Georgia State Historic Preservation Office

Georgia State Historic Preservation Office
Name	Georgia State Historic Preservation Office
Formation	1966
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Region served	Georgia (U.S. state)
Leader title	State Historic Preservation Officer
Parent organization	National Park Service

Georgia State Historic Preservation Office

The Georgia State Historic Preservation Office operates as the primary state office coordinating historic preservation activities across Georgia (U.S. state), interfacing with federal, state, and local entities such as the National Park Service, the National Register of Historic Places, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and regional preservation organizations like the Savannah Historic District authorities. It administers programs that affect historic sites ranging from Macon, Georgia landmarks and Athens, Georgia courthouses to Civil War battlefields like Kennesaw Mountain and cultural landscapes including the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge environs. The office supports nominations to the National Historic Landmarks and provides guidance on compliance with laws such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act review process.

History

The office emerged after passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and developed alongside federal initiatives like the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and the creation of the National Register of Historic Places. Early collaborations involved the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress during documentation efforts, while state-level efforts connected to agencies such as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and municipal bodies in Savannah, Georgia and Atlanta, Georgia. Over subsequent decades the office engaged with programs tied to the National Trust for Historic Preservation campaigns and partnerships with academic institutions including the University of Georgia, Emory University, Georgia State University, and Savannah College of Art and Design for surveys and research. Historic preservation responses to events such as Hurricane Katrina relief planning and federal infrastructure programs like the Interstate Highway System mitigation efforts shaped its evolution, as did participation in initiatives from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Organizational Structure and Responsibilities

Organizationally the office reports to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and its State Historic Preservation Officer coordinates with the National Park Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Georgia Historic Preservation Division affiliates. Divisions commonly include sections for the National Register of Historic Places nominations, archaeological review linked to the State Archaeologist of Georgia, historic tax credit administration comparable to programs in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, and outreach liaison teams that work with local preservation commissions in municipalities like Columbus, Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, Savannah, Georgia, and Athens, Georgia. The office also collaborates with federal partners such as the Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency on compliance, and consults with cultural institutions including the Georgia Historical Society and the Atlanta History Center.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs administered include survey and inventory efforts patterned after the Historic American Buildings Survey, heritage tourism coordination akin to Main Street America programs, and financial incentive initiatives similar to the Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program administered by the National Park Service. The office runs tailored initiatives addressing African American heritage sites comparable to projects at Moton Field, preservation of industrial sites like those in Carrollton, Georgia, and rural landscape conservation as practiced in regions such as Rural South counties and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area corridor. Other initiatives involve disaster preparedness protocols modeled on Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines and collaborative projects with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

National Register and Survey Activities

Staff manage nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and coordinate statewide surveys echoing methodologies from the Historic American Engineering Record and the Historic American Landscapes Survey. Notable nomination support includes properties in Savannah Historic District, Macon, Atlanta University Center, and Stone Mountain Park-adjacent resources. The office maintains inventories that cross-reference records with collections at the Library of Congress, archives at the Georgia Archives, and archaeological datasets curated with the Smithsonian Institution and the State Archaeologist of Georgia. It also oversees determinations of eligibility under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act involving projects by the Federal Highway Administration and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Grants and Financial Assistance

The office administers federal and state grant programs including Historic Preservation Fund subgrants, competitive grants aligned with the National Park Service guidelines, and coordination of federal tax credit projects similar to those run in Texas and Pennsylvania. Grants support local preservation commissions in communities like Thomasville, Georgia, seed funds for rehabilitation projects in Savannah, Georgia, and training grants in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The office also provides technical assistance for projects seeking credits under the Internal Revenue Code historic rehabilitation provisions and collaborates with financial partners such as community development entities and state economic development offices including the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Education, Outreach, and Partnerships

Educational programming includes workshops modeled on curricula from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, technical guidance inspired by the National Park Service publications, and school outreach collaborations with institutions like the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. Outreach partners include the Georgia Historical Society, local preservation societies in Savannah, heritage tourism groups in Macon, Georgia, and municipal historic preservation commissions across Georgia (U.S. state). The office sponsors conferences, provides training for Certified Local Governments similar to programs in North Carolina and Virginia, and partners with foundations such as the Peabody Awards-affiliated entities and philanthropic organizations.

Preservation Policy and Legal Framework

Policy work centers on implementation of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and coordination with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Legal interactions involve consultation with federal agencies including the Federal Highway Administration and the United States Army Corps of Engineers on project reviews, and application of state statutes administered by the Georgia General Assembly and enforcement mechanisms coordinated with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The office also contributes to preservation planning tied to federal programs such as the National Register of Historic Places and disaster-response frameworks associated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Category:Historic preservation in Georgia (U.S. state)