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The Apishapa Valley Historical Society was started in 2003 with the organization of the Aguilar Historic Preservation Committee. The town trustees agreed to work with them as they developed a plan for preserving the history of Aguilar and the Apishapa Valley to the west. There first move was to successfully nominate the First State Bank of Aguilar building (the Louis Gianella Building) to Colorado’s Most Endangered Places List for 2004. This list is produced annually by Colorado Preservation Inc. in an effort to bring attention and resources to Colorado’s threatened historic Structures and sites. For more information about this non-profit organization, go to www.coloradopreservation.org .

The committee applied for non-profit status and became the Apishapa Valley Historical Society in in 2004. The boundaries for this area to the east, include the remains of the Foster House Stagecoach site along the Apishapa River and west to include Trujillo Creek, Gulnare, and Jaroso Canyons.

In 2005 we received a grant from the State Historical Fund, a program of the Colorado Historical Society, to complete a structural assessment of the bank building to identify the deterioration of the fabric of this imposing building which occupies a prominent corner of the town of Aguilar. The intention of this assessment will be the base of a the conservation and maintenance strategy, eventually finding a use and proceed with a combination of restoration and rehabilitation of this historic structure. The assessment was initiated by the owner of the building and the nomination was prepared by the historical society. The completed assessment can be viewed at the Aguilar Town Library.

In September 2005 the Colorado Historical Society announced the listing of the First State Bank of Aguilar/ Gianella Building in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties in recognition of this property’s contribution to the heritage of the State of Colorado.

The State Historical Fund recently awarded a grant to the Town of Aguilar to complete a cultural Resource Survey which will include a reconnaissance survey to select at least 10 properties for intensive survey in order to identify and document cultural resources which might become a baseline for future preservation efforts. There is an urgent need to develop a plan to prevent losses of cultural resources such as the loss of Aguilar’s historic elementary and high school buildings in 2004. This project will begin in the fall of 2006.

Our mailing address is PO Box 459, Aguilar CO 81020. Supporters who wish to contribute will assist in maintaining this website and with matching grant monies that they will seek in the future. Our monthly meetings are held at 1:30 pm on the second Thursday of the month at the Aguilar Community Center beginning in August. Any changes or special meetings are posted in a public place as soon as possible.