PRESS CONTACT:
Luke Perkins, Manager of Communications and Public Relations
303.866.3670 | luke.perkins@state.co.us

"Dedicated local preservationists work closely with the State Historical Fund staff to help preserve and honor the stories and places that have shaped communities across the state," said Marcie Moore Gantz, State Historical Fund director. “By investing in preservation projects like these, we are not just saving buildings — but creating new use cases that foster equity, cultural pride, and economic resilience in communities across the state, from urban centers to rural landscapes."

This grant round includes both General Grants (ranging from $50,001 - $250,000) and Mini Grants (up to $50,000) and is the first of Fiscal Year 2025. Applications for the next round will open on February 1, 2025, and are due on April 1, 2025.

Since it was founded in 1991, the State Historical Fund has awarded more than 5,400 grants for a total of $385,747,649 in funding for historic preservation across Colorado. In addition to helping protect the stories and places Coloradans cherish, these preservation efforts directly affect the economic health of the Centennial State. Since 1981, preservation efforts in Colorado have created more than 27,000 jobs and generated nearly $3.9 billion in direct and indirect economic impacts, adding $2.2 billion to Colorado’s GDP.

Below are a selection of highlighted projects. A complete list of all 36 grants awarded by the State Historical Fund in this round of applications can be found here.

General Grant Highlights:
The Far East Center | Denver County
The Far East Center in Denver's Westwood neighborhood has been awarded a $250,000 grant, with Historic Denver serving as the project sponsor, to rehabilitate concrete walkways, repair stucco siding, and address critical drainage issues. Located near the intersection of Federal and Alameda, the Far East Center was founded in the late 1980s by the Luong family who fled to the United States from Vietnam in 1975. Initially envisioned as a place where members of Denver's East Asian community could access goods and foods central to their cultures, the Far East Center has since grown into a hub of multicultural businesses and a cornerstone of the “Little Saigon” District. 

The Far East Center features two large commercial buildings and is identified by a large Asian-themed Torii-style entry gate standing on its eastern edge. Since its opening in 1988, the Far East Center has become a cornerstone of Colorado’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community and a crucial part of Denver’s “Little Saigon” District.

The Far East Center was added to the State Register of Historic Properties in 2024 as part of History Colorado’s Colorado Heritage for All Initiative, and is part of a growing roster of sites currently listed on the state register because of their strong connections to AANHPI history. 

History Colorado’s Colorado Heritage for All Initiative is an intentional effort to improve representation of marginalized communities on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. 

Prior to its designation through the Colorado Heritage for All Initiative, the Far East Center would have been ineligible for SHF grants as these require a formal historic designation. The Far East Center is part of a growing roster of important historical sites connected to the history of marginalized communities that are now eligible for SHF grants and other historic preservation funding as a result of Colorado Heritage for All.

“Receiving recognition through the Colorado Heritage for All Initiative has been life changing for my family and the Far East Center," said Mimi Luong, whose family owns and operates the Far East Center. “We have received an outpouring of support from the community, been recognized through the ‘Denver Is My Home’ display at the Denver International Airport, and became eligible for State Historical Fund grants. This funding will allow us to maintain the integrity of the Far East Center’s buildings so it can continue to act as a hub for cultural events and businesses, and ensure future generations can connect with, and understand, the existence and contributions of our community to Denver’s history.”

Park County Board of County Commissioners | Park County
The Park County Board of County Commissioners has been awarded $192,172 toward rehabilitation efforts of the historic Paris Mill. Built in 1895 to process gold, silver, and lead ore, the Paris Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 due to its connection to mining history during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and its status as one of the few remaining intact mills from this era.

During its years of operation, the Paris Mill was adapted to different types of ore processing until it was refitted for flotation concentration in 1932 before being permanently shuttered in 1937. After its closure, the Paris Mill remained vacant and in 2004 was added to Colorado Preservation Inc’s list of endangered places. 

In 2009, Park County purchased the mill and it was quickly listed as a local landmark due to its historical significance and importance as a heritage site for Park County. Since 2014, the mill has undergone multiple phases of rehabilitation that ranged from the creation of a master plan and comprehensive construction documents to structural rehabilitation of the building envelope and site stabilization. 

This latest funding will be used to reconstruct historic windows, install additional lights in publicly accessible areas, and bring spaces of the mill into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. These efforts will expand public access to this important tourism attraction by creating level surfaces and removing obstacles so that people with mobility impairments can enjoy tours of this local landmark.

“This iconic piece of history is a large part of the story of Alma and rehabilitating the mill would highlight this history and culture of the area,” said Andrew Spencer, director of the Park County Department of Heritage & Tourism. “History is a huge draw for tourists and to have such an important structure in a beautiful natural landscape is very special. Rehabilitating the Paris Mill is a vast step toward sustainability for a small rural community.”

Central City Opera House Association | Gilpin County
Central City Opera House Association has received $250,000 to renovate and restore the historic Williams’ Stables, which are part of the Central City-Black Hawk National Historic Landmark District located across the street from the Central City Opera House and the Teller House Hotel. Once used to house the horses and carriages that brought guests to the opera and hotel, CCOHA hopes to convert the structure into a black box theatre and event space. 

Constructed in 1876 the nearly 6,000-square-foot Williams’ Stables supported the growth of Central City by housing the horses and carriages of incoming visitors to what was one of the most influential towns in Colorado. Purchased by County Sheriff Dick Williams in 1880, the Williams’ Stables were operated as a family business into the 1910s, before taking on an additional cultural significance in the middle of the 20th century when it began being cleared out on performance nights at the Central City Opera House to host square dances.

By revitalizing these purpose-built stables into a year-round attraction, Central City Opera House Association hopes the Williams’ Stables will become an important economic driver for the community and inspires other owners to find ways that their historic buildings can meet the contemporary needs of their communities.

“Central City is a unique place, preserved in time with its stunning buildings,” said Scott Finlay, president & CEO of Central City Opera House Association. “Many properties, however, largely remain underutilized and in need of restoration and repair. As we commit to investing in our properties, we can also support others who see opportunity to invest in theirs. Doing so supports a revitalized city and demonstrates how historic buildings can be reimagined for new uses.”

Friends of the Genoa Tower, Inc. | Lincoln County
The Friends of the Genoa Tower, Inc. was awarded $250,000 for finalizing rehabilitation efforts at the World’s Wonder View Tower in Lincoln County to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the tower in 2025. Part of ongoing efforts to restore the World’s Wonder Tower as a regional tourism amenity, this funding allows for completion of interior refinishings, and external rehabilitation as well as restoration of the Tower’s iconic signage.

Constructed by Charles Gregory in 1926, the World’s Wonder View Tower was envisioned as a one-of-a-kind roadside attraction for automotive tourists that could offer views of the surrounding plains as well as the distant Rocky Mountains. In addition to the magnificent World's Wonder Tower view– which marketers touted that a visitor could see six states – the complex also included a cafe, gas station, stage, as well as a number of overnight rooms

In the century since the World’s Wonder Tower was built, it has gone through multiple owners and served various roles as a tourism attraction and community gathering place for the nearby town of Genoa.

In 2017, the Friends of the Genoa Tower took ownership of the tower and have been working ever since to preserve and restore this important focal point of the plains so that it can once again be a regional tourism driver that contributes to the economic vitality of Lincoln County. 

“Like so many historic preservation projects, bringing the World's Wonder View Tower back online has been both a labor of love and a very complex puzzle, but through patience, time, partnerships and diligence, we are nearly there,” said Chandler Romeo, Treasurer of the Friends of the Genoa Tower, Inc. Board. “This grant from the State Historical Fund will allow us to complete the final bits of work and restore the tower as a must-stop destination for travelers who want to recharge not just their vehicles and their phones, but themselves.”

First A.M.E. Church | Pueblo County
The First A.M.E. Church has been awarded $228,850 for rehabilitating the historic St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church (known as the A.M.E Church) in Pueblo, Colorado. This grant will fund roof and chimney rehabilitation to protect the integrity of the historic church and create comprehensive construction documents that will guide additional phases of restoration for the building's defining features.

Built in 1915, the A.M.E. Church is located in the Bessemer neighborhood of Pueblo and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023 due to its important connection to the history and heritage of its sizable Black congregation. As a still operational historically Black church, the A.M.E. Church serves a vital role in the Pueblo community and has deep connections to civil rights efforts. The church is also notable for being listed as a Green Book travel site for Black travelers during segregation and for serving as a headquarters for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for the city of Pueblo. 

“As a church in a Black neighborhood, the First A.M.E. has been a haven for the Black culture, social interaction, and civil rights activities that have occurred since its construction in 1915,” said Rev. Brenda B. Hector, pastor of First A.M.E. Church in Pueblo. “The church has served and continues to serve the BIPOC community as a place for social activities such as meetings, lectures, musical and theatrical productions, and dinners for its congregation and the larger Pueblo African American Community.”

Hector hopes that this project both demonstrates the benefits of preservation to the underserved and underrepresented communities of Pueblo, and inspires further revitalization projects in the community by validating the value of their contributions to the story of our nation.

Mini-Grant Highlights:
Tortilla Flats Neighborhood National Register Nomination | Montrose County
The City of Montrose was awarded $49,800 to fund research and nomination of the Tortilla Flats/La Raza Park Neighborhood – a majority Latino/a/x descendant neighborhood – for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. This grant will fund the hiring of consultants to determine eligibility and the drafting and shepherding of a nomination through the consideration process.

Spanish Colony Historic Resource Survey | Weld County
The City of Greeley received $50,000 to conduct a historical resource survey of the Spanish Colony subdivision that was constructed by Mexican and Mexican-American workers on land leased from the Great Western Sugar Company in 1924. This project will provide additional historical information about the area and the communities that lived there, including the substantial Latino/a/x community that historically called the area home, and guide more intensive surveys in the future.

Uncovering Denver's Historic Chinatown: The Fight for National and State Register Nomination | Denver County
Colorado Asian Pacific United was awarded $36,440 to conduct an intensive survey of Denver’s Historic Chinatown which includes documenting and evaluating 16 sites connected to Denver’s Chinese community. This surveying project will begin in the summer of 2025 and result in the nomination of two properties to the State or National Register of Historic Places that highlight the economic and cultural contributions of AANHPI communities.

About History Colorado
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit that has served more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year. It is a 145-year-old institution that operates eleven museums and historic sites, a free public research center, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation which provides technical assistance, educational opportunities, and other access to archaeology and historic preservation, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF), which is one of the nation’s largest state funded preservation programs of its kind. More than 70% of SHF grants are allocated in rural areas of the state. Additionally, the offices of the State Archaeologist and the State Historic Preservation Officer are part of History Colorado. 

History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and 10 other museums and historic attractions statewide. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information. #HistoryColorado