Baca County Survey

Rural Resources Survey of Baca County

With funding from the Colorado Historical Society’s State Historical Fund and Preserve America, Colorado Preservation, Inc.has conducted a survey of rural resources in Baca County. Agriculture has been predominant in the economy of the eastern portion of the state since settlement, but no comprehensive survey of agricultural resources has been conducted.  Documenting the rural resources of Eastern Colorado is essential to understanding, preserving, and interpreting the built history of the region as well as laying a foundation for preservation planning, heritage tourism, and economic development.

Bartlett Store and Grain Elevator, Baca County

The Survey:

This project started with a reconnaissance-level survey of all rural built resources more than 50 years old in Baca County. These resources were ranked based on visual impressions of integrity and significance,and 20 of the highest priority resources each county were then surveyed at an intensive level. Survey reports summarize the resources identified and present an overview of the county’s development along with recommendations for additional preservation activities.

The Resources:

The farms and ranches, as well as the railroad facilities that transport their products to market, are an intrinsic part of the heritage and character of Eastern Colorado. The survey included residences, barns, irrigation structures, railroad resources, agricultural processing and storage facilities as well as schools, churches, and crossroad communities.

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Featured Project

Preservation for a Changing Colorado

Historic preservation has a direct economic benefit to communities and Colorado! Take a look at the 2017 study, which considered the ways adaption of historic places has a direct financial effect on the state.

This updated, most resent study, was the result of a partnership between Colorado Preservation, Inc and History Colorado, funded by a grant from History Colorado's State Historical Fund. Prepared by Clarion Associates, the new report document the economic benefits of rehabilitation projects, analyzes property values and neighborhood stability in local historic districts, and summarizes the increasing impact of heritage tourism, private preservation development and the success of Colorado’s Main Street program.

In a key finding, researchers determined that for every $1 million spent on historic preservation in Colorado it produced $1.03 million in additional spending, 14 new jobs, and $636,700 in increased household incomes across the state!

The 2017 report also considers the important role preservation plays in helping Coloradans provide new spaces for creative communities and co-working, create and sustain meaningful places, responds to the state’s changing demographics, and addresses climate concerns.

Click Here to see download and read the full report, "Preservation for a Changing Colorado".