National Register of Historic Places (United States)
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| National Register of Historic Places (United States) | |
|---|---|
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| Name | National Register of Historic Places |
| Established | 1966 |
| Location | United States |
National Register of Historic Places (United States) is the official federal program administered to identify, document, and honor historic resources across the United States under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. It operates within the National Park Service and coordinates with State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and local historic district commissions to promote preservation of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts significant in American history. The Register connects listings to broader themes such as the American Revolution, Civil War, Great Depression, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Overview
The Register was created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is maintained by the National Park Service in partnership with State Historic Preservation Offices, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and tribal authorities. It documents properties associated with figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and events such as the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark Expedition, and World War II mobilization. Listings range from prehistoric archaeological sites tied to the Paleo-Indian period to modern landmarks linked to the Space Race and Cold War.
Criteria and Eligibility
Eligibility for the Register is determined by criteria codified in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and implemented by the National Park Service regulations. Properties must possess integrity and significance under Criteria A (association with events like the Industrial Revolution or Prohibition), B (association with persons such as Thomas Jefferson or Harriet Tubman), C (architectural distinction tied to figures like Frank Lloyd Wright, I. M. Pei, Louis Sullivan, or movements like Beaux-Arts and Modernist architecture), or D (potential to yield information important to archaeology and prehistory, including Mississippian culture sites). Integrity aspects consider location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association as applied to properties such as Independence Hall, Monticello, and Statue of Liberty-related sites.
Nomination and Listing Process
Nominations originate with property owners, local governments, State Historic Preservation Offices, or tribal entities and are reviewed via state review boards, the National Park Service, and the Keeper of the National Register. Documentation must include descriptions, statements of significance, maps, and photographs comparable to those for Independence National Historical Park, Gettysburg National Military Park, Ellis Island, and Mesa Verde National Park nominations. The process interfaces with federal laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and coordination with agencies like the Federal Highway Administration when transportation projects affect registered properties. Public notice and owner consent play roles when properties such as private residences in Savannah Historic District or commercial buildings in Pike Place Market are considered.
Types of Properties and Districts
The Register includes five property types: buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts. Examples of buildings include the White House, Empire State Building, and Fallingwater; structures include the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, and Transcontinental Railroad remnants; sites include Cahokia Mounds, Pueblo Bonito, and Gettysburg Battlefield; objects include monuments like the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial sculpture elements; districts encompass areas such as the French Quarter (New Orleans), Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) Historic District, and the Boston Historic District—each containing contributing and noncontributing resources that reflect periods like the Gilded Age or Victorian era.
Benefits, Protections, and Limitations
Listing affords recognition and access to incentives administered by the National Park Service, including federal historic preservation tax credits, preservation grants via the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and consideration under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 during federal undertakings. However, Register status does not automatically prevent demolition or alteration by private owners, and local preservation ordinances administered by municipal bodies such as the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission or Chicago Landmarks are required for regulatory protection. Projects by agencies like the Federal Highway Administration or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effects on listed properties, but exemptions and negotiated mitigations sometimes prompt disputes involving groups like Preservation Action and state preservation advocates.
Impact and Controversies
The Register has advanced preservation of sites connected to narratives including the Civil Rights Movement, Labor Movement, indigenous heritage such as Pueblo peoples and Navajo Nation sites, and immigrant histories at places like Ellis Island and Angel Island. Controversies arise over representation, integrity, and economic development when listings affect stakeholders from heritage tourism operators to local developers, as seen in disputes over Route 66 segments, Lowell National Historical Park adaptive reuse, and controversies involving urban renewal and highway construction in cities like Detroit and Los Angeles. Debates also concern archaeological sensitivity at sites tied to Ancestral Puebloans and repatriation issues under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Notable Listings and Statistics
The Register contains over 95,000 listings encompassing more than 1.8 million contributing resources, including National Historic Landmarks such as Independence Hall, Statue of Liberty, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Alamo, Fort McHenry, Pearl Harbor-related sites, and iconic architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and I. M. Pei. States like New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California have dense inventories reflecting colonial, industrial, and cultural histories, while territories and tribal lands include significant entries linked to the Mississippi Delta, Pacific Islander heritage, and Alaska Native sites. National Register Information System statistics are updated by the National Park Service and tracked by preservation organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and state preservation offices.