Glenwood Springs Historical Society ribbon cutting planned to celebrate start of work to stabilize Cardiff Coke Ovens
Chelsea Self/Post Independent file
Phase one of the planned work to stabilize the historic Cardiff Coke Ovens will begin May 24 with a ribbon cutting. The public is invited to attend.
“Without the support of many individuals and businesses in the Glenwood community, this project would not be possible,” Glenwood Springs Historical Society Executive Director Bill Kight said in a news release.
The ribbon-cutting event is set for 11 a.m. at the Cardiff Coke Ovens site, at 131-1175 Airport Road.
Last November, the Glenwood Springs Historical Society was awarded a mini grant from History Colorado-State Historical Fund for phase one work at the Cardiff Coke Ovens, the release states.
The Historical Society will begin clearing vegetation, site stabilization, erosion mitigation, installation of interpretive signs and removal of graffiti inside some of the ovens, the release states. Planning for the next phase will also begin.
Provided/Glenwood Springs Historical Society
“Work on vegetation removal is beginning and should help to prevent further deterioration and reduce vandalism,” Historical Society staff said in the release.
The Historical Society plans to keep the site open to the public during construction.
The grant was awarded by History Colorado, and matched by the city, while Garfield County set aside funding through a letter of commitment for phase two construction.
Glenwood Springs City Council members, Garfield County commissioners, members of the Glenwood Historical Preservation Commission and other supporters will be at the ribbon-cutting event.
The city will be coordinating with the Historical Society to create a new parking area, an Americans with Disabilities Act compliance ramp and a hard-surface path in front of the primary ovens, which is paid for by a separate $140,000 Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District (FMLD) grant, the release states.
Phase two is not yet funded, but is slated to include masonry work to further stabilize the ovens and partially reconstruct and interpret portions of the ovens that are no longer intact, the release states. The Historical Society plans to apply for a separate grant from History Colorado-State Historical Fund following phase one.
Additional information on the ovens
The Cardiff Coke Ovens are located on Airport Road, near the Cardiff Glen neighborhood. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and owned by the Glenwood Springs Historical Society.
At the height of operations in the late 1890s, there were 249 coke ovens used to burn and extract components from coal to produce coke, which is used in making steel and smelting silver, the release states.
Cardiff was named after Cardiff, Wales, because the coke that was produced was at the same high quality as coke produced there.
For more information and historic photographs of the Cardiff Coke Ovens, visit GlenwoodHistory.com/general-6.
Post Independent city and business reporter Cassandra Ballard can be reached at cballard@postindependent.com or 970-384-9131.
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