United States National Register of Historic Places

United States National Register of Historic Places
Name	National Register of Historic Places
Caption	Seal of the National Register program
Established	1966
Administered by	National Park Service
Legislation	National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

Contents

United States National Register of Historic Places is the federal inventory documenting cultural resources recognized for historical, architectural, archaeological, and cultural significance. Administered by the National Park Service under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, it integrates federal, state, and local preservation endeavors such as those by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, State Historic Preservation Offices, and Certified Local Governments. The Register informs planning by agencies like the General Services Administration, supports tax initiatives such as the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives, and intersects with programs including the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Historic American Engineering Record.

History

The Register originated from postwar preservation movements that involved organizations such as the American Antiquarian Society, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and advocacy by figures like James Marston Fitch and Irene Wright. Legislative momentum built through hearings in the United States Congress and reports from the United States Department of the Interior, resulting in enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 signed into law during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Early nominations emphasized landmarks tied to events like the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War, as well as sites associated with individuals such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr.. Subsequent amendments and programs extended recognition to places linked to Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and movements including the Women's suffrage movement and the Civil Rights Movement.

Eligibility follows criteria adopted by the National Park Service and interpreted through guidance from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and State Historic Preservation Offices. Properties generally meet one or more criteria associated with events (Criterion A) such as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, persons (Criterion B) like Frank Lloyd Wright and Eleanor Roosevelt, architecture (Criterion C) exemplified by work of architects like Richard Morris Hunt and Philip Johnson, or information potential (Criterion D) relevant to archaeological contexts such as Mesa Verde and Cahokia Mounds. Integrity considerations reference design, workmanship, materials, and location, informed by precedents including Monticello and Independence Hall. Distinct property types—districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects—align with examples like the French Quarter, Pueblo Bonito, and Brooklyn Bridge.

Nominations are prepared by owners, organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation or consultants following guidance from the National Park Service and submitted to State Historic Preservation Offices or the Department of the Interior for review. The process involves documentation standards akin to those used by the Historic American Buildings Survey and evaluation by state review boards made up of specialists in architecture, archaeology, and history with expertise comparable to scholars of Colonial Williamsburg or the Smithsonian Institution. Public notification, owner consent, and comment periods parallel procedures used in environmental review by the Council on Environmental Quality. The Keeper of the National Register at the National Park Service makes final determinations, and listings may be amended or delisted in cases similar to alterations at sites like Penn Station or disasters affecting Yellowstone National Park resources.

The Register recognizes five property types: buildings exemplified by The White House, structures such as the Golden Gate Bridge, sites like Gettysburg Battlefield, districts including Harlem Historic District and Savannah Historic District, and objects similar to Statue of Liberty. Special designations intersect with the Register: many National Historic Landmarks—including Mount Rushmore, Independence Hall, and Pearl Harbor National Memorial—are also listed; properties within National Historic Sites, National Monuments, and National Parks often carry Register status. The program has expanded to include places tied to underrepresented histories, documenting communities related to Japanese American internment, African American history such as Rosa Parks-related locations, and LGBTQ history sites comparable to those associated with the Stonewall riots.

Listing provides recognition and access to incentives administered by agencies like the Internal Revenue Service for the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives and grants administered by the National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Offices. National Register status triggers review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, requiring federal agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and United States Army Corps of Engineers to consider effects on listed properties during undertakings. Listing does not by itself restrict private owners from altering properties absent local ordinances like those enacted in Charleston, South Carolina or Boston, Massachusetts, but local preservation laws and easements administered by entities such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation or Historic Preservation Commission can impose protections and review requirements.

The Register contains over 95,000 listings representing more than 1.8 million contributing resources, spanning sites from Arlington National Cemetery to Route 66. Notable listings include Independence Hall, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Alcatraz Island, Mount Vernon, Monticello, Brooklyn Bridge, Fallingwater, Taliesin West, and The Alamo. The geographic spread covers locations tied to events like the Gold Rush and the Dust Bowl, cultural landscapes including Black Heritage Trails and Chinatowns in cities such as San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles, and archaeological complexes such as Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Poverty Point. Ongoing efforts by organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and federal programs continue to document resources connected to figures such as Sojourner Truth, John Muir, and Ella Fitzgerald.