A four-acre farm just north of Longmont where for decades statuesque horses were bred for show is now a Boulder County Historic Landmark honored for being a key part of local history.
The Eisele Ranch, located at 12973 N. 87th Street, earned the landmark status this week after a unanimous vote by the Boulder County Commissioners. The Eisele Ranch will be protected and nurtured by owners Nancy DeVore and Richard Hill, who bought the parcel three years ago.
“This is a fascinating property, I am glad they are protecting it,” Commissioner Matt Jones said before voting for the landmark designation.
DeVore said the family plans on making an addition to the house on the property but will keep its historic nature intact.
“We really love the place and look forward to keeping it going,” DeVore said.
Boulder Historic Landmarks are structures, sites, or districts which have been designated by the county commissioners because of their historic significance and importance to the county, according to the county’s website.
The county began its formal historic preservation program in 1992 and has since preserved over 120 properties, the website states.
The Eisele parcel includes a house, barn, granary, silo, stable, chicken coop and a bunkhouse. The farm is significant for its collection of architecturally important buildings, particularly American Foursquare house, the double-wing style barn, and the studs-out granary, according to the county.
The county’s Architectural Inventory Form suggests that “the property ranks among Boulder County’s most intact and better preserved agricultural-related complexes.” The farm complex has lost several structures over the decades and has had two buildings, the bunkhouse and the unnamed structure east of the granary, moved-in from a different farm in 1960, the report states.
David and Mary Eisele both immigrated from Germany in the 1880s and purchased the property in the 1890s and raised eight children on the farm, according to the county staff report.
The county’s Architectural Inventory Form states that the Eisele’s established one of the foremost horse breeding ranches in Boulder County, specializing in Morgan, Pecheron and Hambletonian horses.
David Eisele’s obituary states that he was a leader in the formation of the old Longmont Driving Association, Longmont’s Pumpkin Pie Days and the Boulder County Fair.
