2 of Genesee’s places are on the National Register
More historic than 38% of U.S. towns · #63 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Deaton Sculptured House and the Thiede Ranch. Most of Genesee was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: maps from 1957 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Genesee is more historic than 38% of U.S. towns, #63 of 159 in Colorado. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Genesee’s overall grade.
Few Colorado towns list much on the Register (a typical Colorado town has 1.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Genesee’s 10.6 sits above most of its state (72% of Colorado towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Genesee’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Genesee yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Genesee is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Genesee CDP was 3,610 at the United States Census 2020. The Golden post office (Zip code 80401) serves the area.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 3,609 in 2010, 3,610 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Genesee RidgeRiva Chase
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Genesee’s history
How does Genesee rank for history?
Genesee is more historic than 38% of U.S. towns, #63 of 159 in Colorado. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Genesee?
Two places: the Deaton Sculptured House (listed 2004) and the Thiede Ranch (1996).
How old are the homes in Genesee?
1% of Genesee’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado town; the median home was built in 1987.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the National Register of Historic Places (2), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
