Territorial Capital Era Study

The City of Golden, founded in 1859, was the Territorial Capital of Colorado from 1862 to 1867 before relocating to Denver. The Historic Preservation Board identified 31 structures throughout Golden that were built prior to 1868 and were important to the City’s status as the Territorial Capital or were present during that time.

The structures, scattered around downtown, represent the earliest era of Euro-American settlement of the City of Golden and are over 150 years old. The results of the surveys are that only a few of the identified structures have historic integrity, while the majority of the structures have been significantly altered over time. Many structures within this group that have historic architectural integrity already have some designation and protection by the City. View the territorial capital map and address list.

City of Golden Planning Staff is currently working with the Historic Preservation Board on next steps to appropriately preserve and recognize the properties. Current public outreach, Board discussion and further policy research is underway. Please take our survey below!