A Publication of Historic Georgetown, Inc. Volume XXXX, No. 2 Fall, 2010

Roof repair stabilizes Hamill office building By Sharon Rossino Thanks to a $35,000 grant from Colorado’s State Historical Fund (SHF), the Hamill House Museum’s office building will regain its stately bearing with much-needed repairs to its roofing system and interior plaster and woodwork. The contract between HGI and the SHF was executed in November 2009. However, due to the large number of fortieth-anniversary events that took place during the 2010 summer season, HGI decided that it was best to delay the roof tear-off until fall when the museum closed for the season. With the changing of the aspens, the roof work began! The $48,640 project budget provides for the preservation of the Hamill office roof as well as the interior preservation of the plaster walls, ceilings, and American black walnut wainscot paneling in the museum’s interior. Exterior preservation includes repair to the four dormers, rehabilitation of the valley flashing, preservation of the unique built-in gutter system, installation of new sheathing, installation of a new snow and ice shield, replacement of rotted cedar shingles, preservation of the historic cresting around the widow’s walk, as well as sanding, scraping, and painting all areas of wood on the roof system, including the beautiful decorative corbels. Earlier this summer, workers scraped the lower level windows and painted them to match the new coat of paint that graced the Hamill House Museum’s west elevation. The general contractor hired to perform the sensitive preservation of the roof is Sean Plett, owner of SP Construction, LLC. Sean Plett has worked in the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District on numerous roofing and historic construction projects. Plett anticipates the exterior repairs of the project will be completed by the end of November. After the exterior portions are completed, work will begin on the interior of the office building. The anticipated project completion date is December 2010. ■

Georgetown Bighorn Sheep Day By Sharon Rossino On November 13th the Division of Wildlife (DOW), Georgetown Promotions Commission, Georgetown Trust, and Gate-way Visitor Center are hosting the Sixth Annual Bighorn Sheep Day. A variety of fun activities are planned for the whole family between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Georgetown Visitor Center and the Bighorn Sheep Viewing Station at Georgetown Lake, with music on the downtown Library Park stage. Drop by the Visitor Center and the Viewing Station to learn about these amazing animals.

Visitor Center Kid’s Center– sheep horn & bandana crafts, interpretive table with animal skins, Bighorn Hokey Pokey at noon, and Elbert the Ram

Sheep spotting– led by DOW volunteers Bighorn literature

Food tent Wildlife Presentation at 11:00 a.m.

Viewing Station Interpretive table, sheep spotting, hot cider and cocoa, and Elbert

Downtown Music on the Library Park stage

Office Work: Sean Plett of SP Construction dries-in the south side of the Hamill House Office Building roof just in time for a long, snowy winter. Photo by Tristen Greenleaf

2010 Georgetown COOK-OFF WINNERS

STEW

1st Place: TEAM ALPINE 2nd Place: MOTHER’S SALOON 3rd Place: TEAM LOVELAND

COBBLER 1st Place: TEAM LOVELAND

2nd Place: TEAM SOUTHEND’RS 3rd Place: BIG RED MINING CO.

GRAND CHAMPION TEAM LOVELAND

CONGRATULATIONS

to all the winners & THANK YOU to our

SPONSORS & VOLUNTEERS!

2 The Silver Queen Preservation News Fall, 2010

scene. Through Odie Baehler’s press connections, Market ap-peared frequently and in color on the pages of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. The attendance grew. As founding members passed on, the Market planning passed to Kerstin Gusterman, Janice Moore, and Patti Fraley, and then, when the law required a non-profit sponsor, HGI became involved. And, these 50 years later, Santa Lucia and star boys still parade the street, the horses paw the ground, carolers stroll, St. Nicholas gives out his candy canes, and the booths are full. Many people come now, but its heart is still Georgetown ■

Celebrating fifty years of Chri

In 1960 Georgetown was a different place: no Interstate 70, virtually no homes north of 11th Street, and a population of about 400. Yet a boom was beginning. In the 1950’s Georgetown residents and merchants had combined to form the Georgetown Civic Association to promote what is now called heritage tourism. The town was attracting a growing number of on-the-road travelers. Some among those, from very foreign places, chose to stay. So Astrid and Stig Guster-man came from Sweden via New York and Den-ver to make their home in Georgetown, as had Annette Holmes from Germany and husband Bill, and Odette and Wally Baehler from Chicago. The newcomers were new merchants on the scene: silversmith, artist, creative clothing de-signer as well as restaurateurs who established the Red Ram. When the familiar winter problem of at-tracting business faced their young businesses in 1960, Astrid and Stig recalled the Christmases of their childhood in Sweden where communities gathered to celebrate and sell their wares in a Christmas Market. With the help of Odie and Annette, they launched the first Georgetown Christmas Market. It was without booths or en-tertainments, but from the start chestnuts roasted, the Santa Lucia wore her crown of lights and Buff’s horse-drawn sleigh carried carolers around the town. In the early years the whole community participated in Market. Children were assigned chores of gathering pine cones to be made into wreaths and swags, rolling beeswax into candles and cutting out the candelabra and Lucia doll forms for sale. Town ladies baked, sewed, knitted, and painted ornaments. Almost all sale items were hand-made in town. In the late afternoon the hay-stacked sleigh took the children to deliver Christmas baskets to the more elderly. Visitors frequented Market, but its heart was Georgetown. As the years passed booths were con-structed along the side of Strousse Park, the craft vendors increased, dancers and singers provided entertainment and Saint Nicholas arrived on the

A crown of candles and the star boys: The Santa Lucia Children’s procession culminates in Library Corner Park under the large fir tree where the choir and visitors sing Christmas carols.

Fifty years of Christmas Market remembered By Cynthia Neely

Santa Lucia: the Queen of Lights

Saint Lucy’s Day or the Feast of Santa Lucia is dedicated to Santa Lucia and observed on December 13. This holiday is observed around the world, including in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Malta, Italy, Bosnia, Bavaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. Santa Lucia (283-304 A.D.) was a wealthy, young Italian Christian who martyred herself during the Diocletian Persecutions. She refused to marry a pagan, distributed her dowry to the poor, and was sen-tenced to execution. The story imparts that following her sentence, the guards were unable to move her or burn her, so they took her eyes out with a fork. Her name is derived from lux, lucis, or “light”, and she is the patron saint of the blind. Lucia is the queen of lights, whose presence helps all to remember that although her day falls on one of the darkest and shortest of the year, brighter days will soon arrive.

Strousse Park vendor booths-Thank you to those who helped with the painting of the Strousse Park booth this summer:: Larry Price of Price Painting, Michael and Robin Farkash of Bergen Park Paint and Decorating, and the Geisness Family.

stmas Market in Georgetown 3 The Silver Queen Preservation News Fall, 2010

Entertainment Schedule

As in previous years, the entertainment line-up is sure to please the crowds. Unless otherwise noted, free entertain-ment will be held at the Georgetown Community Center, located at the corner of 6th and Argentine Streets.

Saturday, December 4 11:00 a.m. Step-in-Style Dancers

12:00 p.m. Santa Lucia Children’s Procession 1:00 p.m. Calico & Boots Dancers 2:00 p.m. The 4Gs-Jingle Singers

3:00 p.m. Ye Wanton Singers Sunday, December 5 11:00 a.m. Donna S-Scheer

12:00 p.m. Santa Lucia Children’s Procession 1:00 p.m. Boulder Scandinavian Dancers 2:00 p.m. Jerry Barlow, Celtic Guitarist

3:00 p.m. Colorado Chorale Saturday, December 11

11:00 a.m. Choir Fire Singers 12:00 p.m. Santa Lucia Children’s Procession 1:00 p.m. Wheat Ridge Community Chorale

2:00 p.m. John Adams 3:00 p.m. Last Note Singers

4:00 p.m. Impromptu Singers @ First Presbyterian Church Sunday, December 12

11:00 a.m. Denver & District Pipe and Drums 12:00 p.m. Santa Lucia Children’s Procession

1:00 p.m. To be announced 2:00 p.m. One World Folk Dancers

3:00 p.m. To be announced

Vendors offer unique handcrafted goods during Georgetown’s

holiday shopping ‘Tis the season for gift giving, entertaining, and spread-ing good cheer. Visit this year’s vendors who will offer an outstanding array of handcrafted items to help you spread the cheer! URocky Mountain Hat Co., featuring hats with serious sun protection, plus scarves & mittens UGeorgetown Community School, featuring bratwurst and other goodies UPottery by Chaucy, featuring handmade stoneware, seasonal pottery, and holiday ornaments UPrimo Jams featuring locally made spiced preserves UDas Meyer Fine Pastry Chalet, featuring baked goods such as strudels, stollens, cookies, Yule logs, breads, & cupcakes USilver Plume Sundries, featuring natural body care products UHot, roasted chestnuts, by Friends of Charlie’s Place UWorld Karmony, featuring original polar fleece hats, hand-knitted scarves, and antique Batik yoga mats UGabriella’s Designs, featuring handmade nature beings made from organic wool & fibers, and plant-dyed felt ULil’ Smokers, concessions featuring funnel cakes, smoked turkey legs, & ribbon fries UNuts to You!, featuring assorted roasted nuts UCollectible Clauses, featuring hand-knit Swedish mittens, hats, & hand painted ornaments made from an ancient variety of sheep’s wool UJael’s Designs, featuring handmade quilts, jackets, arrangements, and purses. UAlpine Creations, featuring pinecone holiday wreaths USandi Asch’s original recycled paper products & other crafts UDay or Night Jewelry, featuring Swedish designs UHigh Country Hand Crafts, featuring hand-knit wool hats, scarves, mittens, and bags UGlassmith II, featuring custom-engraved glass, slumped glass, & fused glass UMichael Hay’s original photo calendars, prints, photo books, posters, ornaments & mugs UKaleb’s Katch, featuring smoked salmon, fresh-frozen Sockeye & King salmon, fresh-frozen Halibut & smoked salmon sandwiches

“For its your wassail and its our wassail... Traditional, Somerset Wassail Each fall, preparations are made to ready the Hamill property for the time-honored Christmas receptions. The eve-ning receptions include the lighting of the Christmas tree can-dles, caroling with the Silver Plume Singers, hors d’oeuvres, open bar, readings, wassailing, and time to reminisce and re-flect on what Christmas means to us all. Ever since 1971, HGI has hosted Christmas at Hamill House and again this year, we invite our friends, neighbors, and members to join us for another celebration of the tradi-tions of Christmas. Please join us on December 11 or Decem-ber 18 at the historic Hamill House to celebrate the holiday, the company of old friends and new, and this historic treasure adorned with greenery, decorations, and cheer. Each evening begins promptly at 6:00p.m. and tickets are $60 for members and $75 for non-members.

Black tie optional. And its JOY be to you and a jolly wassail...”

4 The Silver Queen Preservation News Fall, 2010

is a publication of Historic Georgetown, Inc., formerly the Georgetown Society, Inc.,

aka Georgetown Historical Society, Inc., a Colorado non-profit corporation. P.O. Box 667, Georgetown, CO 80444

Phone (303) 569-2840 Fax (303) 569-2111 Email preservation@HistoricGeorgetown.org

Web site www.HistoricGeorgetown.org Subscription is included with membership

Copies distributed at the Hamill House Museum & Gateway Visitor Center BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair: Dana Abrahamson, Georgetown Vice-Chair: Sarah Walen, Silver Plume Secretary: Lee Behrens, Georgetown

Treasurer: Matthew Skeen, Georgetown Endowment Trustee: Nancy Johnson, Idaho Springs

Directors: Jim Blugerman, Georgetown; Bob Bowland, Idaho Springs; Mary Riddle Clark, Georgetown; Ellen Elliott, Georgetown; Robert Gibbs, Georgetown; Norma

Hafenstein, Denver & Georgetown; Ruth Hamilton, Castle Rock & Georgetown; Sally Hopper, Golden; Brent Kruger, Georgetown; Penny Landau, Golden; Barbara Leyen-

decker, Ft. Collins and Georgetown; Mickie Newman, Georgetown STAFF

Executive Director: Sharon Rossino Membership Director: Tristen Greenleaf

Museum Guides: Ann Izard, Elaine McWain, Sophie Schleicher Newsletter: Cynthia Skeen, Editor;

Nancy Johnson; Connie Primus; Bill Wilson Webmaster: Ruth Rosenfeld

Newsletter Design: HGI staff

ECRWSS Boxholder Georgetown, CO 80444

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U.S. POSTAGE PAID

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Historic Georgetown, Inc. PO Box 667 Georgetown, CO 80444

Save the Dates  

2010‐2011 Devil’s Gate  History Club Schedule 

 

November 19, 2010: Ron Ruhoff presents the Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout  

January 21, 2011: Barbara Leyendecker presents the Romantic Notions of Nature as Seen by East‐ern and Western Artists  

February 18, 2011: Tara XXXXXX presents the Urad and Henderson Mines  

March 18, 2011: Bob Schroeder presents the  Griffith Family of Silver Plume  

April 15, 2011: Earl Cark and Dick Over present Memories of 10th Mountain Division during WWII  Thank you to Carol Hunter and Greg Markel for presenting 

in September and October!