Historic Preservation Commission Agenda and Packet 2010 10 18

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Description of the Property Location & Adjacent Properties:The Louisville Cemetery is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Highway 42 and Empire Roadin the countryside one mile east of town. The cemetery is bordered on the north by the city’s former tree branch recycling yard, on the south by Highway 42 and the Colorado Tech Center, on the east by Empire Road and open space, and on the west by open spaceand the Coal Creek Cemetery (owned by the City of Lafayette).A shallow irrigation or stormwater drainage ditch runs from north to south in the swale along the west side of Empire Road just outside the cemetery fence. Perimeter Fencing & Entries:The cemetery site is bordered bymodern chain link fencing on the east and south along the adjacent roadways. The northernand western perimeters are marked by a modern wood post-and-rail fence. None of these fences appear to be historically significant. Two entrances are present at thecemetery, one on the east and the other on the south. The east entrance is primary, and holds a formal historic gateway. This provides both a vehicular entrance and a pedestrian entrance to the site. Four squared concrete posts with pyramidal caps were rebuilt to match the historic posts that were disintergrating. They flank and support the entry gates. Two larger posts, also rebuilt, are found on either side of the driveway, supporting the main swinging vehicular gates. A few feet outside of these are slightly smaller posts that support pedestrian gates, one of which is wider than the other. The gates themselves are constructed of ornamental wrought iron. They were rehabilitated by cleaning and powder coating in 2009. These were most likely purchased through a catalogue or Denver builders’ supply warehouse. They were manufactured by the Stewart Iron Works of Cincinnati, Ohio. The gates are characterized by their spiked vertical pickets, along with ornamental metal scrollwork and strapwork.Signage at this entrance consists of a painted wood sign, of recent vintage, identifying the site as the Louisville Cemetery. The south entrance to the site provides secondary access from Highway 42 and consists of a simple break in the fence line with an unpaved entry drive. A small sign with limited cemetery regulations is posted at this entrance. Site Layout & Landscaping:The cemetery is a rectangular property that runslengthwise from east to west. The grounds are divided into individual rectangular burial sections, separated from one another by unpaved drives laid out on a north-south, east-west grid. Each of these drives is one car-width wide. This formal layout provides evidence of a degree of planning and intent by the pioneers who founded the cemetery. Landscaping on the site is formal and mature, althoughnot dense or overly designed. The grounds throughout the burialareas are planted with grass. Mature pine trees flank the entry road and numerous other trees and shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous, line the site’s borders and are placed both along the driveways andinterior to the burial areas. While some of the plantings are lined up with each other or with burial