University of Northern Colorado continues to restore African American Townsite Dearfield for generations
The University of Northern Colorado, on behalf of Denver's Black American West Museum, is celebrating a recent African American Civil Rights grant. The $743,224 gift is the second consecutive one being used for the historic building, remodeling and restoration at the National Register of Historic Places and all-Black settlement, Dearfield.
Sitting east of Greeley, Dearfield was an early 20th-century African American townsite. It was founded by O. T. Jackson in 1910 and survived for two decades, supported by a 20,000-acre farm colony.
"It was very successful through the mid-1920s. And like so much of the county things went to pieces by 1929," said Anthropology Emeritus Professor Robert Brunswig, Ph.D. Brunswig is a long-time Dearfield restoration advocate leading the project.
"I've been associated with this since 2008, so it's been a long time," he said. "Converting Dearfield townsite into future National Historic Site property, possibly becoming part of the National Park Service system. It's something extraordinarily worthwhile for us and it's close to home."
Their restoration work is happening now, but it's just beginning.
"There are only two standing buildings. We're converting one of the buildings, which was the Dearfield Filling Station built in 1917 into a visitor center. You can see it's a bit dilapidated and we've gone through it and taken off the lead paint, done asbestos removal."
That visitor center should be open by 2027. A second building, the Jackson House, also built in 1916, will later be restored into a museum. Brunswig says it's a labor of love to help pass along Dearfield's rich history to others.
"I love doing this and I love the story, and I love the people. We can encourage future generations to carry the torch on and learn even more. We can build on this base of what we're doing now and actually be able to reach out and touch it. For generations, we'll be able to look at this and have that pride and understanding."