|
PRESERVING YOUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD
State & National Register Designation
Process
The State and National Registers of Historic Places are the official
lists of buildings, structures, districts, objects and sites significant
in the history, architecture, archaeology and culture of New York
and the nation. The Registers are entirely independent of the New
York City Landmarks Law. Therefore, districts that are New York
City historic districts are not necessarily State and National Register
historic districts, and vice versa.
A historic community should consider pursuing listing on the State
and National Registers, either prior to, simultaneous with, or after
New York City historic district designation, depending upon the
community’s needs. The listing process records the significance
of the district as a whole and the individual buildings within the
district.
The National Register is administered through the National Parks
Service, which is subset of the United States Department of the
Interior. The State register is administered through the State Historic
Preservation Office (SHPO), which in New York State is part of the
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Application to both the State and National Registers is made through
the SHPO.
Listing your neighborhood on the State and National Registers adds
to the credibility and importance of the historic makeup of your
area. In addition, it renders income-producing properties within
the district eligible for tax incentives for rehabilitating their
properties. Unfortunately, listing on the registers does very little
in the way of preventing demolition and insensitive change in the
district. Only when there is state or federal involvement in the
project will SHPO step in to review the proposed changes. Nonetheless,
listing on the State and National Registers is one way to bring
recognition to your neighborhood’s significance and to promote
its protection.
If you decide to nominate your neighborhood to the State and National
Registers, you will work closely with the SHPO field representation
for New York City. In New York City, there is one field representative
for all the five boroughs. The field representative will answer
questions, lead you through the nomination process, and provide
all information and forms. The state representative will also make
a site visit to your neighborhood after you have started your nomination
process.
Unlike local designation in New York City, listing on the State
and National Registers requires the support of the affected property
owners. For a historic district, a majority of property owners must
be supportive of the nomination. After you have submitted a satisfactory
draft nomination, the field representative will seek the comments
from the property owners and local officials and will then arrange
for official review by the State Board for Historic Preservation.
The nomination, along with the Board's recommendation, is then forwarded
to the NYS Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Upon approval by the Commissioner, properties are listed on the
State Register and nominated to the National Register. National
Register nominations are subsequently forwarded to the National
Park Service and listing is achieved after approval by the Keeper
of the National Register.
National Park Service/National
Register of Historic Places
1201 Eye St., NW
8th Floor (MS 2280)
Washington, DC 20005
202-354-2213
New York State Parks,
Recreation & Historic Preservation
Building One, Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12238
518-237-8643
|
