5 Oct 2023

Burgess-Capps Cabin: Historic Context, Maintenance Issues, and Measured Drawings

Abstract: The Burgess-Capps Cabin is located on the US Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1975 under the name of “Pioneer Cabin.” The building is currently not occupied but used as a history interpretive site. It is one of the few log cabins that remain in this part of Colorado from the time of European settlement. All buildings, especially historic ones, require regular planned maintenance and repair. The most notable cause of historic build-ing element failure or decay is not the fact that the historic building is old, but rather, it is caused by incorrect or inappropriate repair or basic neglect of the historic building fabric. This document is a maintenance manual compiled with as-is conditions of construction materials of the cabin. The secretary of interior’s guidelines on rehabilitation and repair per material are discussed to provide the cultural resources manager at USAFA a guide to maintain this historic building. Additional chapters include information regarding the historic materials and a structural analysis. This report satisfies Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 as amended and will help USAFA’s Cultural Resources Management Office to manage this historic building.