Historic Preservation
B. Travis Wright, MPS has a passion for history and is an active advocate for historic preservation throughout Colorado.
B. Travis Wright, MPS is “an extraordinary champion of the entire Rollins Pass region.”
“East Portal Cabins—history didn’t end when the tunnel opened,” The Mountain Ear (page 17)—June 8, 2023
STATE HONOR AWARD
B. Travis Wright, MPS, is a 2022 Colorado Preservation Inc. State Honor Award recipient for his advocacy of Rollins Pass.
The Colorado Preservation, Inc. board unanimously voted to award B. Travis Wright, MPS, with a State Honor Award at the 2022 Dana Crawford Awards “for the incredible work you have done over the years for Rollins Pass.” Colorado Preservation, Inc.’s annual Dana Crawford & State Honor Awards honors individuals, organizations, public agencies, and businesses from across the state, whose work demonstrates excellence in historic preservation.
REGIONAL COUNCIL, COLORADO’S MOST ENDANGERED PLACES PROGRAM
The Regional Council works with organizations to identify threatened historic resources, provides advice for competitive EPP nominations, assists individual preservation projects on a limited basis, builds partnerships at the local and regional level, publicizes and shares successful project efforts with other EPP sites, and otherwise assists the director with program implementation.
GILPIN COUNTY
Travis is a preservation commissioner and Vice Chair of the Gilpin County Historic Preservation Commission:
• Ensure preservation issues, programs, policies, landmark designations, and stay-of-demolition reviews adhere to criteria consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archaeology and Historic Preservation
• As a preservation professional, my appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission was confirmed unanimously by the Board of County Commissioners for Gilpin County
• The commission nominated the five remaining cabins at the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel and this site was announced by Colorado Preservation, Inc. as one of Colorado’s “Most Endangered Sites” for 2020—I was interviewed and featured within the documentary about this effort; I also flew all drone footage under 14 CFR Part 107 for the documentary shown regionally in March and April 2020
“[Travis has] outstanding qualifications and will be [an] excellent addition[] to the commission.” —Gilpin County Historic Preservation Commission
GRAND COUNTY
Travis is President of the Board of Directors of the Grand County Historical Association:
• Focused on the preservation of history, artifacts, and buildings in Grand County, Colorado, through the use of technology, advocacy, UAS photography, recruiting new board members, and fund-raising efforts
• Prioritized operations and budgets of four museums (one is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and two are named as a Distinctive Destination of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; five total sites/structures are listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties including Cozens Ranch House, Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Snowplow AX-044, Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway Depot in Kremmling, McElroy Barn, and the Rollinsville & Middle Park Wagon Road – Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway Hill Route Historic District/Moffat Road)
• Ensured the adoption and adherence of professional museum standards, a workable accessions policy, the restoration and appropriate interpretation of historical artifacts and structures, and the creation of a master plan
• Modernized the association’s technical infrastructure with cloud managed UTMs, switch fabric, and wireless appliances; enabling secure remote access and a workable disaster recovery plan that has saved the museum’s digital collection of rare and historical images from complete loss
• Led the historical association, its museums, staff, and board members through multiple crises in 2020 including loss of revenue due to COVID-19 as well as threatened structures/artifacts on account of the 14,833-acre Williams Fork Fire and Colorado’s second-largest wildfire in history—the 193,812-acre East Troublesome Fire
• More broadly within the county, advocated for the historic preservation of a 19th century wooden windmill located within an HOA in Granby, Colorado; researched and filed preliminary eligibility documents for historic condominiums (likely the first property of this type in Colorado to be nominated for listing) in Fraser, Colorado to be considered for both the National Register of Historic Places as well as the State Register of Historic Properties; and opposed a land exchange involving historic and prehistoric public lands
BOULDER COUNTY
For the 2018 publication, Rollins Pass, both Kate and Travis received a 2018 Archaeology and Historic Preservation Award for contributions to local history and historic preservation in Boulder County given by the Boulder Heritage Roundtable and Historic Boulder.
“Historic preservation is a conversation with the past about our future.” —National Park Service
