National Historic Landmarks Program
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| National Historic Landmarks Program | |
|---|---|
 NPS Photo · Public domain · source | |
| Name | National Historic Landmarks Program |
| Location | United States |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
National Historic Landmarks Program is a United States federal designation program administered by the National Park Service that identifies and recognizes places of exceptional historical importance. The program operates within the framework of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, working alongside the National Register of Historic Places, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and other preservation entities to document, designate, and promote sites associated with significant events, people, and movements. It links federally recognized properties with state-level partners such as State Historic Preservation Offices and national organizations including the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress.
Overview
The program highlights landmarks tied to figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Susan B. Anthony, and to events including the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the Civil Rights Movement. It recognizes diverse property types from Mount Vernon and Independence Hall to industrial sites like Muir Woods National Monument and cultural landscapes such as Monticello and Mesa Verde National Park. The designation distinguishes landmarks from entries on the National Register of Historic Places by emphasizing national significance linked to subjects such as the Constitution of the United States, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Homestead Act of 1862, and the Transcontinental Railroad. Partners include National Archives and Records Administration, American Battlefield Trust, Historic New England, and tribal organizations like the National Congress of American Indians.
History and Development
Origins trace to early 20th-century preservation efforts involving entities such as the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, and the Historic Sites Act of 1935, with further institutionalization under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Administrators have collaborated with scholars from institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and the American Antiquarian Society to refine significance standards. Notable expansions of the program occurred during administrations of presidents such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter, and involved agencies like the Department of the Interior and commissions including the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Landmark designation has intersected with major legal and cultural developments including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the National Environmental Policy Act, and heritage tourism growth tied to sites like Gettysburg National Military Park, Pearl Harbor National Memorial, and Alcatraz Island.
Designation Criteria and Process
Criteria derive from statutory frameworks and professional standards used by bodies such as the National Park Service, the National Register of Historic Places, and professional associations including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Nominations often reference associations with individuals like Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Eleanor Roosevelt, or events like the Louisiana Purchase and the Women's suffrage movement. The process involves research drawing on primary sources from the Library of Congress, nominations reviewed by the National Historic Landmarks Committee and final designation by the Secretary of the Interior. Documentation standards align with practices from the Historic American Buildings Survey, the Historic American Engineering Record, and archives held by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Archives and Records Administration.
Administration and Management
Administration falls under the National Park Service with coordination among State Historic Preservation Offices, local governments such as the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission, and non-governmental organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Battlefield Trust. Management responsibilities intersect with federal programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and tax incentive programs influenced by the Tax Reform Act and state rehabilitation tax credits. Stewardship often engages site managers at places such as Montpelier (James Madison's plantation), Fort Sumter National Monument, Langston Hughes House, and science institutions like the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Preservation and Protection Measures
Protection tools include listing on the National Register of Historic Places, easements administered by organizations like Historic New England and the Trust for Public Land, regulatory review via the National Environmental Policy Act and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and funding through federal programs and private philanthropy from foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Technical preservation follows guidelines established by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and documentation methods from the Historic American Buildings Survey and Historic American Landscapes Survey. Responses to threats have involved emergency measures at sites like Hurricane Katrina-affected landmarks, stabilization projects at industrial heritage sites such as Homestead Steel Works, and archaeological protections at Poverty Point and Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.
Impact and Public Engagement
Designations influence heritage tourism at destinations like Independence National Historical Park, Monticello, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and Statue of Liberty National Monument, and support educational programs connected to institutions including the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and universities such as University of Virginia, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University. The program fosters community partnerships with organizations like Main Street America, engages descendant communities including Navajo Nation and Cherokee Nation, and shapes public history through collaboration with media such as PBS, National Public Radio, and documentary filmmakers associated with Ken Burns. Designations have spurred scholarship by historians at the American Historical Association, preservationists in the Association for Preservation Technology International, and legal analysis in journals connected to the American Bar Association.