Saguache gets History Colorado grant
THE town of Saguache was among the communities awarded funding through History Colorado’s Certified Local Government (CLG) program for historic preservation projects. History Colorado announced grant awards totaling $157,320 for historic preservation projects by county and municipal governments on Tuesday.
Saguache was awarded $23,432 to fund workshops covering basic adobe construction concepts. These workshops will be conducted by a contractor who specializes in maintaining the cultural heritage of adobe construction throughout the Southwest.
Civic entities, private owners, and community members will learn the basic concepts and advanced technical issues of adobe architecture. The grant will fund an all-ages community engagement opportunity where the residents of Saguache can learn the process of making adobe bricks and the history of the construction method.
Adobe buildings are common in Saguache for both commercial and residential uses and this workshop presents a chance to promote the historical significance of these buildings and help preserve them.
“It has been a struggle in this area to hold on to the practices and knowledge required to keep these structures in good repair,” said Adrienne Garbini, chair of Saguache’s Historic Preservation Commission. “We want to provide support and education for our people and our government entities to care for adobes, as well as to expand community engagement in our built environment and historic preservation resources.”
To remove barriers to participation, and increase the impact of this educational opportunity, the Town of Saguache intends to provide travel reimbursement for workshop participants and document the process to create educational materials that can be provided throughout the San Luis Valley to help preserve adobe architecture in the region.
Garbini hopes this will help preserve the built environment that is deeply connected to the Hispano culture of the San Luis Valley and directly address a pressing issue of cultural loss in the Saguache community.
Other grants went to:
- The City of Golden was awarded $24,320 to continue ongoing ethnography work with Indigenous tribes that traditionally called the front range of Colorado home. This grant will expand on previous work by the Golden History Museum & Park (GHMP) to advance the understanding of Indigenous history and forge trusting relationships with Indigenous communities.
- Otero County was awarded $14,169 for the creation of a place-based workbook and teacher resource manual for third-grade classes. These resources are the culmination of ongoing survey and context studies which have raised awareness of historic resources in the county and will align with state education standards while incorporating local history and historic preservation concepts.
- Boulder County received $24,396 for a cultural resource survey on the 556-acre Riverside Ranch Open Space property in advance of wildfire risk reduction projects.
- The City of Steamboat Springs received $21,000 for development of an education, engagement, and outreach strategy for the Steamboat Springs community, along with comprehensive training for the Historic Preservation Commission and staff.
- The Town of Lyons received $25,000 for a historic context study outlining historic events and identifying assets within a potential historic planning zone.
- The City of Leadville received $25,000 for a survey of Leadville’s West End residential neighborhood, including approximately 108 primary buildings and an additional 45 accessory structures.
