DENVER — The Colorado governor’s office has been taken back in time after a $3 million renovation revealed history hiding in plain sight.
Gov. Jared Polis unveiled the finished office tucked into a corner of the Colorado State Capitol on Wednesday.
Polis had some fun with this project by recreating a photo of Gov. Stephen Lucid Robert McNichols with a jackhammer during the last renovation in 1958.
Past renovations focused on changing the office's look by lowering the ceiling and covering the walls with wood paneling. Preservationists were unsure of what they would find underneath.
Crews peeled back the layers, revealing the original stenciling in the ceiling, the original wood floors and the original tops of the columns.
"It makes me feel more connected to the history. If you look at the legislative chambers, for instance, they are preserved and really echo the history of our state. This office was, in some ways, an exception, now (that) we returned it to original glory," Polis said.
Construction took about seven months to complete using a $3 million grant from History Colorado.
The office now looks closer to what it did in its earliest depictions in 1894.
"It's exciting that History Colorado was able to help support the project, and it's one of the last spaces in the building that has been brought back to the original finishes and original look, and I think is going to be a great piece moving forward for the state,” said Architect Jane Crisler with Eppstein Uhen Architects.
Crisler, who is an expert on historic preservation, said they were able to do paint analysis on the walls to recreate the original color palette throughout the office.
The renovation also brought the office into compliance with the ADA.
Crews are still working on the finishing touches, like adding the door handles, but Polis is all moved in and ready to get to work for his last legislative session as governor.
“It's a great place for people to come and kind of see the people's house and the executive offices. It's a working office, but we also use it for ceremonies, press conferences, and events,” Polis said.