Harvesting the High Plains:

Surveying Historic Farmsteads in Phillips County

With funding from the Colorado Historical Society’s State Historical Fund, Colorado Preservation, Inc. is surveying rural Phillips County. Although agriculture has been predominant in the economy of the eastern portion of the state since settlement, no 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.

The Survey:

The project will begin with a reconnaissance-level survey of all historic structures in unincorporated Phillips County. The survey team will drive all public roads in the county, inventorying and photographing all resources more than 50 years old that are visible from the public right-of-way. Next, Colorado Preservation, Inc. will work with property owners to select 20 of the most significant resources for intensive-level survey. This will include researching the history of the property and completing a detailed evaluation form with an architectural description, site plan, and determination of whether the property would be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Results:

The goal is to document the county’s rural resources and their role in the agricultural development of Phillips County. A survey report will summarize the survey results, place surveyed resources into historic contexts, present recommendations for future preservation work in the county (including National Register nominations and heritage tourism), and provide an overview of preservation tools available. Colorado Preservation, Inc. will also share survey results through the production of a brochure highlighting Phillip County’s rural historic resources and a website. Learn More >>

Get Involved!

Please help make this survey a success by sharing your knowledge. Did your family homestead in Phillips County? Do you have family photos, letters, or memoirs relating to farm life in Phillips County to share? Own a historic property that you would like us to survey? If so, please letColorado Preservation, Inc. know!

For More Information Contact:

Abbey Christman, Survey Director
Phone: (303) 893-4260
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2100 Downing Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80205