California Office of Historic Preservation

California Office of Historic Preservation
Name	California Office of Historic Preservation
Native name	OHP
Formed	1959
Jurisdiction	California
Headquarters	Sacramento, California
Parent agency	California Department of Parks and Recreation
Chief1 name	State Historic Preservation Officer

Contents

California Office of Historic Preservation The California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) is the state office responsible for administering National Register of Historic Places nominations, maintaining the California Register of Historical Resources, and guiding preservation policy across California. Founded amid postwar preservation movements associated with figures such as Bernice Pauahi Bishop and institutions like the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the office plays a central role in coordinating among federal agencies like the National Park Service, state agencies such as the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and local governments including county historical commissions in Los Angeles County, San Francisco County, and San Diego County.

History

The office emerged in the mid-20th century as preservation activism grew alongside campaigns to save landmarks such as Mission San Juan Capistrano, Old Courthouse (Monterey, California), and Alcatraz Island (San Francisco Bay). Early influences included legislation modeled on the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the work of preservationists linked to organizations like the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Society for California Archaeology. During the 1970s and 1980s the office expanded inventories of resources from Gold Rush era sites in Sutter's Fort to Mid-century Modern architecture in Palm Springs, California, collaborating with academic programs at University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and University of Southern California. Responses to disasters such as the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake further shaped OHP priorities for documentation and emergency stabilization of sites like Mission San Juan Bautista and California State Capitol Museum.

OHP operates within the California Department of Parks and Recreation under a designated State Historic Preservation Officer who liaises with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, and state commissions including the California State Historical Resources Commission. Staffing includes specialists in architectural history, archaeology, and historic landscapes who consult with municipal agencies in Oakland, California, Sacramento, California, and Santa Barbara, California. Governance structures reflect statutory authorities derived from the California Environmental Quality Act procedures and executive orders issued by governors such as Jerry Brown and Ronald Reagan when he served as California governor, coordinating with elected bodies like the California State Legislature and local planning departments in cities such as Irvine, California.

OHP administers programs for listing properties on the California Register of Historical Resources, nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places, and maintaining the California Historical Resources Information System. It issues guidance on treatment standards drawn from the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and offers survey and inventory tools used in intensive surveys from Napa Valley vineyards to Sacramento River Delta historic districts. Technical assistance extends to stakeholders including Pueblo Revival architecture proponents, tribal governments such as the Yurok Tribe, and preservation nonprofits like the California Preservation Foundation and the Society of Architectural Historians.

The office oversees recognition of diverse resource types including Mission Revival architecture missions like Mission San Diego de Alcalá, Victorian architecture examples in San Francisco, industrial sites such as Columbia State Historic Park, and Native American cultural landscapes associated with groups like the Chumash people and Ohlone people. It catalogs registered historic districts such as Old Sacramento State Historic Park and individual landmarks including Hearst Castle, Griffith Observatory, and The Gamble House. OHP’s inventories intersect with archaeological site records for locations in the Mojave Desert and submerged cultural resources in the San Francisco Bay. The office also maintains lists of Historic bridges in California and Historic tunnels in California that inform transportation planning by entities like the California Department of Transportation.

OHP administers and supports grant programs in coordination with entities such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the California Cultural and Historical Endowment to fund rehabilitation projects at sites like the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District, stabilization of archaeological sites in Santa Barbara County, and preparation of National Register nominations for properties in Rural Northern California. Funding mechanisms include matching grants, technical assistance funds, and capital grants that leverage federal programs administered by the National Park Service and state budget appropriations authorized by the California State Legislature.

Partnerships span tribal governments including the Hoopa Valley Tribe, municipal preservation commissions in Berkeley, California and Pasadena, California, academic partners at the California State University system, and nonprofit organizations like Preservation California. Outreach programs include workshops on preservation law informed by cases such as Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York and public heritage initiatives tied to commemorations at sites such as Golden Gate Park and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Collaborative efforts emphasize inclusive histories, working with community groups focused on Japanese American heritage at sites like Manzanar National Historic Site and Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

OHP’s authority derives from statutes and regulations implementing the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 at the state level, with responsibilities for compliance under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review process and coordination with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Policy instruments include guidance on mitigation measures where projects affect historic properties reviewed by agencies such as the California Public Utilities Commission and land use decisions by county boards like the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The office contributes to statewide policy on heritage conservation, advising governors, the California State Legislature, and federal agencies on preservation best practices as applied to properties from Indigenous sites to Modernist landmarks.