The National Register of Historic Places: An Overview

Administered and maintained by the National Park Service, The National Register of Historic Places is the United States Government's list of properties significant in history, archeology, culture, and/or engineering and therefore deemed worthy of preservation. Once listed on the National Register of Historic Places, historic properties can receive preservation benefits and incentives, as well as recognition.

Historic properties must meet general criteria including age, integrity, and significance to be considered for official listing on the National Register:

  • properties must be at least 50 years old and look similar to what they did when originally built and,
  • properties should have historical or cultural significance to be considered eligible for listing on the National Register.

Getting a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places starts with the State Historic Preservation Office. A listing of the State Historic Preservation Officers can be found at: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/shpolist.htm

Historical property nominations can be submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office of the state where the property resides. Once submitted, and if the state office deems the property worthy of national recognition, the state offices will forward the information on to the National Park Service for consideration.

Once listed on the National Register, the property's historical significance is documented and the property is added to an official public, searchable, national database. Property owners also may become eligible for preservation and rehabilitation grants, tax credits, and other monetary incentives.

A listing on the National Register of Historic Places does not necessarily place any obligations on the private property owners regarding use or transfer of the property, and public access is not required. However, if a property owner has received federal funds in association with the property or restoration and rehabilitation of the property, then any changes made to the property are subject to "comment" by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (www.achp.gov). There may also be state or local preservation laws that owners of historic properties may be subject to.

More information about the National Register of Historic Places can be found at: http://www.nps.gov