State Historic Preservation Office (Kansas)

State Historic Preservation Office (Kansas)
Name	State Historic Preservation Office (Kansas)
Caption	Kansas State Historic Preservation Office emblem
Formed	1966
Jurisdiction	Kansas
Headquarters	Topeka, Kansas
Parent agency	Kansas Historical Society

Contents

State Historic Preservation Office (Kansas) The State Historic Preservation Office (Kansas) is the official state-level agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic properties in Kansas. It interfaces with the National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmarks Program, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Secretary of the Interior to administer programs related to cultural resources, archaeology, and historic districts. The office works closely with the Kansas Historical Society, Kansas State Legislature, Kansas Department of Transportation, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, and local governments to coordinate preservation policy, tax incentives, and grant funding.

Overview and Mission

Established following the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the office developed programmatic frameworks influenced by early projects like the Historic Sites Act of 1935 surveys and the expansion of the National Register of Historic Places during the 1970s and 1980s. Key milestones include Kansas listings such as the Fort Larned National Historic Site, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, and Nicodemus National Historic Site, integration with the Kansas Historical Society archives, and participation in federal programs administered by the National Park Service. The office adapted during administrative reforms tied to the Preservation Tax Incentives program, the enactment of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act during major infrastructure projects like those managed by the Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Administratively located within the Kansas Historical Society, the office comprises divisions for architectural history, archaeology, surveys, certifications, and grants, staffed by professionals accredited by organizations such as the American Institute for Conservation, the Register of Professional Archaeologists, the American Planning Association, and the Association for Preservation Technology International. Leadership reports to the State Historic Preservation Officer who liaises with the National Park Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Governor of Kansas, and the Kansas State Legislature. The office coordinates records with the Library of Congress collections, submits nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, and enforces compliance with federal guidance from the Department of the Interior and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when applicable.

Programs include identification and survey programs linked to the Historic American Buildings Survey, the Historic American Engineering Record, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act compliance, the Certified Local Government program, the Historic Preservation Fund Grants-in-Aid, and tax credit certifications under the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program. The office administers archaeological permitting in consultation with tribal nations recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, supports community preservation via the National Main Street Center, offers technical assistance aligned with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and implements education initiatives in collaboration with the Kansas State Department of Education and universities such as University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University.

Funding sources include allocations from the Historic Preservation Fund, grants from the National Park Service, state appropriations through the Kansas State Legislature, and private philanthropy coordinated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Partnerships span federal agencies like the Federal Highway Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, tribal governments through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, non-profits such as the Kansas Preservation Alliance and Preservation Action, and academic institutions including University of Kansas and Emporia State University for field schools and conservation research. The office also leverages tax credit programs administered with the Internal Revenue Service and collaborates on economic development initiatives with the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Notable achievements include nominations and preservation work for sites like the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, Nicodemus National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, downtown revitalizations through the Main Street Program, rehabilitation of historic courthouses, documentation of Santa Fe Trail resources, and archaeological investigations connected to Fort Riley and prehistoric sites recorded with the National Register of Historic Places. The office played roles in disaster recovery efforts following events addressed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and in adaptive reuse projects partnering with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and local preservation commissions.

The office executes statutory responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, administers Section 106 reviews for federal undertakings in coordination with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Park Service, enforces compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act alongside the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and applies the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for rehabilitation. It influences state-level policy through interactions with the Kansas State Legislature, provides regulatory guidance during projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, and issues determinations of eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places and certifications for federal tax incentives.