The Kennedy Family and the future of the 'Elevator'
The grain elevator, referred by the family as the “Elevator”, has been owned by the Kennedy family since 1960. It has been used primarily for storage for miscellaneous things that may have a later use. Friends and family have borrowed the space over the years to store their goods also.
Approximately 6 miles east of the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park on the San Juan Skyway on the Highway 160, the silhouette of the Elevator, the form of the antique combine and the back drop of Menefee Mountain or the San Juan Mountains make it a popularly photographed landmark. The Trail of the Ancients starts at Mesa Verde and goes west. The Old Spanish Trail comes into Mancos and onto Highway 184. Over the years, people have pulled into the driveway and asked permission to set up and paint the Elevator and to photograph it from various angles of the property. A local photographer has featured the Elevator on note cards sold in the local sores. Those note cards are surely sent all over the world!
For many years, when most of the tin was on the roof, the top (we will have to learn the official name of that!) was inhabited annually by a pair of Great Horned Owls. Mr. Kennedy used to sit at his dining room window with a pair of binoculars watching the young owls as they perched in the “window” waiting for their parents to appear with food. Pigeons are now the main inhabitants of the roof section.
Requests to salvage the wood in exchange for tearing it down prompted the family to enter into discussion about what to do with the structure. We agreed that we want to see it stand, restored and opened to interested public in some manner. We know it is important for the history, and future, of agriculture in the Mancos Valley. We know the community supports restoration of the structure and the local landmark. We decided our first step was for historic recognition. We submitted an application with the Colorado Endangered Places in 2011; competition is fierce and we were unable to secure recognition. We have done more research, added more information to our application and applied again in 2012. We await their decision. We will continue to pursue state-wide recognition while moving toward restoration.
Before the public can be allowed into the Elevator several things will have to be completed. First and foremost, the roof must be replaced. A testament to the way things used to be built, it held fast and true until about 5 years ago. A corner of the building is beginning to deteriorate due to a rain gutter coming loose and allowing water to run directly down the side of the building. And as with all older structures, one thing will lead to another that has to be fixed! Then on to a thorough cleaning and an access plan.
Approximately 6 miles east of the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park on the San Juan Skyway on the Highway 160, the silhouette of the Elevator, the form of the antique combine and the back drop of Menefee Mountain or the San Juan Mountains make it a popularly photographed landmark. The Trail of the Ancients starts at Mesa Verde and goes west. The Old Spanish Trail comes into Mancos and onto Highway 184. Over the years, people have pulled into the driveway and asked permission to set up and paint the Elevator and to photograph it from various angles of the property. A local photographer has featured the Elevator on note cards sold in the local sores. Those note cards are surely sent all over the world!
For many years, when most of the tin was on the roof, the top (we will have to learn the official name of that!) was inhabited annually by a pair of Great Horned Owls. Mr. Kennedy used to sit at his dining room window with a pair of binoculars watching the young owls as they perched in the “window” waiting for their parents to appear with food. Pigeons are now the main inhabitants of the roof section.
Requests to salvage the wood in exchange for tearing it down prompted the family to enter into discussion about what to do with the structure. We agreed that we want to see it stand, restored and opened to interested public in some manner. We know it is important for the history, and future, of agriculture in the Mancos Valley. We know the community supports restoration of the structure and the local landmark. We decided our first step was for historic recognition. We submitted an application with the Colorado Endangered Places in 2011; competition is fierce and we were unable to secure recognition. We have done more research, added more information to our application and applied again in 2012. We await their decision. We will continue to pursue state-wide recognition while moving toward restoration.
Before the public can be allowed into the Elevator several things will have to be completed. First and foremost, the roof must be replaced. A testament to the way things used to be built, it held fast and true until about 5 years ago. A corner of the building is beginning to deteriorate due to a rain gutter coming loose and allowing water to run directly down the side of the building. And as with all older structures, one thing will lead to another that has to be fixed! Then on to a thorough cleaning and an access plan.