Civil Rights History

This historic context study about civil rights history in our community is now completed! You can view the final report here.

But, the work doesn't stop now - Historic Preservation Services will be surveying properties identified in the context document to learn more about them. If you have any stories, photos, or research leads about places related to civil rights in Fort Collins, please reach out to Historic Preservation Services staff at preservation@fcgov.com.

Why This Project?

This project is being sponsored by the City's Historic Preservation Services division as a way to help ensure that the places we highlight, and hopefully preserve, as important to Fort Collins are reflective of the full story of Fort Collins history. The history of Fort Collins is complex and diverse, and includes many people and groups that have often been ignored by local historians and the City's historic preservation program in the past. This project seeks to help change that by documenting the history of discrimination and civil rights actions, and by identifying important historic places where those events and actions took place. Although only part of Historic Preservation's larger Full Story Fort Collins project, documenting discrimination and civil rights organizing is an important step towards telling histories more reflective of our community. The larger goal of the Full Story Fort Collins project is to help ensure that all Fort Collins residents feel connected to the story of the city and share a sense of belonging here.

What's the Project Timeline?

The project was kicked off in the summer of 2022 and was completed in late 2023. Check out the presentation from the kick-off community meeting HERE (en español, AQUI).

What will the end result of this project be?

This project will result in a special historic report, a historic context, that will document the major events and trends of civil rights issues and advocacy in Fort Collins from approximately 1869 into the modern era. Since this project is being sponsored by the City's Historic Preservation Services division, it will be primarily focused on identifying properties associated with those events and trends that can be designated as local Landmarks/Landmark Districts or nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Key topics of study will include themes such as education, criminal injustice, public accommodations, and equal employment and housing, and key parts of the community including Hispanics/Latinx/Chicanos, Black/African Americans, indigenous people including the Arapahoe and Cheyenne, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, Women, community members who identify as LGBTQIA+, religious minorities including Jewish and Muslim residents, and people with

The goal is that the final report will support the preservation of important civil rights sites by providing documentation of their importance to local history, encouraging community members and property owners to designate their eligible properties, and ensuring that our preserved built heritage represents the entire community.