Colorado State Register of Historic Properties

The Colorado State Register of Historic Properties is a listing of the state's significant cultural resources worthy of preservation for the future education and enjoyment of Colorado's residents and visitors.  Properties listed in the State Register include individual buildings, structures, objects, districts and historic and archaeological sites.  The State Register program is administered by the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) within the Colorado Historical Society.  The Society maintains an official list of all properties included in the State Register.  Properties that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places are automatically placed in the State Register.  Properties may also be nominated separately to the State Register without inclusion in the National Register.

Nomination Process

Properties may be nominated to the State Register by the owner, a local government, an agency or the Society.  However, all nominations must contain the owner's signed and notarized approval of the nomination.  The nominator must submit sufficient information to the Society on the State Register nomination form along with any accompanying documentation necessary to establish the property's historical significance and eligibility for inclusion based on State Register criteria.

When a completed nomination is received by the Society, the nomination form is reviewed for sufficiency within 14 days.  Incomplete nominations are returned to the applicants for additional information.  Complete nominations are scheduled for the next State Register Review Board meeting and the owners and nominators are notified as to the date, time and location of the review board meeting.

The Colorado State Register Review Board is composed of citizen members and professionals from the disciplines of prehistoric and historic archaeology, history, architecture and architectural history.  The Review Board meets at least three times a year to consider nominations.  These meetings are open to the public.

At the conclusion of the Review Board meeting, the Board recommends to the Colorado Historical Society Board of Directors the approval or denial of the nominated properties for inclusion in the State Register.  Within thirty days of the recommendation, the Society Board of Directors determines whether the nominated properties are to be listed in the State Register.  The property owners are notified of the determination.

Nomination Criteria

Criteria for consideration of properties for nomination and inclusion in the State Register includes the following: 

1. The association of the property with events that have made a significant contribution to history;
2. The connection of the property with persons significant in history;
3. The apparent distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, or artisan;
4. The geographic importance of the property;
5. The possibility of important discoveries related to prehistory or history.

For additional information on applying the State Register criteria, see the State Register bulletin, How to Apply the Nomination Criteria for the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.

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