Lambing Barn Event Center
Since the first day the Land Library arrived at Buffalo Peaks Ranch we had an immediate attraction to the Lambing Barn. Over the years, visitors and a whole generation of architecture students have felt the same. Originally we thought it would make for a great library space, but without a foundation under it, the Lambing Barn would require an enormous amount of funding to upgrade it.
Our affection for this old clerestory-windowed barn has led us to a notion that fits a need for the ranch and the South Park community — a large event space. Thanks to the adjoining corral, we’ll have a spacious indoor/outdoor event space, perfect for author talks, classes and workshops, community events and gatherings, weddings and more. As the slide show below highlights, we’ve already had author Ben Goldfarb at the Lambing Barn to discuss Eager, his wonderful book on beavers and beaver landscapes.
You’ll also see that one of our first steps was to clean out the Lambing Barn, removing over 16 inches of compacted sheep manure. Volunteers followed up by laying a new gravel floor, just in time for a wedding with over 100 guests!
Thanks to funding from the State Historic Fund, Park County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, and the South Park National Heritage Area, our next step was to work with JVA Engineering to test the structural integrity of the building, and find out what it will take to replace the Lambing Barn’s roof. We now have JVA’s engineering recommendations in hand, and we’ll be raising funds to do the structural work required. Out of an abundance of caution, we’ll be closing the Lambing Barn to public use until the improvements are made.
But once the structure is fortified, and the new roof is added, we’ll have a very active and well-used event space at Buffalo Peaks Ranch. This historic structure will be what it’s always been — a wide open rustic space — but the activity will shift to educational use, and toward the benefit of the South Park community.
Rocky Mountain Land Library 