Historic Preservation of Parks, Buildings, Landmarks, and Homes
What Is Historic Preservation?
Historic preservation is the effort to preserve important facets of history so they can be enjoyed and appreciated in the future. Thinking about and asking questions about history enables people to learn more about current events as well as what events might unfold in the future. Historic preservation also enables people to use understanding about history to help shape future generations. The history of the United States tells stories about ideas, people, places, and events. Some of these stories are filled with proud moments, and others are things we may regret and wish were different.
National Parks
National parks in the United States are sites that include land and historical stories that lend credence to the nation's past. With more than 60 national parks in the country's system, visitors can enjoy many cultural and recreation areas that offer both historic lessons and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. The United States National Park system includes battlefields, battlefield parks, battlefield sites, military parks, historical parks, lakeshores, memorials, monuments, parkways, preserves, reserves, rivers, recreational areas, scenic trails, seashores, and parks.
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Native American Sites: A number of Native American cultural sites exist on public lands in the United States. Some of the best known sites include Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Arizona, and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in New Mexico.
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Battlefields: The United States has added battlefields to its National Park designated lands to preserve these sites. Saratoga National Historic Park sits at the site of the Battle of Saratoga, which occurred during the Revolutionary War. The park includes the Saratoga Monument, the General Philip Schuyler House, and the four-mile land area where the battle took place. Other national battlefields include the Antietam National Battlefield and the Fort Necessity National Battlefield.
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Sites Where Americans Fought for Civil Rights and Women's Rights: Visit sites where historic events occurred in the history of the United States. The National Woman's Party Headquarters is a national monument in the District of Columbia where meetings were held to develop strategies and tactics for women's suffrage. The African Burial Ground National Memorial in New York is where free and enslaved Africans were buried when they couldn't be buried in Manhattan.
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Architectural Masterpieces: National parks also feature a number of architectural masterpieces. A few examples of these breathtaking buildings include Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas and the Desert View Watchtower in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
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Industrial Sites and Designed Landscapes: National parks often feature designed cultural landscapes that have historic significance. These landscapes often feature constructed works such as terraces and gardens, and they may also feature ecosystems such as shores, prairies, rivers, and forests.
National Parks Resources
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is America's list of cultural resources deemed worthy of preserving. This national program applies both public and private efforts to find, evaluate, and protect both historic and archeological resources.
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Properties included on the list can be objects, buildings, structures, districts, and sites.
Historic Preservation Fund
The Historic Preservation Fund manages grant programs designed to assist with various historic preservation projects. To be eligible for grants, activities need to adhere to requirements as outlined in the Historic Preservation Fund manual.
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The grants process is competitive, and funds are allocated each calendar year.
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The Federal Role in Historic Preservation: An Overview (PDF)
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training was founded in 1994 with the purpose of coordinating research, disseminating information, and training people in new preservation technologies. The NCPTT is continually striving to find better tools, materials, and approaches for conserving sites, landscapes, and buildings. Training can happen on the federal, state, or local level for people working as preservation professionals, cultural resource managers, maintenance personnel, and others.
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FedCenter: National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
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National Center for Preservation Technology and Training: Federal Grants Wire
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20 Year Retrospective of National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
Rehabilitation and Re-Use of Historic Buildings
A common architectural goal is to rehabilitate historic buildings so they can continue to be used. These rehabilitation projects can be extensive, but the benefits of upgrading historic buildings to avoid demolishing them are many. It's often possible to make significant changes to these structures, even when they have been designated as historic buildings. Historic preservation laws aren't designed to prevent change; they are designed to manage the changes to maintain character-defining historic elements.
Heritage Documentation Programs
Heritage Documentation Programs are part of the National Parks Service. These programs administer and manage preservation programs to maintain America's national archive of historic architectural, engineering, and landscape documentation. Some programs include the Historic American Buildings Survey, and the Historic American Engineering Record.
National Heritage Areas
National Heritage Areas have been designated by the United States Congress as places where natural or historic resources combine to form a landscape of national significance. These areas tell stories about history, and they are a part of local communities. Of the more than 50 National Heritage Areas, the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area may be among the most popular.
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Heritage Areas 101 (PDF)
Researching Historic Buildings, Landmarks, Homes, and More
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Historic Preservation: A Guide to Resources: Researching historic buildings enables you to preserve, conserve, and even restore the structures.
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How to Research a Building's History: Research should help you discover the date of construction, the first owner, the original use of the building, and any major changes that have happened to it.
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Researching Historic Buildings in New York City (PDF): One of the first steps to complete when researching a building is to find out if it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
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New York City Architecture: How to Research a Building: Various guidebooks can give you information about a building, the architect, the area it's located in, and possibly other buildings that were near it at one time.
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Researching Historic Washington, D.C., Buildings: The Library of Congress can assist with the study and research of buildings in Washington, D.C.
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Ultimate Guide for Saving Historic Buildings: Saving a historic building begins with first researching its history to find out if it has cultural or historical significance.
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A Place in History: Researching Your Nebraska Property (PDF): Use this guide to find out who built a building, who lived there, and when it was built.
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How to Look Up the History of Your Home: Online property listings can provide beginning information about the history of a residential home. Local real estate agents can also be valuable resources when looking into historic homes for sale.
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How to Research the History of Your House or Neighborhood: Researching the history of a house might uncover original plans drawn up by an architect as well as structural changes that have occurred over time.
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How to Uncover the History of Your NYC Apartment Building: It may be possible to get a copy of a historical report if your apartment building is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Your House has a History (PDF): Don't just assume the building date listed in a real estate listing is accurate for a house.
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Documentary Research Methods Applied to Historic Sites and Buildings (PDF): Authenticating historic sites and buildings needs to be very accurate, because funds are often spent in purchasing or developing historic sites.
Historical Preservation Organizations Throughout the USA
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
By: Jim Olenbush