By Rhea Jha
Cripple creek is dealing with yet another storm’s aftermath, and locals claim that the hail damage was unlike any other. The hail, which was as large as a golf ball, damaged roofs and totaled vehicles, but also destroyed parts of Cripple’s oldest structures.
Old Homestead House Museum, a building in Cripple Creed that dates back to 1896, is one of the oldest structures. This house, which had been standing for more than a century, was able to withstand every hailstorm that Cripple Creek has ever seen. But this storm was different.
Sandy Holloway has been a tour guide at the Old Homestead House Museum in Cripple creek since 1996. She claims to have never experienced storms of this magnitude before.
We were both coming to work and saying, “Okay, we are ready.” “We can handle this… but all day, we felt just sad, sad, sad,” Kirstie Crawford said, president of Old Homestead House’s board of directors.
Holloway, Crawford and their family are mourning after Friday’s hailstorm. The skylight was a unique feature of the Old Homestead House Museum, they said. It was not only used to heat and light the home but also provided light.
Holloway said, “It is a big part of the tour upstairs because it’s amazing that the building was constructed in 1896, and has stood the test of history until last night… I am sure that was a massive crash.”
The skylight finally gave way to golf ball-sized hail, which pelted the city in an unprecedented storm that evening.
Crawford said, “For one hailstone to take out nearly the entire skylight shows us that it was not only very hard but lasted quite some time.”
The fate of many skylights in historic buildings and the city was the same. Skylights at the Outlaws and Law Men Jail Museum also survived over 100 years before being destroyed. The employees there are also devastated by their loss.
It was a devastating blow to both the Cripple Creek District Museum and Victor Lowell Thomas Museum. Both lost their original skylights.
It may seem overreaction for a simple replacement of glass, but the Jail and Old Homestead buildings are some of the last remaining structures in Cripple Creek.
Most of the buildings were destroyed. For us to still be standing today is really special. I believe it’s important to preserve history and fix the things we can,” Crawford said.
Old Homestead is replacing the existing skylights with authentic historic glass to help preserve the home’s history. Donations can be made in person, by phone or online via their site. The group said that they would also raise money at the Pearl DeVere Day Celebration & Bed Race on Saturday, July 22.
Holloway, the guide, tried to lighten the mood by saying, “Now I tell you, this is exactly what I would’ve told you.”
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