Chico Heritage Association

About Us

  The Chico Heritage Association (CHA) was incorporated as a non-profit institution in May of 1981. This was in response to the possible loss of a downtown building to make room for a drive-in bank teller and parking. The town had no preservation ordinance and there was no documentation upon which to build support  for an ordinance. An informal coalition met in the community to determine what steps were needed to research and establish historical value of the buildings in the downtown Chico area. Thus was formed the Chico Heritage Association.

CHA first procured a State of California Office of Historic Preservation grant and later a City of Chico grant, to support a survey. That survey lent credence to protests against removing historical buildings, and provided accurate research into local history. The survey also provided grounds for consideration of the historical value of buildings in the community in order to preserve and restore them.