Colorado's The Fort restaurant receives historical easement, preserving land for future

A lot of people around Colorado might think of The Fort in Morrison as a restaurant. But to the owner, Holly Kinney, and to longtime staff, they see it as a living museum and a monument to old Colorado history. And now with a rezoning of the land, it's going to stay that way long term.

"We lived upstairs," she said. "When I was 10 years old this was actually my home and we all worked in the restaurant. It wasn't supposed to be a restaurant initially, it was supposed to be a living history museum."

In recent months, Kinney made a voluntary conservation easement donation to the Colorado Historical Foundation. The goal is to protect The Fort and its 8.7 acres of property from development in the future. As foothill communities in Colorado see continued building, Kinney wants to make sure that if ownership changes hands this ode to the state's early history doesn't get bulldozed over. 

"Our building is on the national registry of historic places but that doesn't protect it from development," said Kinney.  "It needs to go on and the building itself is very historical."

When you enter the restaurant, you're met with teepees in a general courtyard and photos all over the walls. The area held the G20 summit during the Clinton Administration and world-renowned chef Julia Child has come through the doors as well. 

While some might see it as a touristy place, meant to hook in those just visiting Colorado for the first time, Kinney sees it as something for even longtime residents; a culinary museum with a menu that is authentically Colorado. 

"Our menu at The Fort was based on 'what did they eat at Bents Fort' which was a fur trading fort that was in southeastern Colorado in La Junta," Kinney explains. 

The Fort is a direct recreation of the 1830s era trading post built and maintained by Adobe crafted in the original style. Kinney hopes that with this easement and listing in the national historical registry, that the area will be maintained for generations to come. 

"I also am thrilled when I see our young managers who are in their 20s and 30s see the soul of The Fort but they also have great ideas to take it up a notch," Kinney concludes. 

She says that there's money set aside as well for the maintenance of the Adobe as well as for the area and the property. So even as development continues to push into foothill communities like Morrison, the Fort will be as authentically Colorado as it's ever been.