Colman now works in Montpelier as the state architectural historian for the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. Part of his portfolio is running the state’s National Register, State Register and Certified Local Government programs. “Another aspect of the job I enjoy is researching buildings that are just turning 50 years old, the benchmark for when we evaluate their significance,” he said. “Most people might not consider those little ranch houses and shopping centers from the 1950s as historic. But I don’t think you can tell the story of American society, for instance, without including the gas stations which sprang up across the country with the advent of the automobile. There’s always something new to explore in this field.”