Sandy Ortega wants to make sure the story of Penitentes in Costilla County is preserved for future generations to know and understand the religious brotherhood. Her dad was active as a Penitente and her dream is to “keep the story alive.”

She is getting help in her quest from Colorado Preservation Inc. This week the nonprofit, whose mission is to identify and help rehabilitate Colorado’s most endangered places, listed Ortega’s La Morada in San Luis on its latest most endangered places list.

Constructed in the 1860s, La Morada served as the gathering place and spiritual center for La Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (The Pious Fraternity of Our Father Jesus the Nazarene), a Hispano brotherhood that kept faith alive in rural communities when traveling priests were rare and resources were scarce. Within the walls of La Morada, the community prayed, sang, mourned and celebrated.

Ortega recalls her father’s involvement and now as the owner of La Morada, will get technical assistance from Colorado Preservation Inc. to help restore and preserve the historic property.

“The story behind La Morada should be told and Sandy is an incredible person to tell it,” said Katie Peterson, program director for CPI’s Most Endangered Places program. “It’s so inspiring to see her dedication.”

Her first priority is to rehabilitate the exterior of the building and then work inside. “Once that happens, I hope to turn it into a community center or an artisan space,” Ortega said.

Here are the five endangered places Colorado Preservation Inc. listed in 2026:

BENT’S OLD FORT, OTERO COUNTY

Bent’s Old Fort stands along the Santa Fe Trail, adjacent to the Arkansas River and just east of La Junta. Situated within a National Historic Site, the current structure reconstructs the historic fort lost to time and flood. The structure that stands today was dedicated on July 25, 1976, during a moment of heightened national reflection as the United States marked its Bicentennial and Colorado celebrated its Centennial. The reconstruction of Bent’s Old Fort was an intentional effort to reconnect the public with the complex borderlands histories that shaped the American West. While the present-day fort is a reconstruction, it honors the original Bent’s Old Fort, first constructed in 1833. As one of the most significant trading posts in the American West, it served as a multicultural borderland where Native Americans, Mexicans, and Anglo traders shaped the story of Colorado long before statehood. As the current building enters its 50th year, decades of weathering, wear, and the complex mix of materials used in the 1970s reconstruction have raised significant structural concerns. The National Park Service has restricted access to guided tours through only a small, safe portion of the building to protect both visitors and the resource. CPI is working with the National Park Service, History Colorado, the city of La Junta, Otero County, and other local stakeholders to explore the possibilities of preservation.

HARTMAN CASTLE, GUNNISON COUNTY

Completed in 1894, Hartman Castle is far more than a landmark. It reflects Gunnison’s ingenuity, progressivism and enduring community spirit. Alonzo and Annie Hartman constructed the Castle during a time when Gunnison was still defining itself. Alonzo arrived in 1872 as a government employee with the Los Piños Indian Agency, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta. Over the decades, Alonzo would serve as Gunnison postmaster, banker, rancher and one of the founding members of the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Association. His leadership and investment helped guide the town through periods of growth and transition. The castle itself, however, was Annie’s masterpiece. As an artist, philanthropist, and civic leader, Annie designed much of the home herself. The turreted studio became her space for painting. Beyond her art, Annie played a leading role in Gunnison’s early women’s movement. She helped establish and host the Monday Afternoon Club, one of the region’s first women-led organizations that promoted education, culture and social reform. When completed, the Castle embodied the Hartmans’ forward-thinking vision. It featured modern amenities, including an elevator designed specifically for Annie, and a windmill-powered pump that supplied running water. Today, Hartman Castle remains privately owned but stands vacant and in need of preservation. The Hartman Castle Preservation Corp., a dedicated local nonprofit, is leading an ambitious campaign to purchase the property, restore it, and reopen it as a community gathering space that will support events, local economic development, and opportunities for artistic and cultural programming.

LA MORADA, COSTILLA COUNTY

Not every sacred place has stained glass or steeples. Some are constructed of adobe, built by hand, and held together by generations of faith and community. In the oldest town in Colorado, the quiet walls of La Morada tell the story of the Penitentes, men (and later, women) whose devotion shaped daily life in Southern Colorado. Constructed in the 1860s, La Morada served as the gathering place and spiritual center for La Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (The Pious Fraternity of Our Father Jesus the Nazarene), a Hispano brotherhood that kept faith alive in rural communities when traveling priests were rare and resources were scarce. Within the walls of La Morada, the community prayed, sang, mourned, and celebrated. The Penitente Hermanos cared for the sick, buried the dead, baptized children and provided sustenance to those in need. They also led prayers and guided the rituals that anchored small, rural community life. At its height between 1870 and 1920, nearly every Hispanic community in the San Luis Valley had a morada. They were the backbone of cultural identity, but as modern churches spread and younger generations moved away, many became unused and abandoned. Today, only two active moradas remain in Colorado. La Morada in San Luis, one of the earliest and most significant, has been vacant for more than half a century. Time and weather have taken their toll on the building. Collapsed walls, eroded plaster, and fragile woodwork speak to the urgency of preservation. Once restored, La Morada will become a community exhibit space interpreting the story of the Penitentes and their role in shaping Hispano settlement and spirituality across southern Colorado. The plan includes reuniting the local Heritage Center’s santos and retablos (Hispanic devotional art pieces) to their original home.

ORDWAY PHARMACY, CROWLEY COUNTY

For more than a century, the Ordway Pharmacy stood at the heart of Main Street, serving prescriptions, ice cream sodas and small-town conversation. Generations of families passed through its doors, making it a cornerstone of daily life for the residents of Crowley County. The building has stood empty since 2020, when the pharmacy moved across the street, but this building’s history and community spirit remain very much alive. The Town of Ordway leases its owned Main Street buildings at low rates to new businesses. Entrepreneurs get three years to create and operate a business out of the building. If they succeed, the town signs the property over. It is an innovative, home-grown solution that keeps Ordway’s Main Street vibrant, historic, and community-owned. The old pharmacy at 231 Main St. is next in line for a new life. Once stabilized, the plan is to turn it into Ordway’s first laundromat since 2004, complete with a snack counter and arcade, a creative nod to its soda fountain past. Ordway Pharmacy is Crowley County’s first-ever nomination to Colorado’s Most Endangered Places. Decades of use has taken its toll on the building. Its roof is failing and its brick walls are crumbling, but the town’s determination to save it reflects the same tenacity that built Ordway.

PEARL THEATER, CHAFFEE COUNTY

Every small town has its gathering place where memories live on long after the lights go out. For Buena Vista, that place is the Pearl Theater. Before the popcorn and the projector lights, this building served as a mercantile. Built in the 1880s, it sold everything from groceries to whiskey. It even had a basketball court upstairs. In 1951, John and R. Pearl Groy purchased the building and transformed it into the Pearl Theater, a small-town movie house that brought Hollywood to Main Street Buena Vista. For over 70 years, the Groys have been the heart behind the town’s movie culture. Pearl and John dug the sloped floor by hand, added a “cry room” for families, and ran the projection booth themselves. The original 1950s projectors are still owned by the family. Today, the Pearl stands at a crossroads. Decades of neglect and water damage have left the building’s back wall failing and the roof dangerously compromised. The town has declared it unsafe. If the structure cannot be stabilized soon, the family may be required to demolish it. The Groys are exploring every avenue to bring the theater back to life. This includes fundraisers, outdoor movie screenings, and plans for forming a nonprofit. Their vision is to restore the Pearl as both a movie house and a flexible community venue, keeping film and art alive on Buena Vista’s Main Street.