Historic Preservation in Colorado

Revised Spring 2024

The Colorado Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, which works to preserve historic buildings and archaeological sites, distributes information about the importance of preservation and how the public can get involved. Many of their publications have been posted online or can be downloaded in PDF format.

Selected Internet Resources:

• Architects of Colorado Biographical Series – Biographical information and lists of buildings for famous Colorado architects.
• Colorado Certified Local Government Handbook (PDF) – A guide for counties and cities with historic preservation programs and ordinances.
• Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Manual (PDF) – A basic guide on conducting surveys of archaeological and historic properties.
• Colorado Historic Preservation Income Tax Credit Information  – Information on tax incentives for owners of historic structures.
• Colorado Local Governments with Preservation Ordinances or Zoning (PDF) – A contact list of Colorado municipalities and counties with preservation ordinances or zoning. Those with Certified Local Governments are indicated.
• Dinosaur Remains (PDF) – A list of paleontological sites open to the public including addresses, phone numbers, and operating hours.
• Directory of Colorado State Register Properties – A complete annotated listing of all archaeological and historical sites, buildings, and districts currently listed on the State and National registers.
• Directory of Cultural Resource Professionals, and Historic Preservation Service Specialists in Colorado  – Names, addresses, and phone numbers of archaeologists, historians, paleontologists, historical architects, etc.
• A Guide to Colorado’s Historic Architecture and Engineering – A brief guide to architectural styles, forms, and types for use by architectural surveyors.
• Historic and Prehistoric Contexts Publications – Guides concerning National Register properties grouped by location or type. 
• Historic Mines Open to the Public (PDF) – A list of mining sites open to the public including addresses and phone numbers.
• Information for Property Owners in a Prospective Historic District (PDF) – An information sheet on the National Register of Historic Places, the rights of property owners, the benefits of listing, and the nomination process.
• Information on Nominating Properties to the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Historic Properties  - Summaries of the National and State Register programs including the nomination process and criteria for eligibility.
• The Power of Heritage and Place: A 2020 Action Plan to Advance Preservation in Colorado (PDF) - 70 page, full-color report summarizing the economic impacts of historic preservation in Colorado. Covers historic rehabilitation (including the State Historical Fund and State and Federal tax credits), heritage tourism, property values, affordable housing, disaster planning and response, and rural preservation.
• Preservation for a Changing Colorado (PDF) - This 2017 publication explores the current and future preservation efforts and rewards of preservation Colorado's historic structures, and its effect on the communities affected -- especially the economic impact.
• Profile of Historic Places Recorded in Colorado (PDF) – A booklet providing information on the types of resources identified on our state, their distribution, and the forces threatening them.
• Public Archaeology (PDF) – A listing of Colorado archaeological sites that can be visited by the public.
• Researching the History of Your Home (PDF) – Articles and a checklist providing tips for finding information about historic houses.
• State Historical Fund (PDF) - A brochure describing the state’s grant program for the preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings.

Multiple Property Listings:

The Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation has developed a number of “multiple property listings,” which categorize historically designated properties by building type, geographic location, or other such category.  Following are a selection of these listings.  Those without web links can be checked out in print from our library.

• Agricultural properties in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/AG8/2006
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2006, 42 p.
• Denver International Airport historic resource : multiple property listing. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/D41/1992
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1992, 47 p.
• Denver mountain parks: multiple property listing. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/D41/1990
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1990, 1 volume (various pagings)
• Directory of Library Buildings in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/L61/2004
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2004, 14 p.
• Directory of mining-related properties in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/M66/2006
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2006, 23 p.
• Directory of railroad properties in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/R13/2003
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2003, 28 p.
• Directory of religious properties in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/R27/2005
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2005, 30 p.
• Directory of women’s history sites in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/W84/2008
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2008, 33 p.
• Historic farms and ranches of Weld County: multiple property listing. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/W45/1991
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1991, 1 volume (various pagings)
• Historic ranching resources of South Park, Colorado: multiple property listing.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/R15/1999
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: State Historic Preservation Office, Colorado Historical Society, 1999, 1 volume (unpaged)
• Historic resources of Marble, Colorado: multiple property listing.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/M33/1989
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1989, 1 volume (various pagings)
• Historic resources of the Santa Fe Trail, 1821-1880.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/SA5/1993
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: State Historic Preservation Office, Colorado Historical Society, 1993, 114 p.
• Metal mining and tourist era resources of Boulder County : multiple property listing.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/B66/1989
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1989, 1 volume (various pagings)
• The Military establishment at Camp George West, 1903-1945: multiple property listing. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/G29/1992
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1992, 77 p.
• The New Deal in Colorado 1933-1942:  properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places or the Colorado State Register. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/N21/2008
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2008, 40 pages.
• Ornamental concrete block buildings in Colorado: multiple property listing.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/B62/1992
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1992, 1 volume (various pagings)
• Prehistoric Paleo-Indian cultures of the Colorado plains: multiple property listing.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/IN3/1990
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1990 1 volume (various pagings)
• Rocky Mountain National Park: multiple property listing.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/R59/1988
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado State Historical Society, 1988, 1 volume (various pagings)
• Rural school buildings in Colorado: multiple property listing.
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/R35/1999
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: State Historic Preservation Office, Colorado Historical Society, 1999, 9p.
• Theaters and auditoriums listed in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/AU2/2007
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, 2007, 16 p.
• U. S. Post Offices in Colorado, 1900-1941 : multiple property listing. (PDF)
  Call Number: HED6/50.2/P84/1986
  Publisher: Denver, Colo.: State Historic Preservation Office, Colorado Historical Society, 1986, 1 volume (various pagings)

The following is a selected list of print titles available to borrow from the State Publications Library.  This list includes titles from the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation as well as other state agencies.

• The Architecture and Art of Early Hispanic Colorado.  By Robert Adams.  University Press of Colorado, 1998.
• Colorado Museums and Historic Sites.  By Victor J. Danilov.  University Press of Colorado, 2000.
• A Guide to Colorado Architecture.  By Sarah J. Pearce.  Colorado Historical Society, 1983.
• Guide to Colorado Historic Places:  Sites Supported by the Colorado Historical Society’s State Historical Fund.  By Thomas J. Noel.  Colorado Historical Society, 2006.
• Heritage and Change in Colorado:  U.S. Landscape Preservation and Heritage Area Programs.  Colorado Historical Society, 1995.
• Investing in the Past:  The Financial Impacts of Historic Preservation Activities.  By Jerry M. Calton.  University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1987.
• Rediscovering Northwest Denver:  Its History, Its People, Its Landmarks.  By Ruth Eloise Wiberg.  University Press of Colorado, 1995.
• Sacred Objects and Sacred Places:  Preserving Tribal Traditions.  By Andrew Gulliford.  University Press of Colorado, 2000.
• Saving Colorado’s Treasures [DVD].  Colorado Historical Society, 2003.
• Spanning Generations:  The Historic Bridges of Colorado.  By Dianna Litvak.  Colorado Department of Transportation, 2004.  

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To borrow any of these print publications, contact the State Publications Library, 180 Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80226-8101; 303/866-6603. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Publications may also be available at depository libraries that carry state government documents, or through interlibrary loan. For further information, access the State Publications web site.

For additional information, E-Mail: spl@cde.state.co.us