Restoration project will return historic Lamb House to original shape

Lamb House, located between two Sand Canyon trailheads along Road G, was built in the early 1900s by stone masons Peter and Harold Backstrom for owner James Lamb. A restoration project aims to return the house to its original form. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

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Lamb House, located between two Sand Canyon trailheads along Road G, was built in the early 1900s by stone masons Peter and Harold Backstrom for owner James Lamb. A restoration project aims to return the house to its original form. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

A major restoration of Lamb House, a century-old home situated between the two Sand Canyon trailheads along County Road G, is underway and will preserve its historic buildings and enhance public access.

The project will remove modern additions and restore the property to its two original stone structures, which were built in 1900 and 1915 by stone masons Harold and Peter Backstrom for the James Lamb family. The goal of the project is to stabilize the buildings and return them to their 1915 appearance.

“As people drive by right now, they’re going to see a lot of material being removed as we get rid of all those modern additions,” Raymond O’Neil, monument manager at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, told The Journal.

A photo of historic Lamb House. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

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A photo of historic Lamb House. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

Upon completion of this phase in late summer 2026, a public contact facility will open on the downstairs of the southern building. New public trails will connect to both Sand Canyon trailheads, and signs will be installed to highlight the area’s pioneer history.

“Kind of the language around the establishment of the monument was about the significance of the prehistoric cultural landscape, the Ancestral Puebloan landscape,” Bureau of Land Management Monument Archaeologist Vincent MacMillan said. “We recognize there’s a lot of modern use, and for the last five generations of Euro-Americans as well, that whole landscape has been really important. We saw Lamb House as an opportunity to help us tell that story.”

Future phases, dependent on additional funding, could include the potential for public overnight rentals and other amenities.

James Lamb and Mary (Lizzie) Lamb on the porch of the house in 1915, the year the second structure was built. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

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James Lamb and Mary (Lizzie) Lamb on the porch of the house in 1915, the year the second structure was built. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

James and Mary (Lizzie) Lamb sit on a porch swing with their grandchildren at Lamb House in the 1950s. Deanna Murphy stands behind the swing, while Billy and Dolores Murphy sit in front. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

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James and Mary (Lizzie) Lamb sit on a porch swing with their grandchildren at Lamb House in the 1950s. Deanna Murphy stands behind the swing, while Billy and Dolores Murphy sit in front. (Courtesy of Vincent MacMillan)

Lamb House was acquired about 15 years ago, in 2010, partly to address parking challenges for the Sand Canyon Trail System, and funding for the current work came from the Great America Outdoors Act. In 2019, it became the second structure to be listed as a historic landmark on the Montezuma County Historic Registry.

The project helps ensure the house remains accessible for future generations, serving as a source of pride across the county and an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the area’s history, O’Neil said.

“When we talk about public land management, we often talk about doing things for future generations,” he added. “Both Vince and I are dads, and I love to think about my daughters or his son coming back to this area in the decades to come.”