DENVER, Colo. — To commemorate Colorado’s 150th anniversary, History Colorado is on a mission to add 150 new sites to the state’s historic register, aiming to spotlight communities traditionally overlooked in the past. The project, called Heritage for All, is attempting to bring a voice to communities from across the state.
Dawn DiPrince, president and CEO of History Colorado, emphasized the urgent need for inclusivity in historic preservation.
“What we discovered was pretty shocking to me,” DiPrince said. “We found that on our state register there were only 3.6% of historic sites that represented communities of color’s history, women’s history, and/or LGBTQ+ history. Those are a lot of different communities that were only being represented by less than 4% of what was on the register.”
They are looking to add 150 sites from underrepresented communities by the end of 2026, and they are already about a third of the way done. Many of the sites added to the state register will have the honor of eventually being added to the National Register of Historic Places, like what occurred with The Owl Club of Denver earlier in 2025.
“It helps to have some place where you can go and talk to people who have similar experiences, so that you can unwind a little bit and just sort of depressurize,” Penfield Tate, a 30-year member and former president of the social club for Black men, said. “You can share tales and stories about common issues, common experiences, and come up with ideas and ways to cope, and also to refer business to one another, to help each other succeed.”
The Owl Club of Denver was founded in 1941 as a place for black professionals in Denver to network, during a time when it was difficult for people of color to do so.
“During World War Two… frankly, Denver, in many ways, was a segregated community,” Tate said. “Both in terms of where you could live and buy houses and what sort of professional organizations people of color could join in.”
The club operated for its first 19 years without a permanent home, meeting in various members’ residences before purchasing a building in City Park in 1960. The organization still owns and operates out of the same building.
The Owl Club worked with History Colorado to get added to the State Register of Historic Places, accomplishing its goal in September of 2024. It exemplifies the type of organization that plays a crucial role in communities that have not had their histories recorded at an expected rate.
“We can tell those stories through exhibits and articles, but having the building as a structure that still has community members,” DiPrince said. “That is something that is infinitely more real and tangible than stories that get passed on. It is a way to ensure that we never erase or forget these histories.”
History Colorado is still looking for more sites to add to the state register, and they are hoping to get input from all across the state.
“We are eager to hear from communities who believe that they have sites that need to be added to the national register,” DiPrince said. “We think everybody in the state of Colorado belongs in this grand human story that is Colorado. We are intentionally, deliberately taking steps so that we can make sure that people’s important histories are not lost.”
If you have an idea for a state historical site as part of Heritage for All, you can reach out to History Colorado here.
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