Pat Cypher, Ward. Through Historic Preservation Grants, the Colorado Historical Society and the Union Congregational Church of Ward have partnered to help save the Historic Ward Church.
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Pat Cypher, Ward. Through Historic Preservation Grants, the Colorado Historical Society and the Union Congregational Church of Ward have partnered to help save the Historic Ward Church. Built in 1896 of wood by miners and local carpenters when Ward was a booming gold-mining town, the Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an important vestige of mining history in Colorado.
Sitting high on a hill above the downtown area of Ward, the Historic Ward Church survived the great Ward fire of 1900, when most of the business district of Ward burned. The church has gone on to endure the harsh climate and high winds of Ward for 125 years. Today it serves as a spiritual respite and community center for the Town.
In 2015, the Historic Ward Church was awarded an important $10,000 grant from History Colorado to assess the church building and to develop a Preservation Plan. Funded through casino tax revenues, the Colorado Historic Society distributes thousands of dollars in grant monies annually to further historic preservation throughout the state.
This year, thanks to another Historic Preservation Grant from History Colorado, the Union Congregational Church of Ward will be undergoing needed renovations to address the critical problems with the church foundation, back wall and side wall that were identified in the assessment and Preservation Plan.
Members of the church and of the Ward Community are busy cleaning out the Church and preparing the grounds so that renovations can begin in September. The contractor for the project is Bill Gilbert of Gilbert and Sons, LLC, Ward. Pete Gleichman will provide Archaeological Oversight and Dave Lewis will oversee engineering and construction on the project on behalf of the Church.
The entire Ward Community is thankful to be able to work in partnership with Colorado History and we are all looking forward to next year when activites can again take place in a safe and sound structure that will last at least 100 more years.
(Originally published in the August 16, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)
