Crew returns after a decade to restore historic Weld County home damaged by floods

A decade ago, it took John McArthur and his crew of craftsmen about a year and a half to completely restore the century-old family home of Colorado Agriculture Hall of Famer Chuck Sylvester.

It took September floodwaters just minutes to undo their work on the Weld County farmhouse, smashing a window to flood the basement and filling the ground floor with 6 inches of mud and 17 inches of water.

(McArthur) did a total restoration to keep the integrity of this 100-year-old girl, said Sylvesters wife, Roni. Now shes 110 and hes back again. Hes mad as hell.

McArthur and the original crew many of whom were born in the same year crack jokes as they work to restore the 110-year-old, two-story house.

We arent doing this again, McArthur said with a chuckle.

McArthur and Chuck Sylvester said they take great pride in their backgrounds as they come together in this old house that represents the history of both agriculture and fine carpentry, both of which, they say, are fast-fading trades.

I cant find anybody who wants to work, McArthur said. When we were young, people would fight for the construction jobs.

Sylvesters family homesteaded the land just north of LaSalle 145 years ago. His grandfather built the white farm house, settled next to a big, red barn.

Roni Sylvester said her husbands hope in restoring the home is not to pass it on to family but to pass along the history of his ancestors who settled there and worked the farm.

He wants to really preserve the integrity of this home so that maybe there will be an opportunity to help our upcoming generation have authentic history they can look at, she said.

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Crew returns after a decade to restore historic Weld County home damaged by floods