LEADVILLE, Colo., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
historic Tabor Opera House in Leadville is the only site in Colorado—and one
of only 20 nationwide—selected for the 2018 Partners in
Preservation: Main Streets national historic preservation awareness
campaign and the chance to win $150,000 toward rehabilitating a national
icon.
American Express and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation (NTHP) created the campaign to increase the public's
awareness of the importance of historic preservation in
the United States. Winners will be
determined by popular vote from Sept. 24 to
Oct. 26, 2018. Members of the public, regardless of where
they live, can vote online each day at
voteyourmainstreet.org/leadville.
Leadville Literary League founder and author Laurel McHargue is one of many ambassadors for
the month-long voting campaign. "The support this campaign has
mustered in our community is phenomenal, and we're hoping to
encourage history lovers from around the world to join us in voting
to fund the ongoing preservation efforts of this beautiful opera
house," said McHargue.
The Leadville Main Street Program, the City of Leadville and the Tabor Opera House
Preservation Foundation (TOHPF) are partnering to participate in
the campaign. TOHPF Board President Stephanie Spong states, "We are thrilled that
this preservation competition will bring awareness to Leadville's historic district and, if we win,
the funds earned will help us preserve the facade of the Tabor
Opera House for generations to come."
An important part of Leadville's National Historic Landmark
District, the Tabor Opera House is on the Colorado Preservation
Inc's "Most Endangered Places" list and the NTHP's "National
Treasures" list. Beloved locally, the opera house has been
continuously in use as a community events center since it was built
in 1879. Under imminent threat of demolition through neglect, the
opera house is in a race against time and entropy as deferred
maintenance, weather, crumbling bricks, water, and fire risk
threaten this long-neglected historic treasure.
The Partners in Preservation grant, if awarded, will go toward
the first construction phase of the Tabor Opera House's
$8 to $10
million rehabilitation project. This $1.5 million Phase 1 addresses the west and south
facades to secure the building's exterior.
The City and the Foundation have also announced a $500,000 award from the National Park Services'
Save America's Treasures Historic Preservation Fund competitive
grant program. This award likewise will go toward the $1.5 million Phase 1 project.
About Partners in Preservation:
The Partners in Preservation (PIP) program is a national
partnership led by The National Trust for Historic Preservation,
Main Street America and American Express working together to bring
$2 million in preservation funding to
projects on America's Main Streets. PIP facilitates a public
participation process to raise awareness of the work being done
across the country to revitalize Main Streets and neighborhood
districts in small towns, mid-sized cities, and urban centers
across America.
About the Leadville Main Street Program:
Leadville has been a Colorado Main
Street community since January 2015
and is committed to historic preservation downtown. We are excited
to participate in the Partners In Preservation: Main Streets
campaign.
About Save the Tabor:
The Save the Tabor effort has been at the forefront of historic
preservation in the state of Colorado since the City of Leadville purchased the building in
late 2016 from private ownership.
For more information and to see how you might support this
project, visit taboroperahouse.net or Facebook at
@taboroperafoundation, or contact Destinee
Lukianoff at adminassistant(at)leadville-co.gov, phone:
248-459-7818
SOURCE Strack Press LLC