Our Partners#
Historic preservation is about broad community efforts to celebrate and preserve elements of the past and of a community's built environment. Partners in preservation may be advocates, like non-profit groups dedicated to promoting preservation efforts, or they may be property owners who have chosen to invest in historic buildings. Anyone can be a preservationist.
The people who make it happen:
- People who care about history and architecture
- People who value sustainable community development
- Members of non-profit groups that promote historic preservation
- Professional historic preservation specialists (historians, architects, archaeologists, etc.)
- Owners of historic property
- Real estate agents and developers with an interest in selling/revitalizing historic properties
- Business owners who locate in historic buildings and use the story of the building in their marketing
- Construction trades specialists like carpenters and masons that work on historic buildings
- Design professionals like architects and engineers that plan new uses for historic buildings
- Sustainability advocates who want to realize the environmental, economic, and social benefits of preserving historic buildings
- You!
Partner Preservation Organizations#
Historic Larimer County
A non-profit addressing preservation issues in Larimer County.
History Colorado - Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
Colorado's State agency dedicated to historic preservation. They provide guidance, resources, and grants to Certified Local Governments, and work closely with the State Historic Fund.
Colorado Preservation, Inc.
A state-wide non-profit dedicated to historic preservation and adaptive reuse in Colorado. They also host the annual Saving Places conference, and keep the state's Endangered Places list.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
A national non-profit advocating for historic preservation. They also run a research and policy lab that explores preservation topics such as the economic impact of historic preservation, and the environmental sustainability of reusing historic buildings.
National Alliance for Preservation Commissions
A national non-profit that supports local historic preservation commissions through training and education.
National Park Service
A federal agency that, in addition to managing national park units, supports historic preservation at the community level through education, research, and grant programs.
Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority
The DDA supports downtown development by leveraging private investment, including by managing a tax increment financing (TIF) district.
Fort Collins Historical Society
Established in 1974, the Historical Society promotes the history and culture of Fort Collins through educational events and other programs.
Poudre Heritage Alliance
The Poudre Heritage Alliance works in close partnership with the National Park Service to administer the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, which stretches from the east edge of the Roosevelt National Forest to the confluence of the Poudre with the South Platte River. The PHA promotes the history and culture of the area through education, planning, funding, and historic preservation projects.
How to Get Involved#
Curious about how to get involved in historic preservation in Fort Collins? Here's some tips to become your community's next preservationist:
Just Getting Started?
- Go for a walk around your neighborhood and think about what you like best about it.
- Learn about Fort Collins history by attending educational events or reading books on the topic.
- Attend an event put on by the Historic Preservation Division or non-profits like Historic Larimer County.
- Visit historic places around town, and bring your friends and family.
- Attend a Landmark Preservation Commission meeting.
- Give history and heritage-related gifts such as museum tickets, memberships, or gift shop items from historic places.
- Shop at businesses that are in buildings listed as historic via local, state, or national designations.
Preservation Champion
- Research the history of a property that interests you and find out if it's eligible for historic designation at the local, state, or national level. If it is, write a nomination with help from staff at the Historic Preservation Division.
- Volunteer for local preservation projects through the City, Historic Larimer County, Historicorps, and other organizations.
- Join a local organization like Historic Larimer County that promotes historic preservation.
- Join the Landmark Preservation Commission.