Guam Historic Preservation Office

Guam Historic Preservation Office
Name	Guam Historic Preservation Office
Jurisdiction	Guam
Headquarters	Hagåtña

Guam Historic Preservation Office is the territorial agency responsible for identification, protection, and promotion of Guam's cultural heritage, including prehistoric sites, colonial-era landmarks, and World War II battlefields. The office operates within the legal framework of local statutes and federal preservation laws, coordinating with federal agencies, indigenous institutions, and community organizations to steward Chamorro archaeological resources, Spanish-period architecture, and wartime monuments.

History

The office traces its origins to post-World War II preservation efforts linked to recovery from the Battle of Guam (1944), early archaeological surveys by researchers associated with the University of Guam and the Smithsonian Institution, and later formalization under territorial historic preservation statutes influenced by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Over decades the office has interacted with entities such as the United States National Park Service, the Guam Legislature, the Historic American Buildings Survey, and the National Register of Historic Places program to inventory sites like Latte stones, Spanish-era plazas, and Japanese fortifications. Key events shaping its evolution include responses to typhoon damage, postwar redevelopment debates around Hagåtña revitalization, and litigation involving preservation easements and National Historic Preservation Act consultations with the United States Department of Defense over Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam projects.

Mission and Functions

The office’s statutory mission aligns with mandates from the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, commitments under the World Heritage Convention principles as interpreted locally, and territorial law enacted by the Guam Legislature. Its core functions include maintaining an inventory for the National Register of Historic Places nominations such as Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, reviewing cultural resource management for projects by United States Department of Defense, issuing determinations for archaeological permitting in consultation with Chamorro people stakeholders, and coordinating compliance with the Section 106 review process administered by the National Historic Preservation Act framework. The office also supports educational outreach with partners like the Micronesian Area Research Center and the University of Guam Marine Laboratory.

Programs and Activities

Programs encompass archaeological surveys tied to Paleoindian and Prehistoric Oceania research, architectural surveys of Spanish colonial and American period structures, and community archaeology projects in collaboration with the Guam Preservation Trust, Chamorro Land Trust Commission, and municipal agencies in Dededo and Yigo. Activities include preparing National Register of Historic Places nominations for sites such as Puntan Punta and Fort Santa Agueda, administering historic preservation grants under the Historic Preservation Fund, conducting public history programming with the Guam Museum and Agana Spanish Bridge custodians, and managing mitigation agreements for infrastructure projects involving the Federal Highway Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers. The office also enforces archaeological site protection under territorial statutes and coordinates cultural resource monitoring for environmental impact statements prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency regional offices and the Office of Insular Affairs.

Notable Sites and Projects

Noteworthy nominations and projects include documentation and stabilization of Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, research at prehistoric sites associated with Latte Stone foundations, preservation of the Agana Spanish Bridge, commemoration projects for the Battle of Guam (1941) and Battle of Guam (1944), and coordination of preservation measures at Mount Alifan and Asan Bay. The office has managed grant-funded restorations supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, completed intensive surveys for Pago Bay coastal heritage, and negotiated programmatic agreements related to Relocation and redevelopment initiatives in Hagåtña involving the Guam Historic Trust and Department of Parks and Recreation (Guam). Collaborative archaeological excavations have involved teams from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Binghamton University, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

Organizational Structure

Organizationally, the office functions as the State Historic Preservation Office equivalent for Guam and is staffed by historic preservation officers, archaeologists, architectural historians, and compliance specialists who coordinate with the National Park Service's State Historic Preservation Officer network, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and territorial executive branches created by the Guam Organic Act of 1950. Internal divisions often mirror federal categories: surveys and inventory, review and compliance (including Section 106 coordination), education and outreach, and grants administration. The office liaises with tribal and indigenous representatives including the Chamorro Tribal Government movements, municipal mayors from Hågat, Mangilao, and Sinajana, and cultural nonprofits like the Guam Preservation Trust.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding streams include allocations from the Historic Preservation Fund, project-specific grants from the National Park Service, cooperative agreements with the United States Department of Defense for cultural resource management, and philanthropic support from organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and regional foundations. Partnerships span academic institutions like the University of Guam, federal agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster recovery work, and international research links with the University of the Philippines, Australian National University, and Pacific heritage networks such as the Pacific Islands Museums Association. Memoranda of understanding and programmatic agreements guide collaborations with the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command and with community groups such as the CHamoru Village association to ensure culturally informed stewardship.

Category:Government of Guam Category:Historic preservation organizations