Sepia in color
Window in newly recreated Fort Lupton
Winters can be long and cold along the banks of the Platte River on the Colorado prairie. In the early 19th century, non-native traders built several solid compounds dotted along the Trapper Trail. Living inside adobe walls with an R-value of 7, on a dirt floor R-4, and below a roof R-5, early settlers had to improvise insulation with the available materials and borrow technology from the local peoples. For comparison, the current standards in the city of Fort Lupton (per 2006 IECC) require walls at R-19, roofs R-38, and floor R-13.
This door demonstrates the ingenious use of animal pelts as weatherstripping around jambs and between door slats.
To witness the reconstruction of this 1830’s trading post, visit Historic Fort Lupton
http://www.spvhs.org/fortluptonreconstruction.html
Just a few miles north you can see the original adobe of Fort Vasquez
http://www.historycolorado.org/museums/fort-vasquez-museum