Award of Preservation Advocacy

The Award of Preservation Advocacy recognizes a community member whose contributions have ensured the endurance of Littleton’s heritage. Past winners include:

• 2008: LeBrun Hutchison. LeBrun researched the history and compiled information, photos, and supporting documentation for the successful designation of Bega Park as a City of Littleton Historic Landmark and inclusion in the Main Street Historic District.
• 2008: Patty Anderson. Patty served on the Museum Board, which oversaw historic preservation at the time, served on the City of Littleton Historical Preservation Board from its inception in 1997 through 2006, and helped draft Littleton’s Historic Preservation Code. As a longtime member of Historic Littleton, Inc., she helped prepare individual histories for most of the buildings on Main Street in Downtown Littleton.

• 2009: Rick Cronenberger. An early member of the Second Century Fund (now Historic Littleton,Inc.), Rick’s achievements include:

  Received much of the credit for establishing the Historical Preservation Board, and he -served on the board from its inception in 1997 through 2003.

  Encouraged the City to place the Historical Preservation Board under the Community Development and Planning Department rather than the Littleton Historical Museum, arguing successfully that historic preservation is primarily a planning function.

  He led the board in drafting the first Historic Preservation Ordinance for the City.

  Was recognized by the City for his efforts in establishing the National Register District when he was City Council Guest citizen in 1997.

  Appeared on the “Littleton Show” to help explain the preservation issues via cable TV.

  Worked many additional hours crafting a preliminary Local District for Downtown Littleton. This included many discussions with people, educating, explaining, and describing the history of the community.

  Provided historic preservation assistance to the City for the restoration of the Courthouse, Geneva Lodge, and relocating the Rio Grande Depot to be the light rail station.

• 2010: Rebecca Kast. In 1992, Rebecca developed the first Walking Tour of Historic Littleton brochure for the Littleton Leadership Retreat. She was a spokeswoman and strong advocate for historic preservation during her three terms on City Council and a Second Century Fund board member. Rebecca is a current Historic Littleton, Inc., board member, a past president for six years, and former producer of the HLI Newsletter to inform members of accomplishments and news.
• 2011: Dick Valore, Kal Murib, and Richard Acres. Dick, Kal, and Richard were property owners who initiated the formation of the Littleton Main Street Historic District in 2005.

• 2012: Doris Hulse. A longtime member of Historic Littleton, Inc., Doris researched and wrote history pages for the City of Littleton website, assisted with the Colorado State Archives, and served as a genealogy expert.
• 2012: Kevin Koernig. A member of the Historical Preservation Board from 2002–2012, Kevin participated in the original and at-times difficult negotiations to form the Main Street Historic District and facilitated the formation of the Louthan Historic District. He also lent his expertise as an architect to discussions for the Littleton Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines.
• 2015: Bill Hopping. While serving on the City of Littleton Historical Preservation Board from 2003–2013, Bill helped build relationships as the board worked to form the Littleton Main Street Historic District and related design guidelines. The Main Street Historic District was established in 2005. Bill participated in the True Grit workshops, where community stakeholders discussed ideas, concerns, and wishes to build community consensus regarding historic preservation.

• 2017: Pat Cronenberger and Susan Thornton. Pat and Susan both served as mayor and mayor pro tem during their four terms on the City Council, and they both brought strong leadership and a committed vision for Littleton. During their tenure on City Council, Littleton achieved the following:

  Became a Certified Local Government, which allowed the City to distribute nearly $1 million in state funds for preservation.

  Established a Historical Preservation Board in 1997.

  Received designation of the Littleton Main Street Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

  Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Arapahoe County to purchase the historic Arapahoe County Courthouse and restore it for the Littleton Municipal Courts.

  Adopted Revised the Historic Preservation Code in 2001.

  Adopted a Transit Impact Zone to protect historic buildings from demolition within one-half mile of the downtown light rail station.

  Approved the Louthan Street Historic District and landmarked numerous local structures.

• 2019: Sonya Ellingboe. Sonya’s many involvements included association with Downtown Littleton businesses, co-founding the Second Century Fund (now Historic Littleton, Inc.), and establishing the Town Hall Arts Center and Hudson Gardens. She is a member of the Historic Littleton, Inc., Board of Directors and served as secretary for many years.