My name is Amy Hootman, and I interned with the Greeley Historic Preservation Office in the summer of 2018. After meeting with my faculty advisor, Dr. Payne, about potential internship ideas, I decided to contact the city’s Historic Preservation Specialist to apply. During my time as an intern, I assisted the Historic Preservation Specialist by surveying historic properties in Greeley, including conducting research and collecting documentation on the historical background. My largest project was an architectural survey form for a local residential property, which involved taking photographs of the home and associated buildings, writing a detailed architectural description, researching its previous homeowners at the city’s archives, and looking at its geographic information and construction history. With this information in mind, I then assessed the property’s eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, the State Register, or the Local Register based on the necessary criteria for each. In addition to this project, I also researched and surveyed a number of other properties in Greeley, drafted the text for plaques for properties on the Greeley Register, and wrote up Certificate of Approval letters for roof replacements.

While working as an intern, I was able to attend a number of events and meetings related to historic preservation in Greeley. In addition to weekly meetings with the city’s Planning Department and other event-related meetings with the Historic Preservation Specialist, I also attended a Downtown Development Authority meeting, a Planning Commission meeting, and a Historic Preservation Commission meeting. Other events I attended include a historic building walking tour in downtown Greeley, a few history brown bag events, and a tour of the Weld County Courthouse.

Towards the end of my internship, I had the opportunity to meet with a local historic property owner in Greeley who was also the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission. We discussed her family’s history, the history of her property and its construction, her work on the physical preservation of her home, and her experiences serving on the commission. During my last week, I met with both the Museums Director and the Curator of Collections at the Greeley History Museum to discuss the operation of the museum and careers in public history. Such experiences are instrumental in my development as a public historian and have solidified my interest in a career in historic preservation.