Governor Hickenlooper announces more than $4.2M in State Historical Fund grants

DENVER, Feb. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Hickenlooper announced today during a press conference, the History Colorado State Historical Fund has awarded 40 grants for historic preservation projects, totaling more than $4.2 million for their latest grant round. This brings the total amount of State Historical Fund dollars that have been awarded to communities across the state to more than $7.9 million for the state fiscal year 2016. Also today Hickenlooper publicly announced the appointment of the State Historical Fund director, Steve W. Turner, as Colorado's new State Historic Preservation Officer.

"For over six years, Steve Turner has been working with communities across the state to figure out how to help to revitalize their communities through historic preservation," said Hickenlooper. "Colorado continues to be a national leader in utilizing historic preservation as an economic driver for communities and Steve Turner has been leading this charge at History Colorado for six years as Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer and Director of the State Historical Fund. It is an honor for Colorado to have him continue this charge as the new State Historic Preservation Officer."

This grant round, projects include:

• The acquisition of the Tabor Opera House by the City of Leadville, which was built in 1879 by Horace A. W. Tabor and is one of the most historic and architecturally significant buildings in the National Historic Landmark District;
• The exterior rehabilitation of the Murdock Building in Kiowa County, considered the cornerstone to Eads since 1908 the Murdock Building will house the Eads Senior Citizens Center as well as a visitor and research center for the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, providing interactive educational opportunities to engage visitors, senior citizens and their families;

"This round of State Historical Fund grant projects explore the breadth of Colorado's history and utilizes some innovative preservation practices," said Steve Turner, Colorado State Historic Preservation Officer.

Projects were funded in the following counties: Adams, Alamosa, Archuleta, Boulder, Chaffee, Conejos, Denver, El Paso, Garfield, Grand, Kiowa, Lake, Larimer, Moffat, Montezuma, Prowers, Rio Blanco, Teller, and Weld.

For a complete list of SHF grants funded this round, visit h-co.org/SHF.

CONTACT: Shannon Haltiwanger, 303-263-4179, shannon.haltiwanger@state.co.us

SOURCE History Colorado