Goodhue Farmhouse at Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm

With the discovery of gold near Gold Hill, a flood of miners streamed into the mountains of Boulder County in the late 1850s. Few were lucky, and many turned to other trades such as farming and ranching.

In 1863, Mary and Lafayette Miller came west, bringing the first threshing machine to the Colorado Territory. The couple ran a large roadhouse and stage station for the Overland Mail Stage Route from 1864 to the 1870s on what is now part of the open space property. When competition from the Denver Pacific and Kansas Pacific railroads decreased traffic at the Rock Creek Station to only local trips, the Millers began running a successful cattle ranch in the area and meat market in Boulder. Mary Miller later founded the town of Lafayette in 1888, naming it for her husband, who died in 1878.

Abner Goodhue bought property at Rock Creek Farm in the 1870s, and shortly thereafter built the Goodhue irrigation ditch and irrigation reservoir that would become Stearn’s Lake. During the past century, the property has been used to raise crops and livestock, and was home to a dairy farm.

Boulder County purchased a portion of Rock Creek Farm in 1980 for agricultural preservation and as a buffer between the growing communities in southeastern Boulder County. Following her death in 1998, the open space was named for Carolyn Holmberg, former open space director, who promoted the acquisition of the property in 1979. Boulder County began rehabilitation work on the 90 plus-year old farmhouse in 2004 with the desire to create a unique meeting space for southeastern Boulder County.

Besides the modern conveniences of a meeting center, the facility includes a small parlor furnished with period furniture of the 1930s. You’re welcome to sit and relax in the parlor and imagine what life could have been like for a working family in eastern Boulder County.

Notes About Reserving the Goodhue Farmhouse:

• The facility has a capacity of 70 people. It is available from sunrise to sunset, year-round (except October), including weekends.

• Boulder County departments, local municipalities, environmental and historical non-profits, and other non-profits that partner with Boulder County can reserve the facility.

• The facility is primarily for special events or occasional meetings away from the office, and therefore non-profits and local municipalities are limited to once per quarter reservations.

• There is a fee of $50 for local municipalities and non-profits, plus $50 refundable damage deposit.
Failure to properly clean up, dispose of trash in the dumpsters, and put recyclables in the designated locations may result in a loss of your deposit.

• In order to permit the opportunity for many groups to use the facility, local municipalities and non-profit groups can reserve only one meeting per quarter.

• The facility includes a projection screen, a television with DVD/VCR player, dry erase boards, a refrigerator, and a microwave (there is no coffee pot available). Guests must provide cups, plates, napkins, utensils, etc. The use of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

• Reservations will be taken up to 12 months in advance, and are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

• Other than the meeting center and parking lot, all other areas of the farm and grounds are closed to the public due to an agricultural lease agreement.

Return to Top of Page