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Colorado Preservation Inc. Hosting A 'Saving Places' Conference

DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado is full of history but much of it is crumbling away. That's why Colorado Preservation Inc. is working to save sites around the state by every year declaring the state's most endangered places to bring awareness to the problem.

Colorado Preservation is a state-wide nonprofit historic preservation organization and their Endangered Places program is directed by Jennifer Orrigo Charles. She stopped by CBS4 studios to get more Coloradans aware of what they're trying to accomplish.

"(The program) brings me across the state to some amazing sites that are threatened and endangered of being lost," Charles said.

She said the program has 106 sites and they're getting close to announcing 36 of them. They have 39 that will be saved.

"When we first announce our sites we put them on our kind of alert status. Those are the ones that we're really working closely towards getting to the next-step progress," Charles said.

4 Bar 4 Ranch
The 4 Bar 4 Ranch (credit: coloradopreservation.org)

She said one of the sites is a stage coach boarding house in the town of Frazer in Grand County on the 4 Bar 4 Ranch that the organization thought would be lost.

"The roof collapsed completely and we thought we were going to lose it."

She said there were some local advocates who started a campaign to save the building.

"It has a chance again, and so that's one of the ones that we'd love to see get off that alert status and into progress."

Colorado Preservation Most Endangered Places
(credit: coloradopreservation.org)

She says the sites are brought to the organization's attention by the public.

"We look to the public for nominations -- it can be an individual, municipality, nonprofit organization -- they submit the site to us, there's a long vetting process where we really look at, 'How significant is this site? Is it really threatened? Can our organization make a difference in being involved?'" Charles said. "Based on that, is there any community support? … We really rely on our local advocates."

Charles said thankfully Endangered Places has only lost six sites in nearly 19 years of the program.

"So we've got a great record."

Colorado Preservation will hold its historic preservation conference called "Saving Places" the first weekend of February. CBS4 is a proud sponsor and Tom Mustin will emcee the event for the sixth straight year.

The purpose of the conference is to promote the education and networking of individuals interested in historic preservation. Visit Colorado Preservation's website for more information.

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