It dawned on me, after posting the last blog, that not
everyone may be familiar with the process to have a building added to a historic
register. We were certainly clueless when we began this whole process. It turns
out that this is actually a rather complex subject. While there are some
locations or cities that have their own process, we’re just going to take a
quick look at the Indiana and national registers.
About the Registers
The National Register of Historic Places (the National
Register) was authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The
National Park Service administers the National Register of Historic Places for the nation. The National Register is
considered the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of
preservation. More information may be found at http://www.nps.gov/nr/about.htm.
The Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures (the
State Register) was created by an act of the Indiana General Assembly in 1981. The
Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) manages the
State Register for the State of Indiana. More information for the State
Register may be found at http://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/3654.htm.
Eligibility
Just because a
building is old does not mean it is eligible for one of the Registers.
Generally, it needs to be more than 50 years old and needs to have a degree of
architectural integrity. In addition, there needs to be something special about
that particular property UNLESS it is in a recognized historic district like
Irvington or Woodruff Place. So what would be considered significant at the
local, state, or national level? (The following is from the Indiana State Site)
- Events - Properties associated with events that were important to our
history
- Persons - Properties associated with the lives of persons significant in
our history
- Architecture/Design - Buildings, structures, or objects with architectural or
engineering importance. They may be the work of a master, or possess high
artistic value. Groupings of properties may share a common heritage, such
as a historic district.
- Information - Resources that have yielded, or may yield in the future,
important information about our prehistory or history.
Process
The process may be different depending upon the state.
Generally in Indiana, the process takes approximately 6 months to a year once
the application is submitted. An application is filled out containing the
history, architecture and significance of the site. It must then be reviewed to
see if it truly meets the criteria for significance and eligibility. Additional
information may be requested at this point. Once this step has been passed, the
review is scheduled and a letter sent to the owner. If the application is
approved, the site is placed on the Indiana Register and the application is
sent to the National Register. If the application is approved at the National
level, the site is listed on the National Register.
Our Progress
It was 2 years ago this month that Amanda & Eric began
looking into purchasing the Horner House. Indiana Landmarks had already started
filling out the application and continued to work on it for quite a while. They
submitted it to the State of Indiana last year. The application is very
detailed and we’ll begin sharing some of the information it contains soon.
Amanda & Eric will be attending the review next month.
It is open to the public and anyone may attend. So we’re hoping to have the
Horner House on the State Register by next month!
Horner House March 2012 - Check out the flowers blooming already
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