The grant funds will be used to hire a consultant to prepare nominations to the National Register of Historic Places for four properties in the San Luis Valley area that are deeply significant to local, state, and national history. History Colorado anticipates research and recordation to begin later this summer.

“With a backdrop of the majestic Sangre de Cristo mountain range, the San Luis Valley—encompassed by the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area in Conejos, Costilla, and Alamosa counties—features Hispanic cultural traditions and practices, including language, architecture, and crafts,” stated Astrid Liverman, National and State Register Coordinator. “Designation can celebrate the stories of the Valley and complement regional heritage tourism.”

The grant is through the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities program, which provides support for the designation, inventory, and survey of historic properties that have an association with communities that are underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places.

This grant also complements the History Colorado Heritage Diversity Initiative, which seeks to crowdsource information on historic buildings and resources related to Colorado’s African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Women’s, and Urban American Indian history, with the goal of getting more of these significant places listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. This grant is also in line with the goals of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area to preserve and protect the unique cultural heritage within the region.