Supporting History

Saving Colorado’s Treasures: The Story of the State Historical Fund

Originally published in Colorado History NOW, May 2004

One cold night in Colorado’s southwestern mountains, a town’s treasured town hall went up in flames.  Out-of-work miners, firefighters, and other community members watched as yet another bad omen lit up the night sky.  Just as things looked their bleakest, the community, bolstered by the possibility of obtaining grant money to save the town’s signature building, rallied around their phoenix and got to work saving both the landmark and the local economy.  With a grant from the Colorado Historical Society’s State Historical Fund (SHF), the miners were hired to put their skills to work once again and to learn new building preservation techniques.  The community raised funds, wrote grant applications, taught locals how to preserve historic structures, and as the town hall was brought back to life, new economies were developed that still benefit the town.

Mysterious ruins in the southwest corner of the state were quietly being reclaimed by the earth and becoming lost to history. The Porcupine House (also called the Hoy House), located in the Ute Mountain Tribal Park, is an archaeological and historical treasure that defines the character of the Southwest.  But without help, the Ute Mountain Utes couldn’t stop the structure’s walls from crumbling.  Again, the Fund was called in to partner with the tribe to bring these treasures back for future generations to understand and appreciate.  The SHF provided both funds and preservation expertise while the tribe provided a cash match and labor.  The result was a unique partnership between the tribe and a state agency that resulted in a stabilized resource that will continue to educate visitors for generations.

A remnant of a community’s pride in education rotted in a forgotten corner of Denver.  The Dora Moore School was neglected in favor of newer schools that met “contemporary educational goals.” The stunning 1883 Robert Roeschlaub-designed school, attended by Mamie Eisenhower and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., is the oldest school in the Denver Public School District. Almost $210,000 in SHF grants helped the community realize a 1.8 million-dollar restoration dream.  This time, the funding provided students with opportunities to learn about Denver’s history and brought an endangered resource—the inner-city school—back to life.  Walking the historic floors helped students learn about the past in a hands-on way that goes beyond book learning.

These projects are emblematic of more than ten years of partnerships between communities from every part of Colorado and the State Historical Fund.  Premiering in the documentary film Saving Colorado’s Treasures, the stories represent just a few of the 2,500-plus preservation projects undertaken with financial and technical assistance from the Colorado Historical Society’s State Historical Fund.

For more than ten years, this unique program has quietly been helping historic resources in every one of Colorado’s counties.  It helps return these gems to life, enriches local economies, promotes heritage tourism, and unites towns by preserving their unique characters.

For those who are new to Colorado or are just learning about local historic preservation efforts, the State Historical Fund is a nationally recognized program that awards grants to public and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of preserving and interpreting Colorado’s historical architectural and archaeological resources.  Each year approximately one fourth of the total state tax revenue generated by limited-stakes gaming in three Colorado towns is paid into the Fund.  These dollars are then redistributed for historic preservation throughout Colorado.  To date, the SHF has awarded more than $130 million in public funds to projects in each of the state’s sixty-four counties.  While the SHF provides the financial assistance and expertise for projects, communities provide the other key ingredient needed for a successful historic preservation story—passion. Don’t miss out: Copies of Saving Colorado’s Treasures are available by mail or at the Neusteters Museum Store at the Colorado History Museum in Denver.  See the back page for details and share in our celebration of Colorado’s historical treasures.

BY RACHEL SIMPSON, State Historical Fund Technical Advisor