Gardner History & Preservation

About Gardner History & Preservation

Rick Gardner

Richard (Rick) Gardner has been an active preservationist and historian since his teenage years. Working out of the historic Quaintance Block in downtown Golden, Colorado, a moved building he placed on the National Historic Register, Gardner has gained a wide variety of experience researching many kinds of history and preserving many different kinds of historic places. These include residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, academic, entertainment, and religious structures, and he has consulted on projects ranging from cosmetic restoration to saving critically endangered structures. He has also successfully worked on challenging and hard-luck cases, including designating heavily altered and moved buildings and places under 50 years old. In addition to research and preservation projects, Gardner's work has been published for over 30 years in various publications including the Golden Transcript and Golden Informer, and he has been profiled in the Denver Post (2/21/2005). Rick has also been a contributor to the YourHub.com online and print editions by the Post. Rick Gardner has contributed research to several books including Tom Noel's "Buildings of Colorado" and "Sacred Stones: Colorado's Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre." His work has been used on over 30 historic markers, on subjects ranging from American Indians to gold dredges.

Rick Gardner also has over 25 years experience in sponsoring and assisting with designating landmarks and historic districts at local, state and national levels, featuring buildings dating from 1859 to 1958. He has also worked on preservation feasibility studies and acquiring preservation grants. He has volunteered, worked for and with a wide variety of people and entities, including governments, non-profit organizations, churches, low-income residents and well-capitalized developers, and even future Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to save the Goosetown Tavern. Gardner has worked on preservation projects on places ranging from the homes of blue-collar workers to famous people like William A.H. Loveland and George M. Pullman, and advised on restoring many kinds of architecture from a hewn log cabin to a Countermodernist church. This diversity of experience has helped uncover many things from our past and preserve many historic places, giving Gardner versatility in working with a wide variety of projects and people. Rick has an extensive education in historic preservation and architecture including a master's degree and professional certification in historic preservation (the first to be certified by the University of Colorado Denver), and has received several awards for his research and preservation work including the David Owen Tryba Prize in Historic Preservation. He is former President and current Historian of the Golden Landmarks Association and is a member of the Jefferson County Historical Commission and serves on its Preservation and Landmark Committees.

Contact Us!