The Cultural Heritage of the San Luis Valley To Be Preserved Through A Grant Awarded to History Colorado

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The Shrine of Stations of the Cross. A string of bronze statues climbing the mesa adjacent to town.

By Joe Contreras Latin Life Denver Media

Do you know someone from the San Luis Valley? Many have come to Denver from towns like Antonito, Chama, Capulin, Alamosa, Del Norte, Conejos, Monte Vista, Mosca and many other towns that make up the San Luis Valley. The area is mostly known for its tourist spots, the Great Sand Dunes, Ft Garland and others. But for many others it is known for its people and how their heritage has shaped their values as Latinos and Coloradoan’s.

San Luis, Colorado is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Colorado, founded in 1851 by Hispanics from Taos, New Mexico. The town is located in the southeast part of the San Luis Valley, along Culebra Creek and west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The area was originally part of four Spanish land grants, and San Luis’s adobe architecture and Spanish town layout reflect these historical and cultural influences.

Examples of historic resources in the San Luis Valley currently on the
State and National Register of Historic Places. Photos Courtesy of History Colorado.

With a present population of approximately 750. San Luis is predominately Hispanic, with strong ties to Spain’s religious, cultural, and artistic traditions. The Stations of the Cross Shrine, A series of bronze statues that climb a mesa near the town, each representing a moment in the crucifixion of Christ is one of the more popular tourist attractions.

With elevation ranging from 7,000′ to the 14,345′ summit of Blanca Peak, there are many different geological features to explore. The valley is nestled against the magnificent Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range on both the south and east sides. To the north and west, the La Garita and Conejos-Brazos mountain range tower above the valley. It is approximately 125 miles long and over 65 miles wide.

Following text from History Colorado Press Release.

History Colorado has just announced it has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to support targeted work related to the Colorado Heritage for All initiative in the San Luis Valley.This funding will allow History Colorado to collaborate with residents of the San Luis Valley to develop sustainable, community-led preservation plans that safeguard sites of meaning, provide economic and social benefits, and increase representation on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The underlying framework for this project will be deep engagement with local leaders and community organizations to identify 10 sites that are eligible for listing on the State and National Registers. Priority for sites to be researched and nominated will be based on the public benefit of these sites as determined by:

  • Community access to the site, 
  • Learning opportunities involving the site,
  • And the site’s relationship and contributions to the local economy and social infrastructure.

“The San Luis Valley was historically both a geo-political and cultural borderlands, in which the combination and collision of Indigenous, Hispano, and Anglo peoples formed a hybrid culture that is like no other in the United States,” said Dawn DiPrince, President/CEO of History Colorado and State Historic Preservation Officer. “Preserving the sites that tell the authentic stories of the Valley and provide collective meaning to its people is critical to recognizing the full breadth of our state’s history before it is lost to time. This effort will also provide us an opportunity to invest in the future prosperity of the Valley as historic designations can provide access to funding avenues that can be used to protect sites which define communities.”

Great Sand Dunes National Park Colorado at Sunset

In addition to providing technical support in researching and nominating sites, this grant funds consultation opportunities with grant-writing and sustainability planning experts who will help locals establish sustainability plans for each of the sites added to the State and National Registers. This consultation will assist locals to develop funding applications that support ongoing maintenance, operation, and/or redevelopment and restoration plans for sites so they both preserve the past, and serve the contemporary and future needs of San Luis Valley and its residents.

It is History Colorado’s hope that the preservation support and projects put in place by this grant will continue to pay dividends for the community long after the grant funded effort is completed by empowering locals to lead preservation efforts across the San Luis Valley and provide a model for how preservation can meet the needs of under-resourced communities.

“We are lucky that San Luis Valley communities have fiercely and lovingly preserved their rich historic resources for generations, and we are eager to support their stewardship with additional resources and tools,” DiPrince said. “This project has the potential to set a standard for how historic preservation can turn the vital markers of the past into economic drivers of the future.” 

The work done in the San Luis Valley will also provide History Colorado an extensive opportunity to evaluate the processes and procedures which govern nomination to the State Register. It is the organization’s hope that community input provided through this project will help remove any undue barriers that restrict marginalized communities from accessing historic designation and preservation funding.

“When people think classically about historic properties they envision stunning Victorian houses, and the creations of renowned architects, but this only represents a portion of our shared history,” DiPrince said. “This work allows us to advance what historic preservation looks like and build an inclusive historic record that represents the experiences of all of Colorado’s people.”