Getting Started with Preservation

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Getting Started with Preservation

A pie graph showing how 350$ is allocated between: Spurring Economic Growth, Creating affordable housing, advancing sustainability, addressing injustice, revitalizing communities. Each slide has a photo and example included with it.

History Colorado’s archaeology and preservation programs are the most significant forces behind protecting historic places across all 64 Colorado counties. These programs restore and give fresh purpose to old places while infusing energy into urban, rural, and mountain communities. Preservation spurs economic growth, advances sustainability, addresses injustice, revitalizes communities, and creates affordable housing.

We are proud to be home to Colorado’s historic preservation programs, the Office of the State Archaeologist (OSAC), and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which provides a set of programs and services established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. SHPOs are designated by the governor of their respective State or territory, and for more than 50 years History Colorado has helped local communities save, maintain, revitalize, and celebrate the places that make Colorado special.

Anyone can be a preservationist, and together, we:

Designate historic sites to the National & State Register of Historic Places
Engage local input and expertise on federal undertakings under Section 106
Provide funding and technical assistance to certified local governments
Revitalize and preserve beloved communities through the State Historical Fund
Spur economic opportunity and affordable housing development through historic preservation tax credits
Identify and protect archaeological sites
Uphold the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

State Preservation Plan

Preservation of the past requires planning into the future. History Colorado’s 2030 Colorado Preservation Plan seeks to support Colorado residents and communities to:

Preserve and sustain the state’s tangible and intangible heritage by supporting the local stewardship of its historic and cultural resources
Educate and train Coloradans in preservation knowledge, techniques, and advocacy
Include and recognize the rich and compelling stories of all Coloradans, past and present, by honoring the places that define our shared history
Engage and co-create with Colorado’s communities, learning from them how to make preservation relevant, effective, and meaningful in tackling local issues

Explore Our Archaeology and Preservation Services

Closeup on a hand with a thick brush sweeping away debris at a dig site.

Office of the State Archaeologist

State Historical Fund

State and National Register of Historic Places

Section 106 & State Register Act

Exterior of a one story brick building that reads The Montrose Potato Growers Assc. Apples, POtatoes, Beans, Onions, seed.

Preservation Tax Credits

NAGPRA & State Unmarked Graves Process

Colorado School of Mines students conduct the ground-penetrating radar survey at Roselawn Cemetery.

Survey & Designation

Compass: Historic Research Database

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Forms and Guidance

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Colorado Heritage For All

Centennial Farms & Ranches

View of a street in a western, historic town in Colorado.

Certified Local Governments

Magic Mountain Site Community Archaeology Project (18-02-004).

Attend Archaeology and Preservation Events→

Whether you are a professional looking for continuing education opportunities or guidance or the owner of a historic home looking for ways to properly maintain its integrity, check out the classes, webinars, events, and more.