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| State Historic Preservation Office (Indiana) | |
|---|---|
| Name | State Historic Preservation Office (Indiana) |
| Native name | Indiana SHPO |
| Formation | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Region served | Indiana |
| Leader title | State Historic Preservation Officer |
| Parent organization | Indiana Department of Natural Resources |
State Historic Preservation Office (Indiana) The State Historic Preservation Office (Indiana) is the official state agency responsible for identifying, documenting, protecting, and promoting historic resources across Indiana, including sites, districts, structures, and objects listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. It administers federal and state preservation programs, reviews projects under federal law, and provides technical assistance and grants to local governments, nonprofit organizations, and property owners. The office works closely with federal agencies, state departments, local historical societies, tribal governments, and preservation advocates to coordinate historic preservation planning and stewardship.
The office traces its origins to the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act (1966) and subsequent state-level implementation, linking it to landmark initiatives such as the National Register of Historic Places, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Historic American Buildings Survey. Early collaborations connected the office with the Indiana Historical Society, the Library of Congress, the National Park Service, and local entities like the Archaeological Survey at Indiana University and the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. Significant preservation milestones involved properties associated with figures and places such as Benjamin Harrison, William Henry Harrison, Levi Coffin, Euell Gibbons, and sites like the Indiana Statehouse, the Canal and White River system, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Over decades the office engaged in projects tied to the Civil War, World War II veterans’ memorials, Lincoln-related sites, the Underground Railroad, and industrial heritage including the Studebaker Plant and the Gary Steel Mills.
The office operates within the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and coordinates with the National Park Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Tribal Historic Preservation Offices of the Miami Nation of Indiana and the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. Leadership comprises the State Historic Preservation Officer and program managers for archaeology, architectural history, National Register nominations, and tax credit programs, interfacing with the Indiana Historical Bureau, the Indiana General Assembly, the Governor’s Office, and municipal preservation commissions. The governance framework follows statutes and regulations deriving from the National Historic Preservation Act, the Indiana Code, and administrative rules, and it interacts with federal partners such as the Federal Highway Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development on compliance and review matters.
Core programs include National Register nominations, Section 106 review for projects involving the Federal Highway Administration, federal transit projects, Army Corps of Engineers undertakings, and energy infrastructure reviewed with the Department of Energy and the Bureau of Land Management. The office administers Indiana state historic tax credit programs alongside the Internal Revenue Service historic rehabilitation tax credit framework, rehabilitation standards promoted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and technical guidance aligned with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. It supports archaeology programs connected to Indiana University, Purdue University, Ball State University, and Vincennes University, and heritage tourism initiatives associated with the Indiana Destination Development Corporation and the Historic Landmarks Foundation. Emergency response and disaster recovery coordination have linked the office to FEMA, NOAA, and state emergency management agencies during floods, tornadoes, and industrial accidents.
The office maintains the state’s inventory supporting National Register listings ranging from residential districts in Indianapolis and Evansville to industrial complexes in South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Terre Haute, and rural resources across the Wabash Valley and Brown County. It conducts surveys in partnership with local governments, the Historic Preservation Review Board, the Indiana Landmarks organization, county historical societies such as the Marion County Historical Society and the Posey County Historical Society, and academic partners including the DePauw University archaeology program. Notable National Register nominations involve sites like the Tippecanoe County courthouse, the West Baden Springs Hotel, the Levi Coffin House, the Culbertson Mansion, and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The office also catalogs bridges, lighthouses, canals, covered bridges, and transportation resources linked to the Pennsylvania Railroad, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, Norfolk Southern, and Conrail corridors.
The office administers federal Historic Preservation Fund grants awarded by the National Park Service and distributes state preservation grants for survey, nomination, and restoration projects. It manages competitive grant programs that complement federal programs such as the Certified Local Government program, Community Development Block Grants from HUD, and state historic rehabilitation incentives that work alongside Internal Revenue Service certified rehabilitation tax credits. Grant recipients include municipal governments like the City of Indianapolis, county governments such as Allen County and St. Joseph County, nonprofit stewards including Indiana Landmarks and the Historic New Harmony, and cultural institutions like the Eiteljorg Museum, the Indiana State Museum, and local libraries and archives.
The office develops statewide preservation plans coordinating with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Management, and regional planning commissions. Policy work addresses adaptive reuse, sustainable preservation, brownfield redevelopment, cultural landscapes, and heritage tourism strategies tied to the Lincoln Heritage, Hoosier National Forest, and National Trails System. It advises on compliance with statutes and policies connected to the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act for historic properties, and federal tax policy administered by the Internal Revenue Service.
Public programs include workshops, technical assistance, and publications in collaboration with the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Landmarks, Preservation Indiana, downtown development organizations, Main Street America, university extension programs at Purdue and Indiana University, and museums such as the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site and the Eugene V. Debs Foundation. Educational initiatives promote stewardship among property owners, local preservation commissions, teachers, and students and engage audiences through heritage tourism trails, grant-based rehabilitation projects, and commemorations of events like the Battle of Tippecanoe, the Indiana Gas Boom, and the Artisan craft traditions of the Covered Bridge Festival.
Category:Historic preservation in Indiana