View source for National Register of Historic Places

{{Short description|Federal list of historic sites in the US}}
{{About|the U.S. Register|the Canadian online database|Canadian Register of Historic Places||National Register (disambiguation)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name            = National Register of Historic Places
| image           = HistoricPlacesNationalRegisterPlaque.JPG
| image_caption   = An NRHP plaque
| image_alt       = A black-and-bronze plaque reading "This Property Has Been Placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior".
| formed          = {{Start date and age|1966}}
| jurisdiction    = [[United States]]
| headquarters    = [[Main Interior Building]],<br/>[[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| chief1_name     = Sherry A. Frear
| chief1_position = Chief, National Register of Historic Places/National Historic Landmarks Program and Deputy Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places
| parent_department = [[National Park Service]]
| website         = {{URL|https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/|nps.gov/nationalregister}}
}}

The '''National Register of Historic Places''' ('''NRHP''') is the [[Federal government of the United States|United States federal government]]'s official [[United States National Register of Historic Places listings|list]] of sites, buildings, structures, [[Historic districts in the United States|district]]s, and objects deemed worthy of [[Historic preservation|preservation]] for their historical significance or "great artistic value".

The enactment of the [[National Historic Preservation Act]] (NHPA) in 1966 established the National Register and the process for adding properties to it. Of the more than one and a half million properties on the National Register, 95,000 are listed individually. The remainder are [[contributing property|contributing resources]] within [[historic district (United States)|historic districts]].

For most of its history, the National Register has been administered by the [[National Park Service]] (NPS), an agency within the [[United States Department of the Interior]]. Its goals are to help property owners and interest groups, such as the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]], and coordinate, identify and protect historic sites in the United States. While National Register listings are mostly symbolic, their recognition of significance provides some financial incentive to owners of listed properties. Protection of the property is not guaranteed. During the nomination process, the property is evaluated in terms of the four criteria for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The application of those criteria has been the subject of criticism by academics of history and preservation, as well as the public and politicians. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register [[Historic district|Historic District]], may qualify for [[tax incentive]]s derived from the total value of expenses incurred in preserving the property.

Properties can be nominated in a variety of forms, including individual properties, [[Historic districts in the United States|historic districts]] and multiple property submissions (MPS). The Register categorizes general listings into one of five types of properties: district, site, structure, building or object.

'''National Register Historic Districts''' are defined geographical areas consisting of contributing and non-contributing properties. Some properties are added automatically to the National Register when they become administered by the National Park Service. These include [[National Historic Landmark|National Historic Landmarks]] (NHL), [[National Historic Landmark District|National Historic Landmark Districts]] (NHLD), [[National Historic Site (United States)|National Historic Site]]s (NHS), [[National Historic Site (United States)|National Historical Parks]], [[National Military Park|National Military Parks]], [[List of National Memorials of the United States|National Memorials]], and some [[National monument (United States)|National Monuments]].

==History==
{{main|History of the National Register of Historic Places}}
[[File:Slater_and_Wilkinson_Mills_-_exterior_&_water_power_systems.jpg|thumb|[[Slater Mill Historic Site|Old Slater Mill]], a historic district in [[Pawtucket, Rhode Island]], the first property listed in the National Register, on November 13, 1966<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2010a}}</ref>]]
[[File:George B. Hartzog Jr.jpg|thumb|[[George B. Hartzog Jr.]], director of the [[National Park Service]] from 1964 to 1972<ref name=directors>"[https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/484841 National Park Service Directors and Directorate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223070326/https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/484841 |date=February 23, 2022 }}, Historic Listing of National Park Service Officials, ''National Park Service Data Store (IRMA)''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>]]
[[File:Cecil D Andrus.png|thumb|[[United States Secretary of the Interior|U.S. Secretary of the Interior]] [[Cecil Andrus]], who removed the National Register from the jurisdiction of the [[National Park Service]] in 1978]]
On October 15, 1966, the Historic Preservation Act created the National Register of Historic Places and the corresponding [[State Historic Preservation Office]]s (SHPO).<ref name=act>"[https://ncshpo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/nhpaTitle54Dec2016.pdf National Historic Preservation Act of 1966] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119171716/https://ncshpo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/nhpaTitle54Dec2016.pdf |date=January 19, 2022 }}, Public Law 102–575, ''National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref> The National Register initially consisted of the [[National Historic Landmarks]] designated before the Register's creation, as well as any other historic sites in the National Park System.<ref name=nhlhistory>Mackintosh, Barry. "[https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/562986 The Historic Sites Survey and National Historic Landmarks Program: A History]{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''National Park Service Data Store (IRMA)''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref> Approval of the act, which was amended in 1980 and 1992, represented the first time the United States had a broad-based historic preservation policy.<ref name=act/><ref name=Ferguson>Ferguson, T. J. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/2155818 Native Americans and the Practice of Archaeology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206140024/http://www.jstor.org/stable/2155818 |date=February 6, 2017}}" ([[JSTOR]]), ''Annual Review of Anthropology'', Vol. 25. (1996), pp. 63–79. Retrieved March 23, 2007.</ref> The 1966 act required those agencies to work in conjunction with the SHPO and an independent [[List of United States federal agencies|federal agency]], the [[Advisory Council on Historic Preservation]] (ACHP), to confront adverse effects of federal activities on historic preservation.<ref name=fisher />

To administer the newly created National Register of Historic Places, the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior, with director [[George B. Hartzog Jr.]], established an administrative division named the Federal Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP).<ref name=fisher/><ref name=scarpino>Scarpino, Philip V. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/3378268 Planning for Preservation: A Look at the Federal-State Historic Preservation Program, 1966–1986 (in The Intergovernmental Politics of Preservation)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111001516/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3378268 |date=November 11, 2018}}" ([[JSTOR]]), ''The Public Historian'', Vol. 14, No. 2. (Spring, 1992), pp. 49–66. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref> Hartzog charged OAHP with creating the National Register program mandated by the 1966 law. Ernest Connally was the Office's first director. Within OAHP new divisions were created to deal with the National Register.<ref name=bearss>Bearss, Edwin C. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/3377327 The National Park Service and Its History Program: 1864–1986: An Overview (in The National Park Service and Historic Preservation)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203102324/http://www.jstor.org/stable/3377327 |date=February 3, 2017}}" ([[JSTOR]]), ''The Public Historian'', Vol. 9, No. 2, The National Park Service and Historic Preservation. (Spring, 1987), pp. 10–18. Retrieved March 22, 2007.</ref> The division administered several existing programs, including the Historic Sites Survey and the [[Historic American Buildings Survey]], as well as the new National Register and [[Historic Preservation Fund]].<ref name=fisher />

The first official [[Keeper of the Register]] was [[William J. Murtagh]], an [[architectural historian]].<ref name=nhlhistory /> During the Register's earliest years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, organization was lax and SHPOs were small, understaffed and underfunded.<ref name=scarpino /> However, funds were still being supplied for the [[Historic Preservation Fund]] to provide matching [[grants-in-aid]] to listed property owners, first for [[Historic house museum|house museums]] and institutional buildings, but later for commercial structures as well.<ref name=fisher />

In 1979, the NPS history programs affiliated with both the [[United States National Park|U.S. National Park]] system and the National Register were categorized formally into two "Assistant Directorates". Established were the Assistant Directorate for Archeology and Historic Preservation and the Assistant Directorate for Park Historic Preservation.<ref name=bearss /> From 1978 until 1981, the main agency for the National Register was the [[Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service]] (HCRS) of the [[United States Department of the Interior]].<ref name=hert>Hertfelder, Eric. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/3377337 The National Park Service and Historic Preservation: Historic Preservation beyond Smokey the Bear (in Commentary: How Well Is the National Park Service Doing?)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111001513/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3377337 |date=November 11, 2018}}" ([[JSTOR]]), ''The Public Historian'', Vol. 9, No. 2, The National Park Service and Historic Preservation. (Spring, 1987), pp. 135–142. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref>

In February 1983, the two assistant directorates were merged to promote efficiency and recognize the interdependency of their programs. Jerry L. Rogers was selected to direct this newly merged associate directorate. He was described as a skilled administrator, who was sensitive to the need for the NPS to work with SHPOs, academia and local governments.<ref name=bearss />

Although not described in detail in the 1966 act, SHPOs eventually became integral to the process of listing properties on the National Register. The 1980 amendments of the 1966 law further defined the responsibilities of SHPOs concerning the National Register.<ref name=hert /> Several 1992 amendments of the NHPA added a category to the National Register, known as Traditional Cultural Properties: those properties associated with Native American or Hawaiian groups.<ref name=Ferguson />

The National Register of Historic Places has grown considerably from its legislative origins in 1966. In 1986, citizens and groups nominated 3,623 separate properties, sites and districts for inclusion on the National Register, a total of 75,000 separate properties.<ref name=hert /> Of the more than one and a half million properties on the National Register, 95,000 are listed individually. Others are listed as [[contributing property|contributing members]] within [[Historic districts in the United States|historic districts]].<ref name=fisher>{{cite journal |last=Fisher |first= Charles E. |title=Promoting the Preservation of Historic Buildings: Historic Preservation Policy in the United States |journal=[[APT Bulletin]] |volume=29 |issue=3/4 |year=1998 |pages=7–11 |jstor=1504604|doi= 10.2307/1504604}}</ref><ref name="research">"[https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/database-research.htm National Register Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828223402/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/database-research.htm |date=August 28, 2018 }}", ''National Register of Historic Places''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>

==Nomination process==
{{rquote|right|It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States Government that special effort should be made to preserve the natural beauty of the countryside and public park and recreation lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and historic sites.<ref name="DOT">"[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/303 The Department of Transportation Act of 1966], Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>| (49 [[U.S. Code|USC]] 303)}} Any individual can prepare a National Register nomination, although historians and [[historic preservation]] consultants often are employed for this work. The nomination consists of a standard registration form (NPS 10-900) and contains basic information about a property's physical appearance and the type of significance embodied in the building, structure, object, site, or district.<ref name="criteria"/>

The [[State Historic Preservation Office]] (SHPO) receives National Register nominations and provides feedback to the nominating individual or group. After preliminary review, the SHPO sends each nomination to the state's historic review commission, which then recommends whether the State Historic Preservation Officer should send the nomination to the [[Keeper of the Register|Keeper of the National Register]]. For any non-Federally owned property, only the State Historic Preservation Officer may officially nominate a property for inclusion in the National Register. After the nomination is recommended for listing in the National Register by the SHPO, the nomination is sent to the National Park Service, which approves or denies the nomination.

If approved, the property is entered officially by the Keeper of the National Register into the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="criteria"/> Property owners are notified of the nomination during the review by the SHPO and state's historic review commission. If an owner objects to a nomination of private property, or in the case of a historic district, a majority of owners, then the property cannot be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="criteria"/>

===Criteria===
[[File:Crown_Hall_2.jpg|thumb|[[S. R. Crown Hall]] in Chicago, listed under criteria B and C for its association with architect [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]] and its [[Modern architecture|modernist]] design]]
For a property to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, it must meet at least one of its four main criteria.<ref name=bulletin15>{{wikicite |ref=bulletin15 |reference="[https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB-15_web508.pdf National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation]", ''National Register of Historic Places''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.}}</ref> Information about [[architectural style]]s, association with various aspects of [[social history]] and commerce and ownership are all integral parts of the nomination. Each nomination contains a narrative section that provides a detailed physical description of the property and justifies why it is significant historically with regard either to local, state, or national history. The four National Register of Historic Places criteria are the following:
* '''Criterion A''', "Event", the property must make a contribution to the major pattern of [[History of the United States|American history]].
* '''Criterion B''', "Person", is associated with significant people of the American past.
* '''Criterion C''', "Design/Construction", concerns the distinctive characteristics of the building by its architecture and construction, including having great artistic value or being the work of a master.
* '''Criterion D''', "Information potential", is satisfied if the property has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to prehistory or history.<ref name=criteria>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20190709133952/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB16A-Complete.pdf National Register Bulletin 16: How to Complete the National Register Form, Chapter 8]", ''National Register of Historic Places''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>

The criteria are applied differently for different types of properties; for instance, [[Maritime archaeology|maritime]] properties have application guidelines different from those of buildings.<ref name=bulletin15/>

===Exclusions===
The [[National Park Service]] names seven categories of properties that "are not usually considered for" and "ordinarily ... shall not be considered eligible for" the National Register: religious properties (e.g., churches); buildings that have been moved; birthplaces or graves of important persons; cemeteries; reconstructed properties; commemorative properties (e.g., statues); and "properties that have achieved significance within the last fifty years".{{r|bulletin15|p=25}} However, if they meet particular "Criteria Considerations" for their category in addition to the overall criteria, they are, in fact, eligible.{{r|bulletin15|p=25}} Hence, despite the forbidding language, these kinds of places are not actually excluded as a rule.<ref name="Sprinkle">{{cite journal |last=Sprinkle |first=John H. Jr. |date=Spring 2007 |title="Of Exceptional Importance": The Origins of the "Fifty-Year Rule" in Historic Preservation |url=https://anchoragehistoricpreservationplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Sprinkle-2007-Of-Exceptional-Importance-The-Origins-of-the-Fifty-Year-Rule-in-Historic-Preservation.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=The Public Historian |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=81–103 |doi=10.1525/tph.2007.29.2.81 |jstor=10.1525/tph.2007.29.2.81 |s2cid=162250940 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129182952/https://anchoragehistoricpreservationplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Sprinkle-2007-Of-Exceptional-Importance-The-Origins-of-the-Fifty-Year-Rule-in-Historic-Preservation.pdf |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> For example, the Register lists thousands of churches.<ref>{{cite web |title=Religious Buildings (Churches, Mosques, Synagogues) in the Records of the National Register of Historic Places |url=https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2022/04/12/religious-buildings-churches-mosques-synagogues-in-the-records-of-the-national-register-of-historic-places/ |last=LeGloahec |first=John |date=April 12, 2022 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |work=The Text Message |access-date=November 8, 2022 |quote=There are more than 30,000 references to 'church' in the NRHP records; close to 1000 entries for 'synagogue'; 106 entries for 'mosque'; along with entries for Friends Meetinghouses and Mormon Temples.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |format=Excel spreadsheet |title=Spreadsheet of NRHP Listed properties |date=June 28, 2022 |access-date=November 8, 2022 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/national-register-listed-20220628.xlsx |archive-date=August 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812214704/http://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/national-register-listed-20220628.xlsx |url-status=live }} Via [https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/data-downloads.htm Data Downloads] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812214342/http://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/data-downloads.htm |date=August 12, 2022 }} page on the NRHP website. Of the 97,615 entries, 5,715 entries contain the word "church" in their name.</ref>

There is a misconception that there is a strict rule that a property must be at least 50 years old to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="Sprinkle" /> In reality, there is no hard rule. John H. Sprinkle Jr., deputy director of the Federal Preservation Institute, stated:<ref name="Sprinkle" />

{{Quote|text=[T]his "rule" is only an exception to the criteria that shape listings within the National Register of Historic Places. Of the eight "exceptions" [or criteria considerations], Consideration G, for properties that have achieved significance within the past fifty years, is probably the best-known, yet also misunderstood preservation principle in America.}}

The National Register evaluation procedures do not use the term "exclusions". The stricter National Historic Landmarks Criteria, upon which the National Register criteria are based,<ref name="Sprinkle" /> do specify exclusions, along with corresponding "exceptions to the exclusions", which are supposed to apply more narrowly.{{r|bulletin15|p=52}}

{{anchor|Multiple Property Submission}}

===Multiple property submission===
[[File:Virginia_Tillery_Round_Barn.jpg|thumb|[[Round barns in Illinois]], a multiple property submission to NRHP that includes 18 structures throughout [[Illinois]]]]
A '''multiple property submission''' (MPS) is a thematic group listing of the National Register of Historic Places that consists of related properties that share a common theme and can be submitted as a group. Multiple property submissions must satisfy certain basic criteria for the group of properties to be included in the National Register.

The process begins with the multiple property documentation form which acts as a cover document rather than the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The purpose of the documentation form is to establish the basis of eligibility for related properties. The information of the multiple property documentation form can be used to nominate and register related historic properties simultaneously, or to establish criteria for properties that may be nominated in the future. Thus, additions to an MPS can occur over time.

The nomination of individual properties in an MPS is accomplished in the same manner as other nominations. The name of the "thematic group" denotes the historical theme of the properties. It is considered the "multiple property listing". Once an individual property or a group of properties is nominated and listed in the National Register, the multiple property documentation form, combined with the individual National Register of Historic Places nomination forms, constitute a multiple property submission.<ref name=mps>"[https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB16A-Complete.pdf Bulletin 16 Part B: How to Complete the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709133952/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB16A-Complete.pdf |date=July 9, 2019 }}", ''National Register of Historic Places''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>

Examples of MPS include the [[List of Registered Historic Buildings in Lee County, Florida|Lee County Multiple Property Submission]], the [[Warehouses in Omaha Multiple Properties Submission|Warehouses in Omaha]], the [[Boundary Markers of the Original District of Columbia]] and the [[Illinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property Submission|Illinois Carnegie Libraries]]. Before the term "Multiple Property Submission" was introduced in 1984, such listings were known as "Thematic Resources", such as the [[Operating Passenger Railroad Stations Thematic Resource (New Jersey)|Operating Passenger Railroad Stations Thematic Resource]], or "Multiple Resource Areas".<ref name="research"/>

== Properties listed ==
{{see also|United States National Register of Historic Places listings|List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state}}
[[File:HistoricPlacesNationalRegisterPlaque.JPG|thumb|A typical plaque found on properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places]]
[[File:NRHP Plaque Montgomery OH USA.JPG|thumb|An alternate series of plaques. Buildings on the National Register are also often listed in local historic societies.]]
A listing on the National Register of Historic Places is governmental acknowledgment of a historic district, site, building, or property. However, the Register is mostly "an honorary status with some federal financial incentives".<ref name="nps4">"[https://www.nps.gov/tps/education/workingonthepast/strengths.htm Working on the Past: In Local Historic Districts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122165416/https://www.nps.gov/tps/education/workingonthepast/strengths.htm |date=January 22, 2022 }}", ''Technical Preservation Services''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref> The National Register of Historic Places automatically includes all [[National Historic Landmarks]] as well as all historic areas administered by the National Park Service,<ref name="act" /> including [[National Historic Site (United States)|National Historic Site]]s (NHS), [[National Historic Site (United States)|National Historical Park]]s, [[National Military Park]]s/Battlefields, [[List of National Memorials of the United States|National Memorial]]s and some [[National monument (United States)|National Monument]]s. 

There are also 35 listed sites in the three island countries with a [[Compact of Free Association]] with the United States, as well as one site in Morocco, the [[American Legation, Tangier|American Legation in Tangier]].

Listing in the National Register does not restrict private property owners from the use of their property.<ref name="listing">"[https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/how-to-list-a-property.htm Results of listing and Owner information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126105936/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/how-to-list-a-property.htm |date=January 26, 2021 }}", ''National Register of Historic Places''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>

Some states and municipalities, however, may have laws that become effective when a property is listed in the National Register. If federal money or a federal permitting process is involved, Section 106 of the [[National Historic Preservation Act of 1966]] is invoked. Section 106 requires the federal agency involved to assess the effect of its actions on historic resources.<ref name="Undertaking">"[https://www.nps.gov/history/tribes/Documents/106.pdf National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106]", ''Tribal Preservation Program''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref> Statutorily, the [[Advisory Council on Historic Preservation]] (ACHP) has the most significant role by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The section requires that the director of any federal agency with direct or indirect jurisdiction of a project that may affect a property listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places must first report to the [[Advisory Council on Historic Preservation|Advisory Council]]. The director of said agency is required to "take into account the effect of the undertaking" on the National Register property, as well as to afford the ACHP a reasonable opportunity to comment.<ref name="gray">Gray, Oscar S. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/1191055 The Response of Federal Legislation to Historic Preservation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222221252/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1191055|date=December 22, 2018}}" ([[JSTOR]]), ''Law and Contemporary Problems'', Vol. 36, No. 3, Historic Preservation. (Summer, 1971), pp. 314–328. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref>

While Section 106 does not mandate explicitly that any federal agency director accept the advice of the ACHP, their advice has a practical influence, especially given the statutory obligations of the NHPA that require federal agencies to "take into account the effect of the undertaking".<ref name="Undertaking" /><ref name="gray" />

In cases where the ACHP determines federal action will have an "adverse effect" on historic properties, mitigation is sought. Typically, a [[Memorandum of Agreement]] (MOA) is created by which the involved parties agree to a particular plan. Many states have laws similar to Section 106.<ref name="Undertaking" /> In contrast to conditions relating to a federally designated historic district, [[Local ordinance|municipal ordinances]] governing local historic districts often restrict certain kinds of changes to properties. Thus, they may protect the property more than a National Register listing does.<ref name="nps">"[https://www.nps.gov/tps/education/workingonthepast/toolbox1.htm Federal, State and Local Historic Districts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120143859/http://www.nps.gov/tps/education/workingonthepast/toolbox1.htm |date=January 20, 2022 }}", ''Technical Preservation Services''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>

The [[Title 49 of the United States Code|Department of Transportation Act]], passed on October 15, 1966, the same day as the National Historic Preservation Act, included provisions that addressed historic preservation. The DOT Act is much more general than Section 106 NHPA in that it refers to properties other than those listed in the Register.<ref name="gray" />

The more general language has allowed more properties and parklands to enjoy status as [[protected area]]s by this legislation, a policy developed early in its history. The [[United States Supreme Court]] ruled in the 1971 case ''[[Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe]]'' that parklands could have the same protected status as "[[historic site]]s".<ref name="gray" />

<gallery>
File:Mission Church, Pecos National Park, Pecos, New Mexico 03.jpg|[[Pecos National Historical Park|Pecos Pueblo]] in [[Pecos, New Mexico]], one of a number of NRHP sites administered by the [[National Park Service]]
File:Illinois State Capitol pano.jpg|The [[Illinois State Capitol]] in [[Springfield, Illinois]], one of 44 U.S. state capitols listed on the NRHP
File:Fleur-de-lys Studios from the yard of the First Baptist Church.jpg|[[College Hill Historic District (Providence, Rhode Island)|College Hill Historic District]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], an example of a [[National Historic Landmark District]]
File:The Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, located at 451 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C LCCN2013634105.tif|[[Robert C. Weaver Federal Building]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], an example of a modern building listed on the NRHP
File:Museo del Antiguo Legado Estadounidense, Tánger, Marruecos, 2015-12-11, DD 44-46 HDR.JPG|[[American Legation, Tangier|American Legation]] in [[Tangier]], Morocco, the only site on the NRHP in a foreign nation other than the [[Compact of Free Association]] states
File:Walden Pond, 2010.jpg|[[Walden Pond]] in [[Concord, Massachusetts]], an example of a natural site listed on the NRHP
File:OBX,Norfolk 332.JPG|The [[USS Wisconsin (BB-64)|USS ''Wisconsin'' (BB-64)]], docked in [[Norfolk, Virginia]], one of a number of ships listed on the NRHP
File:Nan Madol 2.jpg|[[Nan Madol]], the ruined ancient city of [[Pohnpei]] in the [[Federated States of Micronesia]], named to the NRHP in 1974
File:Louisiana Superdome - Unbranded - 26 July 2021.jpg|[[Louisiana Superdome]], now Caesars Superdome, known for its timeless exterior design since first opening in 1975<ref>{{cite web |date=February 16, 2016 |title=Superdome listed on National Register of Historic Places |url=https://www.nola.com/news/business/superdome-listed-on-national-register-of-historic-places/article_155478ff-a360-5c60-8f32-cae86b675e0d.html |access-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-date=April 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418003457/https://www.nola.com/news/business/superdome-listed-on-national-register-of-historic-places/article_155478ff-a360-5c60-8f32-cae86b675e0d.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
</gallery>

=== Types of properties ===
{{see also|National Register of Historic Places property types|Historic districts in the United States}}{{Multiple image
| image1            = Bidwell Mansion, May 2021.jpg
| footer            = '''Clockwise from top''': a [[Bidwell Mansion|building]], a [[Cape Creek Bridge|structure]], an [[Virginia Washington Monument|object]] and a [[Pikes Peak|site]] – all are examples of NRHP property types.
| image2            = Cape Creek Bridge, Oregon.jpg
| image3            = Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods.JPG
| perrow            = 2/2
| Image 4           = George Washington Statue - Capitol Hill Richmond (VA) 2013 (8759158238).jpg
| image4            = George Washington Statue - Capitol Hill Richmond (VA) 2013 (8759158238).jpg
| total_width       = 350
}}
[[File:Enfield Shaker Cow Barn.jpg|thumb|A cow barn in [[Enfield Shaker Village]] in [[Enfield, New Hampshire]], built 1854, listed with NRHP<ref>{{cite web |title=Cow Barn |url=https://shakermuseum.org/discover/village-walking-tour/cow-barn/ |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=Enfield Shaker Museum |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314163154/https://shakermuseum.org/discover/village-walking-tour/cow-barn/ |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
Listed properties are generally in one of five broad categories, although there are special considerations for other types of properties that in anyone, or into more specialized subcategories. The five general categories for National Register properties are: building, structure, site, district and object.<ref name=bulletin15/> In addition, historic districts consist of contributing and non-contributing properties.

Buildings, as defined by the National Register, are distinguished in the traditional sense. Examples include a house, barn, hotel, church, or similar construction. They are created primarily to shelter human activity. The term building, as in outbuilding, can be used to refer to historically and functionally related units, such as a courthouse and a jail or a barn and a house.<ref name=bulletin15/>

Structures differ from buildings in that they are functional constructions meant to be used for purposes other than sheltering human activity. Examples include an aircraft, a [[grain elevator]], a [[gazebo]] and a bridge.

Objects are usually artistic in nature, or small in scale compared to structures and buildings. Although objects may be movable, they are generally associated with a specific setting or environment. Examples of objects include monuments, sculptures and fountains.

Sites are the locations of significant events, which can be prehistoric or historic in nature and represent activities or buildings (standing, ruined, or vanished). When sites are listed, it is the locations themselves that are of historical interest. They possess cultural or archaeological value regardless of the value of any structures that currently exist at the locations. Examples of types of sites include [[shipwreck]]s, [[battlefield]]s, [[campsite]]s, natural features and [[rock shelter]]s.<ref name=bulletin15/>

[[Historic districts in the United States|Historic districts]] possess a concentration, association, or continuity of the other four types of properties. Objects, structures, buildings and sites in a historic district are united historically or aesthetically, either by choice or by the nature of their development.<ref name=bulletin15/>

There are several other different types of historic preservation associated with the properties of the National Register of Historic Places that cannot be classified as either simple buildings or historic districts. Through the National Park Service, the National Register of Historic Places publishes a series of bulletins designed to aid in evaluating and applying the criteria for evaluation of different types of properties.<ref name=bulletin15/> Although the criteria are always the same, the manner they are applied may differ slightly, depending upon the type of property involved. The National Register bulletins describe the application of the criteria for aids to navigation, historic battlefields, archaeological sites, aviation properties, cemeteries and burial places, [[Property type (National Register of Historic Places)#Cultural landscapes|historic designed landscape]]s, mining sites, post offices, properties associated with significant persons, properties achieving significance within the last fifty years, rural historic landscapes, [[Property type (National Register of Historic Places)#Traditional cultural properties|traditional cultural properties]] and vessels and shipwrecks.<ref name=bulletin15/>

==Property owner incentives==
[[File:Robert_E._Howard_Museum_Plaque.jpg|thumb|A National Register of Historic Places plaque at the [[Robert E. Howard Museum]] in [[Cross Plains, Texas]]]]
Properties are not protected in any strict sense by the Federal listing. States and local zoning bodies may or may not choose to protect listed historic places. Indirect protection is possible, by state and local regulations on the development of National Register properties and by tax incentives. By contrast, the state of Colorado, for example, does not set any limits on owners of National Register properties.<ref>"[https://www.historycolorado.org/national-state-registers "National and state registers", at Colorado Office of Archeology & Historic Preservation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223092002/https://www.historycolorado.org/national-state-registers |date=February 23, 2022 }}", ''History Colorado''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>

Until 1976, federal [[tax incentive]]s were virtually non-existent for buildings on the National Register. Before 1976 the federal [[tax code]] favored new construction rather than the reuse of existing, sometimes historical, structures.<ref name=fisher /> In 1976, the tax code was altered to provide tax incentives that promote the preservation of income-producing historic properties. The National Park Service was given the responsibility to ensure that only rehabilitations that preserved the historic character of a building would qualify for federal tax incentives. A qualifying rehabilitation is one that the NPS deems consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rehabiliation Standards and Guidelines—Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service | website=NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service) | url=https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm | access-date=November 16, 2017 | archive-date=December 18, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218223249/https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> Properties and sites listed in the Register, as well as those located in and contributing to the period of significance of National Register Historic Districts, became eligible for the federal tax benefits.<ref name=fisher />

Owners of income-producing properties listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places or of properties that are contributing resources within a National Register Historic District may be eligible for a 20% investment tax credit for the rehabilitation of the historic structure. The rehabilitation may be of a commercial, industrial, or residential property, for rentals.<ref name=listing /> The tax incentives program is operated by the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, which is managed jointly by the National Park Service, individual State Historic Preservation Offices and the [[Internal Revenue Service]].<ref name=tps1>"[https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives.htm Historic Preservation Tax Incentives]", Technical Preservation Services, ''National Park Service''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref>

Some property owners may also qualify for grants, like the now-defunct [[Save America's Treasures]] grants, which apply specifically to properties entered in the Register with national significance or designated as [[National Historic Landmark]]s.<ref name=grants1>"[https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservationfund/save-americas-treasures-grants.htm Save America's Treasures Grants] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223092001/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservationfund/save-americas-treasures-grants.htm |date=February 23, 2022 }}" ''Historic Preservation Fund'' National Park Service, Official Site. Retrieved February 23, 2022.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Save America's Treasures|url=http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/save-americas-treasures/|work=National Trust for Historic Preservation|access-date=March 1, 2013|archive-date=February 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130219051319/http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/save-americas-treasures/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The NHPA did not distinguish between properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places and those designated as National Historic Landmarks concerning qualification for tax incentives or grants. This was deliberate, as the authors of the act had learned from experience that distinguishing between categories of significance for such incentives caused the lowest category to become expendable.<ref name=nhlhistory /> Essentially, this made the Landmarks a kind of "honor roll" of the most significant properties of the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nhlhistory" />

==Limitations==
[[File:Warehouse_district_street_scene._Omaha_-_NARA_-_283718.tif|thumb|The demolition of the [[Jobbers Canyon Historic District]] in [[Downtown Omaha]], the largest National Register historic district lost to date<ref>{{cite web|last=Fallows|first=James|title=Our Towns: How Danville Has Avoided Omaha's Mistake – The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2019/06/mistake-omaha-made-danville-has-avoided/592027/|access-date=May 31, 2021|website=www.theatlantic.com|date=June 21, 2019|language=en|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214049/https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2019/06/mistake-omaha-made-danville-has-avoided/592027/|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
{{asof|1999|post=,}} 982 properties have been removed from the Register, most often due to being destroyed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/032399/met_2a1AME_l.html |title=Church sues over historic site |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806132342/http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/032399/met_2a1AME_l.html |archive-date=August 6, 2012 |author=Caren Burmeister |publisher=Jacksonville Times-Union |date=March 23, 1999 |access-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref> Among the properties that were demolished or otherwise destroyed after their listing are the [[Jobbers Canyon Historic District]] in [[Omaha, Nebraska]] (listed in 1979, demolished in 1989),<ref>Gratz, R.B. (1996) ''Living City: How America's Cities Are Being Revitalized by Thinking Small in a Big Way.'' John Wiley and Sons. p. V.</ref><ref>National Trust for Historic Preservation and Zagars, J. (1997) ''Preservation Yellow Pages: The Complete Information Source for Homeowners, Communities, and Professionals.'' John Wiley and Sons. p.80.</ref> [[Pan-Pacific Auditorium]] in [[Los Angeles, California]] (listed in 1978, destroyed in a fire in 1989),<ref>{{cite web |title=The L.A. architecture landmark — abandoned, trashed and left to burn |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-pan-pacific-architectural-icon-fire-retrospective-20190524-story.html |url-access=subscription |website=Los Angeles Times |date=May 24, 2019 |access-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525030115/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-pan-pacific-architectural-icon-fire-retrospective-20190524-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Palace Amusements]] in [[Asbury Park, New Jersey]] (listed in 2000, demolished in 2004),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mikle|first1=Jean|title=Asbury Park's Tillie is still safe|url=http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/eatontown-asbury-park/asbury-park/2014/08/26/asbury-park-tillie-saved-now/14648357/ |date=Aug 24, 2014 |website=Springfield News-Leader|access-date=October 1, 2017|language=en|archive-date=May 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529053738/https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/eatontown-asbury-park/asbury-park/2014/08/26/asbury-park-tillie-saved-now/14648357/|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Balinese Room]] in [[Galveston, Texas]] (listed in 1997, destroyed by [[Hurricane Ike]] in 2008),<ref>{{cite web |title=Historic Galveston nightclub destroyed |url=https://abc13.com/archive/6390185/ |date=September 14, 2008 |website=ABC13 Houston |access-date=July 29, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=July 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729225006/https://abc13.com/archive/6390185/ |url-status=live }}</ref> seven of the nine buildings included in the [[University of Connecticut Historic District]] in [[Storrs, Connecticut]] (listed in 1989, demolished in 2017),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Blair|first1=Russell|title=UConn to Demolish Seven of Nine 'Faculty Row' Houses|url=http://www.courant.com/education/hc-uconn-faculty-row-houses-20161214-story.html|website=Hartford Courant |date=December 14, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2017|archive-date=October 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002073001/http://www.courant.com/education/hc-uconn-faculty-row-houses-20161214-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Terrell Jacobs Circus Winter Quarters]] in [[Peru, Indiana]] (listed in 2012, demolished in 2021).<ref>{{cite web |title=Circus barns on National Register of Historic Places to be demolish |url=https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/indiana/lion-king-circus-barns-indiana-set-for-demolition/417-ede661d3-9127-49ea-8b9d-9bb9103c35ad |agency= Associated Press |website=WHAS11  |date=March 13, 2021 |access-date=April 6, 2021 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415012227/https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/indiana/lion-king-circus-barns-indiana-set-for-demolition/417-ede661d3-9127-49ea-8b9d-9bb9103c35ad |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Comparisons to historic registers of other nations==
In [[France]], designation of {{Lang|fr|[[monument historique]]}} is similar to NRHP listing. In the French program, however, permanent restrictions are imposed upon designated monuments, for example requiring advance approval for any renovation of a designated building. NRHP listing imposes no such restrictions, but rather is "primarily an honor",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/state-historic-preservation-office/local-historic-preservation-commissions-and-clgs/about-local-historic-preservation-commissions/comparison-national-register-historic-places |title=A comparison to the National Register of Historic Places|publisher=North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources|access-date=2022-09-02}}</ref> although tax subsidies may be available for renovations. France had about 43,600 monuments in 2015.

[[Listed buildings]] of the [[United Kingdom]] may not be demolished, extended, or altered without special permission; the program covers about 374,000 listings in 2010, involving more than 500,000 buildings.

In 2022, the U.S. has about 94,000 NRHP-listed properties, including historic districts; the total number of buildings covered is much larger.

==See also==
{{Portal|National Register of Historic Places|United States}}
{{div col}}
* [[Historic district]]
* [[Listed building]], the UK equivalent
* [[National Heritage Area]]
* [[Register of Culturally Significant Property]]
* [[United States National Register of Historic Places listings]]
* [[List of National Historic Landmarks by state]]
* [[List of national memorials of the United States]]
* [[List of African-American historic places]]
* [[University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places|List of university and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places]]
* [[List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places]]
* [[List of heritage registers|List of heritage registers worldwide]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web| url = http://www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/cfrassemble.cgi?title=200636 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070302203928/http://www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/cfrassemble.cgi?title=200636 | url-status = dead | archive-date = March 2, 2007 | title = Title 36, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations}}
* {{cite web| url = http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_06/36cfr60_06.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070302203900/http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_06/36cfr60_06.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = March 2, 2007 | title = Title 36--Parks, Forests, and Public Property; Chapter I--National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Part 60--National Register of Historic Places | work = National Archives and Records Administration | access-date = April 11, 2007}}
* {{cite web | editor-last = Shrimpton | editor-first = Rebecca H. | url = http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15 | title = How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation | publisher = National Park Service | date = 1997 | quote = National Register Bulletin No. 15 | location = Washington, D.C. | access-date = April 11, 2007 | archive-date = April 7, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070407182200/http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/ | url-status = dead }}
* {{cite book | last = Sprinkle | first = John H. Jr. | title = Crafting Preservation Criteria: The National Register of Historic Places and American Historic Preservation | location = New York | publisher = Routledge |date = 2014 | isbn = 978-1-136-16984-7}}
* {{cite book | last = Wiley | first = John | title = National Register of Historic Places | publisher = National Park Service |date = 1994 | isbn = 0-471-14403-7}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|National Register of Historic Places}}
*{{official website|https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm}}

{{National Register of Historic Places}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:National Register of Historic Places| ]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Heritage registers in the United States]]
[[Category:Historic preservation]]
[[Category:Historic sites in the United States]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks of the United States]]
[[Category:National Park Service]]