MEEKER | What does historic preservation mean to you? Browsing through museums? Walking by or through old houses? Shopping in old stores and drugstores, eating in vintage restaurants, frequenting banks and other commercial buildings? Touring historic battlegrounds? Pride in our local buildings and landscapes?
None of the above? Don’t give a fig? What about money in your pocket and in community coffers?
While increased property values for historic properties are a factor in increased revenue, heritage tourism is at or near the top of the list for Colorado and probably tops for Meeker. According to the U.S. Travel Association’s 2015 survey, 76% of leisure travelers seek museums and places that have retained their historic character. Heritage tourists, those who visit a museum or historic property during their travels irrespective of the reason for the trip, spent $7.2B in Colorado in 2015, while all other tourists spent roughly $6.9B. Heritage tourists tend to travel longer and stay in hotels and motels, shop, dine out, and participate in a variety of activities. Heritage tourism continues to increase in popularity. Attendance records at the White River Museum bear this out: 1,798 visitors in 2000; 2,651 in 2015; 5,131 in 2018; and 5,197 for the first nine months of 2019. One way or another, everyone in the community benefits from more business, more jobs, more sales and other tax revenues resulting from heritage tourism.
Or maybe you own a residence or commercial building that is more than 50 years old that has been an integral part of Meeker, Rangely, or the county, or has architectural significance. If it is listed on the National or State Register of Historic Places or could be so listed or Landmarked – which we will mention next week – and needs repairs, rehabilitation, or removal of a non-historic feature, you may be eligible for a grant to assist with expenses. You may also qualify for a federal or state tax credit for up to 55% of your expenditures. You can sell a commercial property credit if it is of no benefit to you.
Learn more about historic preservation and its benefits and get answers to your questions from History Colorado experts on July 25, 2023, at the Preservation Workshop, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Heritage Culture Center in Meeker (517 Park). For information about the workshop, contact Terri at 970- 878-9982, Emily at 970-930-5619, or Sandra at 970-878-5342.
Special to the Herald Times
