Monthly Archives: April 2014

Robinson Cabin Museum History

Relocation, Landscaping, and Additional History of the RFHS Museum

The cabin’s original location was at Elkhorn Creek, on property eventually purchased by the Rocky Mountain Dharma Center (now the Shambhala Mountain Center). The Center donated the cabin to the Historical Society and it was relocated to its present location at at 711 Prairie Divide Road in the Red Feather Lakes Village in June 1995.

Original cabin location at the Shambhala Mountain Center
Original cabin location at the Shambhala Mountain Center
Loaded up and ready to move to Red Feather Lakes.
Loaded up and ready to move to Red Feather Lakes
Cabin on the road passing Parvin Lake.
Robinson Cabin on the road passing Parvin Lake.

The land was donated to the Historical Society, a small triangular plot, which is just west of the Red Feather Lakes Community Library. The lot was graded by Bill Jefferson, who was head of the Red Feather Historical Society Museum Committee. When the Historical Society formed in 1985, they started working on acquiring the cabin. It took about 4 years to identify and arrange the new property site, followed by identifying an appropriate moving company, plus a few more years for repairing the cabin and obtaining the necessary permits from the County, and finally collecting the items to furnish the cabin inside.

Relocation site in Red Feather
Robinson Cabin relocation site in Red Feather

Several community volunteers helped with the move. A moving company was hired to lift the cabin at its original location and place onto a flatbed truck to relocate the cabin to its new location on Prairie Divide Road.

Moving using a flatbed truck
Moving process continued

Once the cabin was moved to Prairie Divide Road, volunteers helped to remove the bracing material. Volunteers also replaced rotten logs at the base, added a new metal roof, and made other extensive repairs.

Moving process continued
Moving process continued

The moving process took one day and the repairs and refurbishment took years. The cabin was rechinked to help block the elements. Structural repairs were made outside and the inside was refurbished and furnished using historic items, donated by members of the community. A self-guided tour of the cabin was made available to the community and visitors and continues to the present.

Move completed, cabin at final location
Move completed, cabin at final location

The new roof was installed by Bill Jefferson. Logs that were replaced came from the Stuart Maxwell Ranch on Prairie Divide Road.

Robinson Cabin with new metal roof
Robinson Cabin with new metal roof

Robinson Cabin Landscaping

In the fall of 2018 a fence was installed around the perimeter of the site.

Fence completed
Fence completed
Fence workers
Volunteers installing fence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Robinson Homestead Cabin Museum is now open to the public year-round by obtaining the key from the RFL Community Library  at 71 Firehouse Lane, or from the Red Feather Trading Post at 41 Main Street. The cabin may also be open to view during the holiday weekends in the summer months.

For more information please email: info@redfeatherhistoricalsociety.org.