Century-old building’s days are numbered

MEEKER I For more than 100 years, the classic white clapboard church with its old-fashioned bell tower on the corner of Eighth and Park has hosted innumerable weddings, funerals, church services, community groups, vacation Bible schools and generations of memories.

By niki [email protected] I For more than 100 years, the classic white clapboard church with its old-fashioned bell tower on the corner of Eighth and Park has hosted innumerable weddings, funerals, church services, community groups, vacation Bible schools and generations of memories.Now, construction of a new sanctuary for the Methodist church is complete but the old building is, literally, standing in the way. The church will not receive its permanent certificate of occupancy until the old building is gone, which must occur by the end of July.Like the majority of Meeker residents, Michele Morgan hates the idea of losing the historic structure. In November 2010 Morgan stepped up and asked residents to join with her in finding a new home for the building and raising approximately $50,000 to relocate it.The consensus in the community and even on the town’s board of trustees is a desire to save the historic building. When Morgan presented her case to the board in November, Trustee Danny Conrado said, “I look at this as an opportunity. It (the building) is savable. More savable than many of our other old buildings. I look at this as an opportunity.”At that Nov. 2 meeting, Mayor Mandi Etheridge thanked Morgan for “stepping up.” Now, four months later, Morgan says, “we’re in a holding pattern.”The question, “Where will we move the building?” remains unanswered. Suggestions have included Ute Park or Highland Cemetery, but Morgan has not received any definitive responses. She even went so far as to buy a lot on her own, her “ace-in-the-hole” in case no other locations came up. “But now there’s a stipulation on it (the lot) that I can’t build on it until it’s paid off, so it won’t work.”“If anybody has ideas where they would like to see it (the building) and what could be done with it, please give me a call,” Morgan asked. Contact her at the Blue Spruce Inn, (970)878-0700, or at home, (970)878-3394, to share ideas and/or get involved with the project.