Arizona State Historic Preservation Office

Arizona State Historic Preservation Office
Name	Arizona State Historic Preservation Office
Established	1976
Headquarters	Phoenix, Arizona
Parent organization	Arizona State Parks (historically)

Arizona State Historic Preservation Office The Arizona State Historic Preservation Office operates as the primary state-level agency coordinating historic preservation in Arizona, working with federal programs such as the National Register of Historic Places, state agencies including Arizona State Parks, and tribal nations like the Navajo Nation and Tohono Oʼodham Nation. It interfaces with federal entities such as the National Park Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the United States Department of the Interior, while collaborating with local governments like the City of Phoenix, heritage organizations such as the Arizona Historical Society, and academic institutions including Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.

History

The office was created in the wake of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the expansion of the National Register of Historic Places program, aligning Arizona's preservation activities with federal mandates from the National Park Service and oversight by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Early work involved surveying resources related to Hohokam canal systems, adobe structures in Tucson, and territorial-era architecture tied to figures such as John C. Frémont and Wallace Stegner. Over decades the office adapted to state laws including interactions with the Arizona Preservation Act frameworks, coordinated Section 106 reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and responded to major projects like the environmental and cultural reviews for the Central Arizona Project and infrastructure initiatives affecting sites connected to the Santa Cruz River and the Gila River Indian Community.

Mission and Functions

The office's mission centers on identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, advising on compliance with the Historic Sites Act and implementing Federal programs administered by the National Park Service. It provides technical assistance for rehabilitation projects guided by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and administers state preservation tax incentives modeled after the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program. The office also consults on cultural resource management for transportation agencies like the Arizona Department of Transportation and energy projects involving entities such as Salt River Project.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include the statewide survey and inventory that documents resources from precontact cultures like the Hohokam and Ancestral Puebloans to historic-period sites related to settlers like Edward Lawrence (Arizona pioneer) and industries tied to the Arizona Territorial Legislature, mining towns associated with Jerome, Arizona and rail terminal sites linked to the Santa Fe Railway. Initiatives encompass Certified Local Government partnerships with municipalities such as the City of Tucson and preservation grant programs coordinated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, neighborhood conservation work in historic districts like Heritage Square (Phoenix), and outreach through partnerships with museums such as the Heard Museum and archives like the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.

Organizational Structure and Staffing

The office is staffed by professionals in architectural history, archaeology, and preservation planning who liaise with federal counterparts at the National Park Service and state agencies such as Arizona State Parks and the Arizona Department of Transportation. Leadership roles historically report to state executive branches that interact with governors like Bruce Babbitt and Jan Brewer when policy priorities shift; staff collaborate with legal advisors familiar with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and environmental statutes like the National Environmental Policy Act. The office maintains regional contacts across counties including Maricopa County, Pima County, and Coconino County and engages consultants experienced in work at archaeological complexes such as Chaco Culture National Historical Park-related studies.

Major Projects and Preservation Efforts

The office has supported nominations and preservation of sites on the National Register of Historic Places including territorial courthouses, mission-era sites tied to Spanish Colonial histories, and Civilian Conservation Corps-era facilities associated with the New Deal. It has provided oversight and mitigation for large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Central Arizona Project and route studies affecting landscapes like the Coronado National Forest and urban redevelopment in districts like Downtown Phoenix. Archaeological stewardship has addressed prehistoric irrigation systems of the Hohokam and Puebloan rock art panels comparable to those documented at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Sierra Ancha sites, while architectural preservation has focused on properties connected to figures like Barry Goldwater and the Arizona Territorial Legislature era.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding sources include federal grants from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, state appropriations coordinated with Arizona State Parks, and project-specific contributions from entities such as the Central Arizona Project and private philanthropies like foundations that support the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The office works with tribal governments including the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe, local historic commissions in cities such as the City of Flagstaff and the City of Yuma, and nonprofit partners like the Arizona Preservation Foundation and Local First Arizona for community-based preservation funding and advocacy.

Category:Historic preservation in Arizona Category:State historic preservation offices of the United States