The National Register

1. The National Register

2. The National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places is authorized by Section 101 (a)(1)(A)of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to expand and maintain a National Register of Historic Place composed of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects of state and local importance significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture that possess integrity of location, design setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association. Listing on the National Register certifies that a property possesses significance, mandates its consideration in the planning of federal or federally assisted projects, and qualifies it for federal tax benefits and preservation grant assistance. Property Types on the National Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects. The National Register website has images, explanations, and links to publications to explain the process and the properties listed.

3. How the criteria for the National Register may change For Legislation to become policy the agency interpretation of the legislative mandate is published in the Federal Register. The National Register criteria as applied is published as 36CFR60. In order for properties to be listed on the National Register they must meet four conditions: They must • possess a significance that • meets at least one of the criteria of the national register and the significance must • be developed from an understanding of the historic context, and • retain integrity of location and materials. Though not complete the Register has become the most comprehensive set of documents about the built environment available in the United States.

4. How do properties become listed on the national register? Properties are nominated to the National Register by the State Historic Preservation officer (SHPO) of the State in which the property is located, by the Federal Preservation Officer (FPO) for properties under Federal ownership or control, or by the Tribal Preservation Officer (TPO) if the property is on tribal lands. Any one may nominate a property. The nomination is prepared under one or more criteria: • Structures associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or • That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or • 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; or • Have yielded or likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

5. What buildings, sites, or structures would not be appropriate for the national register? • Buildings completed within the past fifty years • Commemorative properties. • Structures moved from their original sites. • Religious buildings, properties owned by religious organizations • Cemeteries • Reconstructed buildings.

6. What are the exceptions to the exceptions? • Religious properties that have aesthetic or historic significance. 2. A relocated buildings significant for architecture, or historic association. 3. A birthplace or grave of a figure of outstanding importance 4. Cemetery with transcendent corpses, distinctive design, or associative value. 5. A reconstructed building the only associated structure with a person of transcendent importance. 6. A commemorative property significant for its own age, design, or history 7. A property achieving significance under 50 yrs old of exceptional importance.

7. Historic Context HISTORIC CONTEXT. The historic context is a comparative evaluation of the property nominated that compares the facts discoverable about a property with the stages of development for that particular region or activity. The context statement for the nomination breaks down the question of “Is it appropriate to the National Register?” into three questions: 1. Under what theme of historical development was this building significant? 2. In what place is the property significant? 3. During what time was the property significant? After describing the evidence for the significance of the property, it is necessary to describe the remaining historic fabric, to describe the historic integrity of the building.

8. Concept of Property Types property type. A grouping of individual properties based on a set of shared physical or associative characteristics. These may be physical [structural, stylistic, materials of construction, or site type] or associative [associated activities, associated with particular groups, category of information which a property might yield information. The preferred method of developing historic context is to first establish what the significant historic contexts are and then to survey locales for building relating to that activity and time frame. White Paper on Historic Context April 2009. The information provided in the historic context should directly relate to the criteria under which the site is being nominated.

9. Contributing and non-contributing resources A contributing building, site, structure, or object adds to the historic associations, historic architectural qualities, or archeological values for which a property is significant because: a. it was present during the period of significance, relates to the documented significance of the property, and possesses historic integrity or is capable of yielding important information about the period; orb. it independently meets the National Register criteria (Identify contributing resources of this type and explain their significance in section 8). A non-contributing building, site, structure, or object does not add to the historic associations, historic architectural qualities, or archeological values for which a property is significant because: a. it was not present during the period of significance, or does not relate to the documented significance of the property due to alterations, disturbances, additions, or other changes, it no longer possesses historic integrity or is capable of yielding important information about the period; orb. it does not independently meet the National Register criteria

10. Parts of the National Register nomination 1. Name of Property2. Location3. State/Federal Agency Certification4. National Park Service Certification5. Classification6. Function or Use7. Description8. Statement of Significance9. Major Bibliographical References10. Geographical Data11. Form Prepared By12. Additional Documentation

11. What are the challenges for the National Register? The register has not fulfilled the original goal of becoming the all-inclusive list of what is significant in the nation’s history. Although the number of listings is impressive, so is the number of properties that have not been identified, evaluated, and formally listed. There is a growing concern that too much is on the National Register and that the criteria for eligibility are too loosely applied. White Paper on Common Resources April 2009. a. This opinion is most often heard from agencies and organizations required to follow the protective procedures that attach to listing or eligibility for listing. Failure to meet the challenges posed can erode the political support for preservation.

12. What do national register nominations and sites look like? View some recent properties listed on the national register in Virginia View nominations of properties in Virginia to the national register. View the nomination process in Virginia.

13. When is national register consideration mandatory? Federal agencies are required by the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and other provisions of Federal law to consider historic resources in the planning and execution of their projects. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulations at 36 CFR Part 800 requires Federal agencies to clearly define the scope of their undertaking; develop a statement of the Area of Potential Effects make a reasonable and good-faith effort to identify and evaluate historic properties; and assess the project's effects when historic properties are present. If adverse effects are identified, the Federal agency must consult on ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate those effects. The process is consultative and there is no prescribed outcome. Consultation takes place with DHR, which serves as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)in Virginia, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Indian tribes that attach religious or cultural significance to historic properties that may be affected by an undertaking, local governments, interested public, and other stakeholders. DHR’s role in the process is advisory. More information on Section 106 is available on the ACHP website The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies to consider the human environment, including cultural resources, in evaluating a project’s impacts. Under certain circumstances, NEPA may be used to satisfy the requirements of Section 106.