08/26/2025
Water in your basement? Us too😔
Help save our foundation, and our history.
Ironically, our original 1890 foundation is in tip-top shape (Victorian engineering we love you). However, our 1930/40s addition is failing. Old windows that were improperly sealed many moons ago have let water in and weakened the concrete foundation over the years.
In May we had our worst flood in recent memory, and the threat of water damage looms over our irreplaceable collections and archives. Thankfully, our dedicated volunteers alleviated the threat to artifacts, but the only thing that will truly fix it are extensive foundation repairs.
Not many people realize that Old Colorado City has some of the oldest history in the area. In our walls we preserve history from before Colorado was even a state. Not only that, but we preserve everyday Westside family history. From blue-collar workers, to endless saloonkeepers, working girls like Laura Bell, veterans, and larger than life characters like Prairie Dog O'Byrne and his famous elk, Thunder & Buttons. We have it all, but this history cannot survive without a safe and dry home.
Current estimates range from about $45,000 to $50,000 for stabilization, waterproofing, mitigation, sidewalk repairs, environmental monitoring, and more. We have some funds we can put towards this, but we can really only manage to complete the repairs with the help of our amazing community and members.
You can read a letter from our president on our website for more details at occhs.org
Donations may be made in-person at the History Center, or on our GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/e4cdad55
