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Over the past several years, a group of concerned citizens from the Conifer and Evergreen areas have held meetings with the goal of preserving the Yellow Barn at Bradford Junction. Members have volunteered countless hours of their time in efforts toward saving the Yellow Barn structure for the future use and enjoyment by local residents and fellow Coloradans. These tireless volunteers have organized numerous fund-raising events, participated in local community events, and established a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation with its mission of the preservation and education of the barn. Members have held discussions with local community leaders and government organizations, enlisted the volunteer help of local architects and engineers, developed historical time lines with the assistance of former property owners of the barn and local historians, and explored possible future uses for the building.
The structure, located just north of the intersection of Highway 73 and Barkley Road, was constructed in 1918 and has been a unique landmark to the area since then. Just to the south of the barn is located a water well, dug during the Civil War. The well, a toll-road gate and stage stop provided necessary services to travelers and their horses heading west out of Denver to the gold diggings in the high country.
Due to the historic barn's unique shape and construction, it was thought that the barn was built using a Sears and Roebuck barn kit. Alexis Ehrgott, historic preservationist, has brought some evidence to light that suggests that the Yellow Barn was built from a Gordon-Van Tine kit. Due to their remarkable similarity, Gordon-Van Tine barns can be mistaken for Sears' barns. Our Yellow Barn has several architectural features - not to mention PLAN 221 stamped on the floor boards, joists, wall studs and rafters, that match a barn plan available on page 22 of the 1918 Gordon-Van Tine Farm Building catalog.
The effort to merely preserve the Yellow Barn has expanded to a broader vision of preserving the entire corner, which was recently purchased by the new owners, Andy and Denise Clark. The Clarks, of the newly formed Yellow Barn LLC, "look forward to working with the community to preserve and enhance the existing buildings and to retain the property's historical content." As the new owners are working to obtain State/National Historic Designation for the property, the Conifer Area Council Historic Preservation group is looking to create a Conifer Historic District, which highlights historic buildings and sites from 'One Yellow Icon to Another (Meyer’s Ranch to Yellow Barn and Bradford Junction).
Historian Milly Roeder said, "Bradford Junction, at the corner of Highway 73 and Barkley Road is not just a piece of Conifer but it IS the origin of Conifer itself. It is not just important to Conifer, it is important to the entire state. All roads lead to the Yellow Barn at Bradford Junction. The Conifer community is responsible for the preservation of this significant historic site."
We appreciate the efforts and donations of everyone who believes in this cause, and we shall persevere to save Bradford Junction for our community for generations to come.
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