOTARY Ni• PUBLIC �OF COS-OAP 4I Fon Revised 09-2004 Att�fH$f� T ATTACHMENT Planning, Development & Transportation Services City Planning l3 Community Development fcgov.com/dtyplanning Citv of Fort Collins RESOLUTION 8,2007 OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDING LANDMARK DESIGNATION OF GRANDVIEW CEMETERY 1900 WEST MOUNTAIN AVENUE,FORT COLLINS, COLORADO WHEREAS, it is a matter of public policy that the protection, enhancement and perpetuation of sites, structures, objects, and districts of historical, architectural, or geographic significance, located within the city, are a public necessity and are required in the interest of the prosperity, civic pride and general welfare of the people; and WHEREAS, it is the opinion of the City Council that the economic, cultural and aesthetic standing of this city cannot be maintained or enhanced by disregarding the historical, architectural and geographical heritage of the city and by ignoring the destruction or defacement of such cultural assets; and WHEREAS, Grandview Cemetery has outstanding significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Designation Standards (1), (2), (3) and(4), as the oldest operating cemetery in the city; for its association with events significant to the founding and early growth of Fort Collins; for the many noteworthy individuals interred here; for the property's historic CCC office building, and its historic structures, monuments, and landscape features; and finally, for the cemetery's ability to serve as a record of the city's past and to provide important information for future researchers; and WHEREAS, the Landmark Preservation Commission has determined that Grandview Cemetery meets the criteria of a landmark as set forth in Section 14-5 of the code and is eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark; and WHEREAS, the owner of the property, the City of Fort Collins, has consented to such landmark designation. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Landmark Preservation Commission of the City of Fort Collins as follows: Section 1. That the property known as Grandview cemetery, in the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado, as described in Attachment 1, be designated as a Fort Collins Landmark in accordance with Chapter 14 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. 281 North College Avenue . PO Box 580 . Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 . 970-221-6376 FAX 970-224-6111 9 TDD 970-224-6002 • cityplanning@fcgov.com Landmark Preservation Commission Resolution No. 8,2007 Grandview Cemetery, 1900 West Mountain Avenue Page 2 Section 2. That the City's adopted Master Plan for Grandview Cemetery will be used in conjunction with the criteria in Section 14-48 of the Municipal Code will serve as the standards by which alterations, additions and other changes to the buildings, structures, landscape, and features located upon the above described property will be reviewed for compliance with Chapter 14,Article III,of the Code of the City of Port Collins. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Landmark Preservation Commission of the City of Fort Collins held this 12th day of December,A.D. 2007. i Alyson Mc e Chair IATTES r 1 ' SecretarylStart I� ORDINANCE NO. 006, 2008 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DESIGNATING GRANDVIEW CEMETERY, 1900 WEST MOUNTAIN AVENUE, FORT COLLINS, COLOR-ADO, AS A FORT COLLINS LANDMARK PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 14 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS WHEREAS,pursuant to Section 14-2 of the City Code, the City Council has established a public policy encouraging the protection, enhancement and perpetuation of landmarks within the City; and WHEREAS, by Resolution dated December 12, 2007, the Landmark Preservation Commission(the"Commission")has determined that Grandview Cemetery has significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Designation Standards(1),(2),(3)and(4),as the oldest operating cemetery in the city; for its association with events significant to the founding and early growth of Fort Collins; for the many noteworthy individuals interred there; for the property's historic CCC office building, and its historic structures, monuments, and landscape features; and finally, for the cemetery's ability to serve as a record of the city's past and to provide important information for future researchers; and WHEREAS,the Commission has further determined that said property meets the criteria of a landmark as set forth in Section 14-5 of the Code and is eligible for designation as a landmark,and has recommended to the City Council that said property be designated by the City Council as a landmark; and WHEREAS,the City Manager has consented to such landmark designation on behalf of the City as owner of the Cemetery, pursuant to the provisions of Section 14-21 of the Code; and WHEREAS, such landmark designation will preserve the property's significance to the community; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the recommendation of the Commission and desires to approve such recommendation and designate said property as a landmark. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the property known as Grandview Cemetery,in the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado, as described in Exhibit"A,"attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, is hereby designated as a Fort Collins landmark pursuant to Chapter 14 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. Section 2. That the City's Master Plan for Grandview Cemetery, once developed, will be used in conjunction with the criteria in Section 14-48 of the Municipal Code as the standards by which alterations, additions and other changes to the buildings, structures, landscape, and features located upon the above described property will be reviewed for compliance with Chapter 14,Article III, of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. hi the event of a conflict between such Master Plan and Section 14-48 of the Code, the Code shall control. Section 3. That the review criteria as contained in Section 2 hereof shall not apply to the installation of new gravestones and grave markers or to the removal of existing gravestones and grave markers. Routine care and maintenance of existing gravestones and grave markers shall be reviewed in accordance with Section 2 of this Ordinance. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of February, A.D. 2008, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of February,A.D. 2008. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of February, A.D. 2008. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk EXHIBIT "A" DESCRIPTION OF THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF THE GRANDVIEW CEMETERY A tract of land located in the Southwest quarter of Section 10, Township 7 North, Range 69 West of the Sixth Principal Meridian, City of Fort Collins,Latimer County, Colorado,the said tract is the area known as the Grandview Cemetery,being more particularly described as follows; Considering the west line of the said southwest quarter of Section 10 as bearing South 00 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds West between a 2.5" aluminum cap monument, PLS 10740 at the west quarter corner of the said Section 10 and a 3"aluminum cap monument,PLS 20123 at the southwest corner of the said Section 10, based upon City of Fort Collins coordinate base and G.P.S. observation; Commencing at the said west quarter corner of Section 10; THENCE along the said west line of the southwest quarter, South 00 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds west for a distance of 30.00 feet; THENCE South 89 degrees 14 minutes 43 seconds East for a distance of 30.00 feet to the intersection of the south right of way of LaPorte Avenue and the east right of way of Taft Hill Road, the said intersection point is also the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THIS DESCRIPTION; THENCE along the said East right of way of Taft Hill Road, South 00 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds West for a distance of 1471.75 feet; THENCE leaving the said east right of way, South 89 degrees 15 minutes 02 seconds East for a distance of 942.92 feet; THENCE South 89 degrees 19 minutes 07 seconds East for a distance of 350.20 feet; THENCE North 00 degrees 19 minutes 25 seconds West for a distance of 39.13 feet; THENCE South 88 degrees 29 minutes 09 seconds West for a distance of 45.93 feet; THENCE North 09 degrees 30 minutes 05 seconds East for a distance of 390.95 feet; THENCE North 07 degrees 38 minutes 26 seconds East for a distance of 53.31 feet; THENCE North 05 degrees 36 minutes 22 seconds East for a distance of 219.08 feet to the south right of way of West Mountain Avenue; THENCE along the said south right of way of West Mountain Avenue,North 89 degrees 14 minutes 43 seconds West for a distance of 94.36 feet to the southerly extension of the west right of way of Grandview Avenue; THENCE along the said southerly extension and along the said west right of way of Grandview Avenue, North 00 degrees 36 minutes 02 seconds East for a distance of 776.30 feet to the said south right of way of LaPorte Avenue; THENCE along the said south right of way of LaPorte Avenue,North 89 degrees 14 minutes 43 seconds West for a distance of 1235.08 feet to the point of beginning. Containing 42.683 acres more less. The above described tract is subject to all easements and rights of ways now existing or of record.