What Is the National Register?
ROAM Consultants listed the H. M. Smith General Merchandise and Fonthill Post Office (Russell County, KY) to the National Register of Historic Places.
What Is the National Register of Historic Places?
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is an important tool that historic preservationists, community leaders, and developers alike use to preserve and rehabilitate our built environment.
Specifically, according to the National Park Service, the National Register:
“is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.”
What Makes a Property Eligible for the National Register?
Properties listed in the National Register have local, state, or national significance in a range of thematic areas. For instance, one property might be listed in the National Register because it is a good example of a style of architecture, while others might be listed because they are associated with important events or represent trends in development in the United States. In most cases, National Register properties are at least 50 years old.
National Register-listed properties range from individual buildings to structures (like bridges and roads), districts, archaeological sites, and entire neighborhoods. Historic ships can be eligible, too. And there is even a historic carousel listed in the National Register!
What is the Meaning of National Register?
You’ll note that architectural historians state that properties are “in” the National Register. So then, what is the meaning of National Register? Well, it’s fairly straightforward. It’s simply a list of historic places important to the nation. When the National Park Service is getting ready to approve a National Register nomination, the NPS will place a notification of pending nominations in the Federal Register, which is the US government’s daily journal. Hence, that’s why architectural historians will talk about properties that are “in” the National Register and not “on” the National Register.
Here's my tip for remembering the right terminology:
The National Register was established in 1966. As a result, the list of NR-listed properties is really long. If you were to print out that list, there would be so many pages that it would be like a book. So I think about placing a property “in” that book.
NRHP Criteria for Evaluation vs Areas of Significance
Your nomination will address how your property meets certain benchmarks used to evaluate whether or not it has enough significance to be in the National Register. First, the resource (or resources, if you’re planning for a National Register district), must be significant in at least one of four so-called “Criteria for Evaluation.”
The NPS has established the following Criteria for Evaluation:
Criterion A. Applies to properties that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.
Criterion B. Applies to properties that are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.
Criterion C. Applies to properties that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. (You might hear some people refer to Criterion C as the “architecture” criterion.)
Criterion D. Applies to properties that have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
NR Areas of Significance
Next, the resource(s) must also have significance in at least one “Area of Significance,” although many properties have significance in multiple areas. The list of areas of significance is quite long but includes areas like agriculture, architecture, art, commerce, community planning and development, education, entertainment, ethnic heritage, invention, landscape architecture, social history, and many others. So as you can see, properties can be associated with broad themes in history and still be potentially eligible for the National Register.
What Are the 7 Factors of Integrity for the National Register?
In addition to having a high level of significance, a property must also have integrity. That is, they must still have the ability to demonstrate their significance. For example, if a building is significant because it was the first public school in a community, it still needs to visually read “school.” The National Park Service has 7 aspects of integrity. A property doesn’t have to meet all of them, but the more, the better:
Location
Design
Setting
Materials
Workmanship
Feeling
Association
National Register of Historic Places Benefits
Let’s briefly chat about the benefits of placing a property in the National Register of Historic Places.
Section 106 Reviews
First, all construction and infrastructure projects that are funded by or licensed by the federal government must consider the impact of NR-listed properties in those projects. This project review is a mandatory federal requirement according to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
As a result, you might hear architectural historians, developers, and community leaders talk about a project’s “Section 106 review.” Here’s a simple example of this works:
Let’s assume you successfully list your family’s historic farm in the National Register.
Next, let’s assume that a new federally funded highway is planned to go right through the front door of your farmhouse.
In this case, the federal agency in charge of this highway project must do a search of all NR-listed properties in the area and determine if the project will have a negative impact on them.
Of course, building a highway through the front door of your NR-listed farmhouse is certainly a negative impact!
As a result, the federal agency must go through a process of working with the local community to find a way to “mitigate” that negative impact. That is, the federal agency doesn’t necessarily have to preserve that farmhouse (although that’s one of many options) but does have to figure out how to lessen the impact. For example, the federal agency might decide to slightly re-route the highway and avoid the farm altogether. Or maybe the federal agency might offer to move the farmhouse to a different location. Another option would be to document the farm via photos and historical research, give copies of that research to the state historic preservation office and local history museums, demolish the farm, and proceed with the highway as planned.
The Section 106 review process can be complicated, and this is just a super simple example. I’ll make a separate Section 106 post later to explain the process in more detail.
Can you demolish a property in the National Register?
As you can see, the law doesn’t state that National Register properties must be saved in all cases. Instead, it just states that agencies must take negative impacts into consideration and try to mitigate those impacts. But still, this type of Section 106 review has helped preserve countless historic properties and entire neighborhoods across the country. It’s a great benefit of placing a property in the National Register.
Historic Preservation Grants for National Register Properties
One of the biggest tangible benefits of being in the National Register is that certain properties may be eligible for rehabilitation funds.
For example, NR-listed properties that are owned by non-profit organizations may be eligible for rehabilitation grants given by state and federal preservation agencies as well as private foundations. The National Park Service manages the Historic Preservation Fund, which includes a competitive grant program. Plus, your state’s historic preservation office may have a grant program, too, so it’s always a good idea to contact your SHPO.
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
Your State Historic Preservation Office will have more information about how to apply for tax credits in your area, too. If you have an income-producing property that is listed in the National Register and you’re planning a major rehab, you might be eligible for state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits. Depending on the circumstances, the tax credits can be substantial!
However, the application process for these tax credits can be lengthy and requires a three-part application form that is submitted at different stages of the rehabilitation. Plus, your rehab plans (as well as your budget) must be approved in advance before you start your project. As a result, tax credit projects take a lot of pre-planning and follow-through with both state and federal agencies, but you can hire a consultant to make the process a lot easier.
How Do I Nominate a Property to the National Register?
The process to nominate a property to the National Register can be lengthy and involves several different players.
What’s the National Register Process?
1 – Contact your SHPO
First, before you start gathering research or filling out the National Register form, you should contact your State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The SHPO will give you valuable insight into the process, including unique requirements in your state and where you can go for help. (For example, your SHPO office can help you find a consultant to complete a National Register nomination.)
2 – Prepare the National Register nomination form
Next, a nomination form must be prepared for the resource (or collection of resources, known as a historic district). The form is long and has several sections. Here are the main ones:
Basic information – when the resource was constructed, the architect and/or builder, the architectural style and building materials, and current vs. historic functions
Narrative description – also referred to as an architectural description, this section is a detailed description of the entire site
Statement of significance – why the resource meets one or National Register Criteria and at least one Area of Significance
Additional information about the property’s developmental history and additional historic context information
Current and historic photos
Maps
3 – Submit your nomination form and wait for reviews
After you complete your nomination form and gather the required attachments (like USGS maps), you will submit the package to your SHPO. Once it arrives, it will go through a series of reviews.
First, the SHPO office will review your nomination form and send you feedback. The process is a little different in every state. But basically, one or more people in the SHPO office will complete both technical and substantial reviews. A technical review ensures you have all of the required parts (like the right kind of photos and the right maps), while a substantial review determines if you’ve made a good argument about why the property is historic.
After the SHPO has finished its initial review, your state’s Historic Preservation Review Board will read your nomination. In most states, boards meet quarterly, so you only have a few chances each year to present your nomination to the board.
And finally, if your state Historic Preservation Review Board approves your nomination, then it proceeds to its last review by the National Park Service.
4 – Celebrate!
The National Register process can take many months – sometimes even a year or more – because of the amount of work and the many different steps involved. So when your property is finally placed in the National Register, it’s time to celebrate!
Do I Need to Hire a Consultant for a National Register Nomination?
People ask me this question a lot! Technically speaking, you don’t need to hire a consultant or an architectural historian to write your National Register nomination. However, I strongly suggest that you do. Even if you don’t hire ROAM Consultants, you should still seek professional assistance. After all, it takes expertise in a lot of different areas to submit a successful nomination. For instance, nominations require expertise in:
Extensive primary source research…and I mean extensive…
Writing about context statements and applying context themes to your property’s areas of significance
Writing architectural descriptions (which are tricky!)
Taking the right number of photos in the right places to clearly demonstrate your property’s appearance and significance
Preparing sketch maps to accompany your photos
Putting together an extensive nomination with lots of i’s to dot and t’s to cross
Following through with several levels of review with state and federal agencies
So as you can see, it takes a lot of work to prepare a National Register nomination. As a result, you don’t have to hire a consultant to help you, but it makes the entire process go a lot faster and much, much more smoothly.
National Register of Historic Places FAQs
What is the National Registry of Historic Places?
The correct term is National REGISTER of Historic Places. Please mistakenly use National REGISTRY of Historic Places, but it’s more accurate to use the term “register.”
If the National Register is a federal program, why do I work with a state office to list a property?
That’s a good question! State Historic Preservation Offices help the National Park Service administer the National Register program. So you submit your NR nomination to your SHPO for review first, and the SHPO forwards the nomination to the NPS for a final review and approval.
How Can Developers Use the National Register?
Developers who place a historic building in the National Register may be eligible for state and federal rehabilitation tax credits for income-producing properties.
Where Can I Find Help to Nominate a Property to the National Register?
Your SHPO can help you find a consultant to nominate a property to the NRHP. You can also contact ROAM Consultants!
How Old Does a Property Need to Be in Order to Be Nominated to the National Register?
Generally, properties must be at least 50 years old to be placed in the National Register. However, in some rare exceptions, properties younger than 50 years can be nominated if they demonstrate exceptional significance despite their age.
