Historic Preservation Commission

The City of Florence established a Historic Preservation Commission in 2015 and it has seven citizens, one non-voting City Council member, and one non-voting youth member. The City is a Certified Local Government (CLG) from the National Park Services and hopes to access no-match grants to conduct preservation studies in Florence.

The Commission is tasked with establishing a local historic register that can help protect buildings and allow them to be eligible for the State Historical Fund grant program and residential State Historic Rehab tax credit.

If you have further questions or would like to serve on the commission, please contact the Planning Director.

FHPC meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month at 4:30 pm in City Council Chambers.

Planning Director - Ashley Fox

(719) 784-4848 option 8
ashley.fox@florencecolorado.org

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Historic Florence High School Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The Historic Florence High School, located at 215 North Maple Avenue, has officially been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Florence, the City of Florence’s Historic Preservation Commission and the property owners sponsored the nomination for the National Register through funding provided by a History Colorado State Historical Fund grant. A consultant prepared the nomination materials, provided in part from the Pioneer Museum and the Florence Historical Archives.

The Historic Florence High School is located near the heart of Florence, bounded by State Highway 115 to the west, Maple Avenue to the east, West 3rd Street to the north and West 2nd Street to the south. The complex includes the primary school building, an annex/gymnasium and a railroad memorial.

The Historic Florence High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significate contribution to education and representation of Classical Revival style architecture. Education became significantly important in the early nineteenth century in many American towns and cities. The Florence High School was constructed in 1921, and then in 1931 an annex building was added along with a new gymnasium in 1952. Serving the area as high school and a middle school until 2019. The Florence High School architecture, Classical Revival, represents the style that was an extremely popular in the early twentieth century for public and educational structures. The school incorporates the features of the Classical Revival style with its full-height entry portico with pediment, columns, pilasters, terra cotta and stone detailing.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic places located nationwide that are worthy of preservation. Authorized under The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, this national program is to coordinate and support private and public efforts to identify, evaluate and protect our historic resources. The National Register also provides formal recognition of a property's architectural, historical, or archaeological significance. National Register listing encourages preservation of historic properties through public awareness, federal and state tax incentives, and grants. Listing in the National Register does not place obligations or restrictions on the use, treatment, transfer, or disposition of private property.