Toltec Hotel

Year Listed: 1998
County: Las Animas County
Construction Date: 1910
Threat When Listed: Demolition
Status: SAVE
 

Built in 1910, the Toltec Hotel stands as one of Trinidad’s treasures.  One of many architecturally diverse landmark buildings within the El Corizon de Trinidad National Register Historic District, the Toltec is the only surviving terra cotta building in Trinidad.  During the coal mine strike of 1913-14, during which the Ludlow Massacre took place, union organizers held meetings at the hotel.

Years of neglect and abandonment took their toll on thetoltec-hotel-nominated once thriving hotel and it was listed as an Endangered Place in 1998.  A leaky roof had caused extensive damage to the interior and with an unsympathetic owner in charge of the building, the Toltec appeared destined for demolition.  At the time of listing, a demolition order was in place for the hotel.  Local activists lead by Colorado Preservation, Inc. rallied around this local treasure.  Listing on the Endangered Places helped spotlight this gem and heightened awareness of its potential loss, prompting the city of Trinidad to reconsider its fate.

Since 1998, significant progress toward ensuring that the Toltec be passed on to future generations has been made.  The Toltec became an official Save America’s Treasures Project.  In 2000, the City acquired the hotel, saving it from demolition.  A public/private agreement with two local contractors has led to the current process of rehabilitation, in part due to a State Historical Fund grant to repair the roof and stabilize the exterior.  In late 2004, the City of Trinidad sold the building to Shearman Real Estate LLC, a company noted for preservation projects. A several million dollar rehabilitation for the Toltec is now complete, with ten high-end lofts on the upper floors and three commercial units at street level.

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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".