\u201cBuildings are physical reminders of our history,” he said. “They ground us, they remind us of what occurred before us. They remind us of the lessons of history.”<\/p>\n
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Denver7<\/p>\n
Deffenbaugh said a big chunk of Denver\u2019s history has been reduced to rubble, calling it an “act of cultural vandalism.”<\/p>\n
This weekend, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) began demolishing several buildings at Burnham Yard.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy reaction was huge sadness,\u201d Deffenbaugh told Denver7.<\/p>\n
He said the buildings that were demolished were used by women and Black workers during the 1940s and 1950s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a really special site that allowed people who would not normally have the opportunity to work in an industrial setting,\u201d Deffenbaugh explained. \u201cAnd there were still buildings that told that story.\u201d<\/p>\n
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CDOT 2017 Burnham Yard Research Report, Denver & Rio Grande Collection, Print Photographs, Book 1A, Stephen F. Hart Library and Research Center, History Colorado.<\/p>\n
Old photos show workers at Burnham Yard<\/p>\n
Deffenbaugh said the structures that were demolished include the Women\u2019s Locker Room, which was built to accommodate women who took on jobs that were typically held by men during World War II. The Roundhouse Foreman\u2019s Office, which included washrooms and lockers for Black workers, was also demolished, along with the Steel Car Shop and the Testing Laboratory.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not just the buildings that have been lost here, but the stories being lost as well,\u201d Deffenbaugh said.<\/p>\n
David Riggs with the La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association said the demolition of the buildings was disrespectful. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe neighborhood association had no warning that these historic buildings were going to be torn down. The demolition of these historic buildings shows enormous disrespect for the history of our neighborhood,” Riggs said. “Many of our neighbors had family members who worked at Burnham Yard. This action is an insult to the history of the community and disrespectful of the influence that the railroads had on the growth of Denver.\u201d<\/p>\n
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CDOT 2017 Burnham Yard Research Report\/Denver & Rio Grande Collection, Print Photographs, Box 15, Envelope No. 591-645 Stephen F. Hart Library and Research Center, History Colorado<\/p>\n
Photo from the early 1940s shows a female worker working in the Testing Laboratory at Burnham Yard. <\/p>\n
CDOT bought the property for $50 million<\/a> in 2021, with the hope that it could be used to help expand Interstate 25 and meet other critical transportation needs. Those plans didn\u2019t pan out, and now the Colorado Transportation Investment Office (CTIO), an independent, government-owned business within CDOT, is cleaning up the property so it can be sold someday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Colorado Transportation Investment Office (CTIO) has long been preparing the Burnham Yard site for sale. The first step was to complete the track alignment study and acquire the Burnham Lead Line from Union Pacific, needed right away to ensure safe passage into the site. Now we are proceeding with additional site preparations including working through the historic preservation process and site cleanup,\u201d CTIO said in a statement to Denver7. \u201cWe have worked with the State Historic Preservation Office and the Department of Personnel and Administration, which manages state properties, to clean up the Burnham Yard site in advance of any sale. This process includes mitigation of any hazardous materials, such as asbestos, but also demolition of structures. None of the buildings found to be historically eligible by the State Historic Preservation Office are a part of this cleanup effort, and we are committed to working through the historic eligibility process for those structures. The historic easements will remain on those structures after the sale of the property.\u201d<\/p>\n While the buildings that were demolished weren\u2019t deemed historically significant by the State Historic Preservation Office, Deffenbaugh said they are still historic to community members and deserved to be preserved.<\/p>\n \u201cJust because a building is not on the state register doesn’t make it unhistoric,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Denver Broncos<\/p>\n Broncos will build stadium outside of Denver ‘over my dead body’: Mayor Johnston<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The demolition comes amid growing speculation that the Burnham Yard site could someday be home to a new Denver Broncos stadium. No plans for a new stadium have been announced.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to do due diligence as we evaluate the future of our stadium, exploring several potential options throughout the metro area, and no determinations have been made at this time,\u201d said Patrick Smyth, the chief communications officer for the Denver Broncos Football Club.<\/p>\n