Roney Farm was bounded to the south by the Denver and Boulder Valley Railroad, which was also built in 1873 and later acquired by Union Pacific. The railroad was the first to connect Boulder and Denver by train and played an important role in the transport of agricultural products from Valmont to Boulder. 8“In an interview recorded a year before her death, Ruby Roney recalled the trains passing through her family's farm during the Great Depression, loaded with men headed to Boulder looking for work.” 12 Valmont Road was built in the early 1860s to move agricultural products from outlying farm communities to markets in Boulder. The importance of the road as an agricultural trading route is reflected in the placement of many farmhouses along Valmont Road, such as Roney Farmhouse. 13 Associated Property Types Roney Farmhouse was built in the typical Vernacular Farmhouse style of the early 20th century. This structure is reminiscent of other farmhouses built during this time throughout Colorado that can still be seen in most rural communities today. Many farmhouses possessing this architectural style no longer exist in the Valmont Community making Roney Farmhouse it a truly unique within the remaining rural landscape. An example of this style of architecture most similar to Roney Farmhouse is Platt Farmhouse, which still exists within the Valmont Community today, but was moved from its original location in 2011. Like Roney Farmhouse, Platt Farmhouse is modest in form, has a hipped roof with central dormers, and lacks architectural details. Physical Characteristics and Integrity Roney Farmhouse is a modest, one-story farmhouse features a hipped roof, root cellar, a centered front entrance, and a prominent front porch with a hipped roof. The front (north) elevation features a centered hipped dormer with decorative scalloped shingles. The windows are double-hung with wood sashes. It features sandstone foundations, clapboard siding, and wood framing. The original wood shingle roof has been covered with metal sheet roofing. The original floors are hardwood and the interior walls are painted plaster. The ceiling is comprised of painted plaster as well. Roney Farmhouse possesses a high degree of authenticity and retains its integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. This building remains in its original location (the only extant early Valmont community farmhouse). The surrounding landscape has changed from a farming community to a bike park and commercial developments. However, the property and land to the south retain a rural character. The farmhouse has been enlarged with two rear additions, both of which are compatible with the original structure. Most of the original materials have remained the same, however many have been substantially vandalized. The workmanship at Roney Farmhouse is consistent with typical vernacular wood frame structures built throughout Colorado since 1860 as well as a good portion of the United States in the early 20th century. 14 With an absence of architectural features and details that can distinguish a specific style, these simple, modest homes are divided into types according to floor plan and roof shape. This typical style of farmhouse is a small, one-story structure with a hipped roof and usually a front porch. The general style and character of the farmhouse allows potential for use as a community asset with rehabilitation. The farmhouse retains its associations with early agricultural development in Boulder through preservation of the property.
12 Ibid. 13 Ibid., 4. 14 Ibid., 3.
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Roney Farmhouse
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