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Steamboat Springs — The city of Steamboat Springs announced Thursday that it has received a grant and a donation totaling $2,000 to conduct a historic structures assessment of the Lithia Spring Historic District, a week after structures surrounding the spring were vandalized for the second time in two years.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation granted the city $1,000, and Gloria Gossard donated $1,000 for the assessment, which will "document the current condition of the structures within the park, plan restoration of those that are damaged and guide compatible methods of making the site more vandal resistant in the future," according to a city news release.

"The whole idea for the assessment is to document the current condition and plan for preservation treatments," said Laureen Schaffer, the city's historic preservation specialist.

Schaffer said the city sought funds for the assessment because of last year's vandalism.

"It has an impact on it," Schaffer said of the most recent vandalism, which damaged concrete ornaments atop stone pillars at the 8-acre city park. "This just compounds the problem. Fortunately, we didn't finish the work before it happened again, but it is getting more expensive."

Gloria Gossard's father, H.W. Gossard, made substantial improvements to the Lithia Spring in the 1930s as part of his failed efforts to turn Steamboat Springs into a spa destination.

The city also announced Thursday a $7,000 grant from the State Historical Fund to do a similar historic structures assessment of the city-owned Chamber of Commerce Building at 12th Street and Lincoln Avenue.

The building, which now houses the Yampa Valley Land Trust, has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Its listing on the register is expected by the end of the year.

- To reach Brandon Gee, call 871-4210

or e-mail bgee@steamboatpilot.com