Historic Christmas Hill structure pushed forward to beat coming
wet weather
Gilroy – A historic red barn at Christmas Hill Park may be torn down before the coming winter rains.
The city’s Historic Heritage Committee plans to meet at the ranch site facing the park today for a final inspection of the barn, which officials believe dates back to at least the late 1800s, when Henry Miller operated his cattle business on much of the land west of the city. Miller’s empire spanned 1.5 million acres across California, Oregon and Nevada.
Officials in June delayed a push for demolition to allow time for historical research. So far, they have only been able to trace the structure back to 1927, when it was purchased by the Filice family, according to city officials.
New details may emerge at today’s meeting, but the city is likely to push forward with demolition no matter what information crops up.
“There’s no way the barn’s going to stay there because it’s a safety issue,” said Russ Valiquette, a councilman and HHC appointee. “We could at least go through and start taking it apart and salvage what we can salvage. Then if we find out there’s some more history to the barn, we can reconstruct it somewhere else.”
The fenced off barn now serves as storage space for the Garlic Festival, the city’s marquee summer event held on the park and ranch site at the end of July.
The city’s top managers and parks and recreation officials have called for the building’s demolition.
“They’re stating that it’s an ‘attractive nuisance’ that draws kids to climb over the fence,” City Planner Cydney Casper said. “It’s not a safe building. They’re looking to get it demolished as soon as possible.”
City staff are crafting a master plan for the area that envisions replacing the barn with a community center closely resembling the original design. The new center would house classrooms, a kitchen and an assembly area. Officials expect it will cost between $3.5 million and $4.2 million, though they say it will be at least five years before the project gets off the ground.
The demolition of the existing barn would not involve a wrecking ball but careful deconstruction of the building. Officials plan to preserve the red planks and other wood used to construct the barn. They hope to rebuild the structure elsewhere or recycle some of the parts in the future community center.
The HHC members will meet 4:30 p.m. today at Christmas Hill Park, 7040 Miller Ave.
