History Colorado has awarded Cortez a $13,602 grant for a historical survey of the south side of Main Street.

Commercial buildings between The Abundant Life and Slavens trud Value Hardware stores will be reviewed to determine if they qualify for the city’s historic register.

To qualify, buildings must be at least 50 years old and have a unique architectural style or be associated with a person or event important to city history.

After the survey is complete, recommendations are made for properties eligible for the historic register, and property owners can then decide if they want the property listed, said local historian Linda Towle.

“It’s an honorary designation,” Towle said. “One benefit is the owner can get tax credits for renovations if they meet certain standards.”

Cortez has been working to document historic buildings within the original town site. This is the fifth grant awarded for historic surveys, totalling $79,000. No matches were required.

The first three survey grants resulted in 28 historic designations, and more are expected after last year’s survey is complete.

When Cortez was originally platted by James Hanna in 1886, he intended for Main Street to be the primary commercial street and Montezuma Avenue to be the main residential street.

The city has gained enough signatures from property owners to designate Montezuma Avenue a historic district between Chestnut Street and the middle of Ash Street.

This year, the History Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation has awarded funding to 13 local governments totaling $138,505 to aid in their historic preservation efforts. These counties and municipalities are among the 52 local Colorado governments whose historic preservation programs have been certified by the National Park Service through History Colorado for meeting national preservation standards.

jmimiaga@the-journal.com