"Preserving a building is saving a story."
IMPACT
STATEMENT
Fall/Winter 2025
our mission Colorado Preservation, Inc. promotes and advances historic preservation statewide by providing advocacy, education, outreach, and technical assistance. We work with all individuals and communities to ensure Colorado’s historic places remain vibrant, relevant, and valued for both present and future generations.
our story Founded in 1984 as Preservation Action Colorado, a group of 43 citizens dedicated to preserving the state’s built heritage launched this organization to encourage preservation efforts statewide. A year later, with a new name, Colorado Preservation, Inc., and 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, grassroots volunteers defined our role as an effective preservation organization through education programs, public policy advocacy, and a newsletter. In the ensuing years, important programs were initiated and the roster of accomplishments grew, thanks to the ongoing dedication of our many partners across the state, committed executive directors, talented staff, and an allvolunteer board. WWW.COLORADOPRESERVATION.ORG
cpi’s programs Since 1998, Colorado Preservation, Inc., has been working with communities throughout the state to save endangered historic buildings, landscapes, and archaeological sites through its Endangered Places Program. This program provides advocacy, awareness, and technical assistance to significant historic resources throughout Colorado that are in danger of being lost. Colorado Preservation, Inc., devotes staff time and resources to rally concerned citizens and build local capacity so that listed as well as un-listed locations can be saved. In 28 years, Colorado’s Most Endangered Places program has highlighted 144 historic resources throughout the state. Fifty-seven resources have been SAVED, and only nine have been lost. The program has a significant reach, with sites located in every region of the state in 58 of the 64 counties.
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144 Endangered historic resources assisted through the Endangered Places Program
57 Historic endangered resources SAVED for future generations
Endangered Places Program Weekend Workshops CPI offers weekend workshops to safeguard historic resources, focusing on protecting endangered historic assets. Under the guidance of experienced professionals, volunteers of all skill levels learn preservation trades while contributing to the preservation of Colorado’s history. These hands-on workshops cover topics such as adobe construction techniques and roof replacement.
cpi’s programs Colorado Preservation, Inc., offers a variety of preservation-related fee-based services for individuals, organizations, and communities, including grant writing, grants management, and tax credit applications. We are also available and eager to help fellow preservationists and interested parties, at no fee, to navigate the world of preservation through coaching, brainstorming, and general guidance. Preservation Services offers assistance in the following:
Tax Credit Application Services Grant Writing Assistance Grant/Project Management
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$12M+
$1.4M+
Active Preservation Services Program Projects
Grant Dollars Obtained for Preservation Projects Throughout the State
Secured in State Historic Tax Credits for Owners of Historic Properties (program started in 2024)
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cpi’s programs The Saving Places Conference is an essential annual event for those passionate about preserving historic and cultural landmarks. With its multi-day format, it offers a diverse range of educational content and networking opportunities for individuals, organizations, and communities dedicated to safeguarding our shared past. At its core, the conference emphasizes storytelling—of endangered landmarks, their historical significance, and the urgent need for preservation. By providing a platform for members to share these narratives, the conference raises awareness and empowers attendees to disseminate crucial information to communities nationwide. Drawing attendees from various states, the conference serves as a melting pot of diverse perspectives and experiences. Engaging speakers, including professionals, thought leaders, and activists, offer insights through sessions, workshops, tours, and roundtable discussions, catering to attendees at all stages of their preservation journey.
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38 Years of educating and connecting people who care about culture and history at the Saving Places Conference
600+ Attendees at the 2025 Saving Places Conference
98% of Attendees Reported the 2025 conference Met or Exceeded their Expectations
cpi’s programs . . . d a o R O n the As part of our conference, CPI hosts Saving Places On the Road, a weekend program that explores how historic preservation planning creates healthy and vibrant communities across Colorado. This two-day public event celebrates the history and heritage of small communities throughout the state. Participants enjoy rare behind-thescenes tours of Colorado's most unique historic places, while an evening celebration showcases local food and businesses. Throughout the program, CPI engages local stakeholders to share insights about area resources, helping participants understand the distinct opportunities and challenges facing historic preservation in each community.
“Those who’ve never attended don’t know what they’re missing!” “My love for Pueblo grew exponentially as I learned more about this amazing town and its rich history.” “On the Road is a great experience to learn about an area in all of its aspects: History, the built environment, social aspects, and ethnic groups, all while mingling with interesting people from all over the state. Much more than most ‘tour businesses’ could provide even at a great cost. “
-- 2025 On the Road in Pueblo Attendees
On the Road in Pueblo (2025)
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cpi’s programs The Dana Crawford and State Honor Awards, presented by Colorado Preservation, Inc., stand as prestigious acknowledgments within the field of historic preservation in the state. Each year, Colorado Preservation, Inc. recognizes the efforts of individuals, organizations, public agencies, and businesses from across the state of Colorado, whose work demonstrates excellence in historic preservation. Accomplishments are recognized in the areas of: Preservation Rehabilitation Stewardship Preservation Leadership Philanthropy The Dana Crawford Award, the highest distinction conferred by Colorado Preservation Inc., honors individuals whose leadership and impact have significantly advanced the cause of preservation beyond individual projects. This accolade celebrates the enduring legacy of pioneers like Dana Crawford, whose vision continues to shape the preservation landscape in Colorado. Complementing the Dana Crawford Award, the State Honor Awards recognizes the efforts of individuals, organizations, and projects that have made significant strides in preserving Colorado’s resources. Whether through the meticulous restoration of historic structures, advocacy for the protection of cultural landmarks, or innovative educational initiatives, the State Honor Awards shine a spotlight on exemplary endeavors that contribute to the collective preservation efforts across the state.
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282
Years of CPI’s Annual Awards
Awards given honoring excellence in preservation
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cpi’s programs
Advocacy is a critical part of CPI’s mission, and it is our role to ensure that important information about preservation issues reaches the public, community leaders, and decision-makers. We work to raise awareness about the policies, legislation, and funding decisions that directly impact Colorado’s historic places and the communities that benefit from them. By providing timely, accurate information and clear calls to action, we empower our supporters to become effective advocates—helping to amplify the preservation message and demonstrate to legislators the real-world importance of protecting Colorado’s historic resources. Together, through informed and active advocacy, we can shape policies that sustain preservation efforts for generations to come. Preservation doesn’t happen by chance, it happens through action. While dedicated individuals and communities work every day to protect and adapt the places that reflect Colorado’s heritage, those efforts must be supported by strong public policies, sustainable funding, and informed decision-making at every level of government. Advocacy ensures that historic places remain a priority when critical decisions about development, funding, and community planning are made.
“Preservation doesn’t happen by chance, it happens through action.” WWW.COLORADOPRESERVATION.ORG
CPI’S REACH Colorado Counties Served
91% OF COLORADO COUNTIES served by CPI’s PROGRAMS Preservation Services Projects Preservation Services & Endangered Places Program Projects Endangered Places Program Projects
41 Years of preserving places that matter
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58 38 of Colorado’s 64 counties served by CPI ‘s programs
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145 Grants managed to ensure historic and cultural resources are preserved
ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS Public engagement transforms communities from passive observers into active stewards of Colorado's cultural heritage. Through educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and collaborative preservation projects, Colorado Preservation, Inc. cultivates informed advocates who champion historic resource protection in their own neighborhoods. This grassroots involvement amplifies conservation efforts and ensures preservation becomes a shared community value, creating sustainable support for protecting Colorado's historic places while fostering pride in the state's architectural and cultural legacy.
Newsletter
5821 People Receive CPI’s Newsletter
Members
300 Active Members
Followers
4,500 + Social Media Followers
100 + WWW.COLORADOPRESERVATION.ORG
Annual Volunteers
Colorado Preservation, Inc.
OUR MEMBERS The dedication and support of our members is vital to CPI’s success. Without passionate individuals, the organization would face significant challenges in its mission to preserve Colorado's history for future generations. Member commitment and involvement help ensure that the rich historical heritage of Colorado is safeguarded and that the stories of the past are passed down to inspire and educate the generations to come.
Out of State 3.3%
Outside Metro Area 39.2%
Metro Area 57.5%
42% of members are from outside the Denver Metro Area WWW.COLORADOPRESERVATION.ORG
22%
44%
of donors have donated to CPI for at least six consecutive years
of CPI’s current members are new in 2025 (to date)
Mission in action
Endangered Places Program - SavE -
The Endangered Places Program highlighted an agricultural landscape through the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project. Restoring the orchard’s historic landscape offers a living representation of Montezuma County’s early agricultural roots. As an EPP resource, the orchard has secured water rights for the land, and new interpretive signage has been installed. Plantings have commenced, oral histories are being recorded, grafting continues, and a deer-protection fence has been erected.
Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project WWW.COLORADOPRESERVATION.ORG
mission in action
Voices in Preservation Our mission to preserve places of cultural significance includes telling the stories of communities whose histories were historically underrepresented or misrepresented, ensuring a fuller, more inclusive public memory.
The Feminilas Building
Listed as one of Colorado's Most Endangered Places in 2023, the Feminilas Building was constructed around 1920 as the only known structure owned and operated by the women's auxiliary of the SPMDTU (Society for the Mutual Protection of United Workers), a Hispanic men's labor organization. Preserving the Feminilas Building will help keep the unique lifeways, language, and culture of the Culebra Valley and the traditional contributions of Hispanic women alive. Since the listing, CPI has worked closely with the building's owners, including Junita Martinez, the last known Feminilas member in El Rito. In November 2024, CPI led an on-site mothballing workshop, stabilizing the adobe structure and training volunteers in traditional building techniques. In 2025, thanks to local leadership and History Colorado's 150 Places for 150 Years initiative, the building earned National Register designation. This recognition provides greater protection, visibility, and access to preservation resources. The Feminilas Building remains a powerful symbol of mutual aid, resilience, and women's quiet but transformative community influence.
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mission in action
Voices in Preservation
Iglesia de San Antonio/Tiffany Church Listed on Colorado’s Most Endangered Places in 2019, the Iglesia de San Antonio/Tiffany Church is one of the few remaining historic churches that tells the story of Hispano heritage in southeastern La Plata County, near the New Mexico border. Built in 1928 with local labor and materials, the adobe church has long stood as a symbol of faith, community, and resilience. Though the building is suffering from natural deterioration, it retains remarkable integrity — with no additions, alterations, or replacement of original materials. In 2025, CPI applied for the newly established Nuestra Herencia Grant Program, an initiative of Latinos in Heritage Conservation dedicated exclusively to Latinx heritage and preservation projects. This $100,000 grant will provide the critical funds needed to stabilize and preserve the Tiffany Church. In partnership with the Friends of the Iglesia de San Antonio, Scheuber + Darden Architects, LOGOS Structural, and Natural Dwelling, LLC, we are taking important steps to ensure this treasured landmark endures for generations to come.
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mission in action
Preservation Services Success The Fox Theatre in Walsenburg is undergoing careful restoration to preserve its historic charm while embracing a vibrant future for the community. Working with CPI, a plan is being shaped for the rehabilitation of the theatre that blends preservation with modern arts and culture. CPI has secured grants and assisted with tax credit applications to ensure this State Register–listed resource is rehabilitated, stabilized and reimagined as a dynamic hub for movies, concerts, and events. The goal is to honor the theater’s legacy while fostering cultural and economic renewal for Huerfano County.
Together, SPCF and CPI are ensuring that the Fox Theatre continues to tell the story of Huerfano County while creating new opportunities for engagement, economic growth, and cultural vitality. — Mike Peters, Executive Director, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation
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Fox Theatre, Walsenburg
Mission in action
Preservation Services Success
Granite / Commercial Hotel A rare example of Pioneer Log construction, the Granite Hotel (also known as the Commercial Hotel) stood among the first buildings in Granite to serve travelers when the town thrived as a mining hub and a key stop on the route to Leadville. The Commercial Hotel began as a stage stop on a prominent stage road in the 1860s–1870s and had become a full-fledged hotel by 1880–81, anchoring early Colorado commerce and making the region more accessible to travelers, merchants, and tourists. CPI awarded the project with subgrant funding from the National Park Service’s Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant and has helped secure additional funds for rehabilitation through a History Colorado State Historical Fund grant. CPI’s multifaceted backing underscores a sustained commitment to preserving the Granite Hotel’s historic and community value for future generations.
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CPI board of directors
Cpi staff
Jennifer Orrigo Charles Executive Director
Amanda Tollberg Events & Development Manager
Katie Peterson Endangered Places Program Director
Stephanie Bakken Strategic Engagement Officer
Amy Aschliman Preservation Services Director
Kate McCoy Tax Credit Specialist
Colorado Preservation, Inc. 1420 Ogden Street, #104 Denver, Colorado 80218