The Lake City Historic District contains a collection of intact buildings associated with the 1875-1881 boom as well as buildings constructed during the second boom period of the 1890s.

The town's remote location and decades of economic decline helped conserve the buildings from the mining era, and the weak local economy discouraged new construction; thus Lake City avoided many of the modern "improvements" to historic buildings that often occurs in more prosperous towns.
 The Hinsdale County Historical Society formed in 1973 and began accumulating documents and photographs recording the town's history, and has been a strong advocate for preservation in Lake City since then.
 In 1978, the Lake City Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In some cases restoration was as simple as removing a coat of paint from a brick building or removing a wood facade from an early building faced with stone, but in other cases more involved restoration was required.
During the 1970s and 1980s, volunteers performed extensive preservation work on the Baptist church building, which had stood vacant and derelict in the 1930s.
Hinsdale County acquired the John C. Bell cabin at 304 Third Street and restored it in 2000, removing stucco siding to reveal the 1876 log cabin that had served as the law office for Lake City's leading attorney in the 1880s.
 Also, many individual property owners have done restoration and upkeep to preserve their historic properties.
Restoration has not only aided the local economy by making Lake City a desirable tourist destination, it has also served economic development with preservation projects creating jobs for local carpenters, craftsmen, and contractors.
The Lake City Historic District contains a collection of intact buildings associated with the 1875-1881 boom as well as buildings constructed during the second boom period of the 1890s.
The town's remote location and decades of economic decline helped conserve the buildings from the mining era, and the weak local economy discouraged new construction; thus Lake City avoided many of the modern "improvements" to historic buildings that often occurs in more prosperous towns.  The Hinsdale County Historical Society formed in 1973 and began accumulating documents and photographs recording the town's history, and has been a strong advocate for preservation in Lake City since then.  In 1978, the Lake City Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In some cases restoration was as simple as removing a coat of paint from a brick building or removing a wood facade from an early building faced with stone, but in other cases more involved restoration was required. During the 1970s and 1980s, volunteers performed extensive preservation work on the Baptist church building, which had stood vacant and derelict in the 1930s. Hinsdale County acquired the John C. Bell cabin at 304 Third Street and restored it in 2000, removing stucco siding to reveal the 1876 log cabin that had served as the law office for Lake City's leading attorney in the 1880s.  Also, many individual property owners have done restoration and upkeep to preserve their historic properties. Restoration has not only aided the local economy by making Lake City a desirable tourist destination, it has also served economic development with preservation projects creating jobs for local carpenters, craftsmen, and contractors.
Lake City, Colorado