Virginia State Review Board

Virginia State Review Board
Name	Virginia State Review Board
Formation	1966
Type	State historic preservation review board
Headquarters	Richmond, Virginia
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Virginia
Parent organization	Virginia Department of Historic Resources

Contents

Virginia State Review Board The Virginia State Review Board is a state-level advisory body that evaluates nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, advises on National Historic Landmarks designations, and reviews preservation policy within the Commonwealth of Virginia. The board collaborates with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, interacts with the National Park Service, and engages stakeholders across the Richmond, Virginia area and statewide preservation communities.

History

The board traces origins to the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the establishment of State Historic Preservation Offices such as the Virginia Department of Historic Resources; similar bodies were created across states including California State Historical Resources Commission, New York State Historic Preservation Office, and Texas Historical Commission. Early actions included coordination with federal programs like the Historic American Buildings Survey and participation in responses to projects such as the Interstate Highway System expansions and the Damming and Reservoir Projects controversies. The board’s records reflect interactions with preservation movements tied to sites like Monticello, Mount Vernon, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, and urban preservation efforts in Norfolk, Virginia and Richmond, Virginia.

The board evaluates eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, recommends nominations for National Historic Landmark status, and advises the State Historic Preservation Officer on compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act when historic properties are affected by projects linked to agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It issues guidance related to tax incentive programs like the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program and collaborates on preservation easements similar to those managed by Historic England counterparts abroad. The board also plays a role in review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for undertakings by entities such as the Virginia Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, and municipal authorities in cities including Alexandria, Virginia and Charlottesville, Virginia.

Members are appointed by the Governor of Virginia and typically include professionals representing disciplines such as architectural history, archaeology, architecture, and historic preservation—paralleling panels like the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The board works alongside staff at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and maintains liaisons with federal agencies such as the National Park Service and state agencies including the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Meetings are held in venues across the Commonwealth, historically convening in locations like Richmond, Virginia, Williamsburg, Virginia, and at sites within regions such as the Shenandoah Valley.

The board applies criteria established by the National Register of Historic Places to assess significance in areas including association with significant persons (e.g., Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Robert E. Lee), events such as the American Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, architectural merit related to movements like Federal architecture, Greek Revival architecture, and Colonial Revival architecture, and archaeological potential akin to sites documented by the Smithsonian Institution. Nominations submitted to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources undergo staff review, public comment, and formal consideration at meetings where the board votes to recommend listings to the National Park Service. The process parallels procedures used by bodies like the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and follows criteria comparable to those in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and implementing regulations promulgated under the Code of Federal Regulations.

The board has recommended and reviewed nominations for nationally significant properties including places tied to figures such as Thomas Jefferson (Monticello), George Washington (e.g., Mount Vernon through complementary recognition), and Civil War sites like Appomattox Court House National Historical Park and battlefields such as Second Battle of Manassas-adjacent properties. It has considered urban listings tied to districts in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia and industrial heritage sites associated with railroads like the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and maritime sites on the James River. The board’s recommendations have affected federal undertakings involving agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and informed preservation tax credit projects similar to those undertaken in Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina.

The board operates within the legal framework created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, implements standards consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and functions under state statutes administered by the Virginia General Assembly and executed by the Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources. Its procedures interact with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act review requirements and with federal regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations, notably those governing the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program. The board’s advisory recommendations guide the State Historic Preservation Officer and inform compliance actions for federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency when projects implicate historic properties.

Category:Historic preservation in Virginia Category:State review boards of the United States