University Of Northern Colorado Gets $500K To Restore Historic African American Townsite Of Dearfield

GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4) -- The University of Northern Colorado has been awarded $497,776 to help fund rehabilitation efforts at the African American townsite of Dearfield. The preservation efforts are part of the Dearfield Dream Project, which aims to restore Dearfield as a seasonal education and research center.

Located east of Greeley along Highway 34, Dearfield was founded in 1910 as an African American farming community. The settlement, which covered approximately 20 square miles, grew to about 200-300 residents before being devastated by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in the early 1930s.

"There is immense potential here in understanding our social history," said Professor Emeritus and Research Fellow of Anthropology Robert Brunswig.

"At this particular time social justice and diversity are really very critical to this society and I think places like Dearfield and the work we're trying to do there will really shine a light down the path of the future," Brunswig said.

The National Park Service grant will provide funding for the exterior rehabilitation and stabilization of two buildings on the property, the Jackson House, built by town Founder O.T. Jackson in 1917 as a hotel and personal residence, and the Filling Station, also built by Jackson in 1919.

The bulk of the restoration and stabilization work is expected to be completed by the end of August 2023.

While the grant will kickstart some of the larger, much-needed restoration work at the townsite, Junne and Brunswig admit there is still much to do. But their vision is closer than ever to becoming a reality; there is potential for additional funding from the state legislature, and the project has begun to receive interest from private and corporate donors.