For more than 70 years, the modest home and office on the corner of Broadway and Wall Street in Eagle has been headquarters for the U.S. Forest Service in Eagle.

Those buildings, constructed in 1937, have played an important role in local history. The station was where ranchers and loggers came to obtain grazing leases and timber operation permits. Hunters and other recreational users of the White River National Forest stop in the office for information about back country access and conditions. The forest and the administrative offices contributed to Eagle's role as a regional economic and social center for past decades.

However, the historic buildings may not be around all that much longer. Eagle County officials have been working with the Forest Service on a land deal that would give the county ownership of the property, which is located immediately to the north of the county courthouse. That proposal is winding its way through a federal process that ultimately requires approval by Congress.

The aging buildings have not kept pace with the Forest Service's administrative needs.

Eagle County Housing Director Alex Potente, noting that the county also owns the “white house” property across the alley from the Forest Service buildings, said the tentative plan is to redevelop both properties into a mix of government office space and employee housing. The new building would possibly be used by a variety of agencies including the county, the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Service and possibly the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

With some central business district zoning on the parcels, the new buildings could be two or three stories high.

In turn for acquiring the property, the county would work with the Forest Service in finding a new location for their office. There's been talk of a USFS visitor facility site at the Eagle County Fairgrounds.

The historic structures

Meanwhile the Forest Service, anticipating the demolition of the ranger station and house, is documenting the historic value of the properties with photographs and detailed archives.

The office building has been remodeled numerous times over the years, and does not meet the criteria for National Register of Historic Places eligibility. According to a study the Forest Service conducted in 1996, the modest house does meet some National Register criteria. Both buildings were built during the Great Depression, employing Civilian Conservation Corps labor, according to the Forest Service.

The house is an example of craftsman style architecture that was common in federal government settings during that time period. The house features carved purlins (timber used to support roofing sheets), decorated shutters with a pine-tree shaped cutout and detailed stonework in the chimneys.

Forest Ranger Bill Brown headed the USFS office in Eagle in the 1920s and 1930s and was instrumental in the construction of the buildings. Wayne Brown, 63, of Arvada, is the grandson of Ranger Brown. He said the family story is that his grandfather, who was a master carpenter before he became a forest ranger, built the structures himself. In fact, Ranger Brown (who never lived in the Eagle ranger house) was so effective at the job, the Forest Service promoted him to the position of building supervisor. He went on to construct Forest Service offices and ranger houses in several locations including Glenwood Springs, Minturn, and Basalt.

“My grandmother was very upset with him. He built ranger offices and ranger houses, but never built anything for them,” Brown said.

Potente said the county does not have an interest in retaining the existing structure. Even if the Congressional approval comes through for the county acquisition of the site, it will be some time before changes take place.

“The county doesn't have a need for more office space at the moment, given the recession … and we don't have the money. This would be a long-term transaction,” Potente said.