Cross Orchards Museum

USA / Colorado / Fruitvale / F Road, 3073
 museum, orchard / fruit garden, living history museum, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historic district, vernacular (architecture)
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Historic former fruit orchard (now open as a living history museum) listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a historic district.

- Built: 1909-1910
- Architectural style: Vernacular
- Areas of significance: Economics; Architecture; Invention; Agriculture
- Area: 4.4 acres
- Also known as: Cross Land and Fruit Company Orchards and Ranch (NRHP name); Cross Ranch
- Date added to NRHP: 3/28/1980
- Other designations: U.S. Historic District; listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties

Cross Orchards is an important intact example of the type of fruit production facility that was instrumental in the economic development of the Grand Valley region of Colorado. Today, the site is open to the public as a living history museum, showcasing its role in the area's history. The most historically significant structure on the property is the barn, which is large by any standards, but especially for a fruit production facility; many orchards made do with significantly smaller buildings. In its heyday, the ranch encompassed 243 acres of land at a time when the average orchard comprised about 10 acres. Today, 4.4 acres of the original tract remains.

museumofwesternco.com/cross-orchards/
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°5'23"N   108°28'59"W
This article was last modified 6 years ago