Building a Search for Historic Properties

Looking for a historic property?  Asking questions and don’t know where to start? Any questions are excellent questions if you’re looking to delve into historic properties! Here’s a breakdown of how to build a search for them and what generally makes a property historic:

How to Build a Search for Historic Properties

Finding historic properties involves a combination of online resources, local government offices, and historical organizations. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Start with the National Register of Historic Places:

  • This is the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) maintains a searchable database.
  • You can search by city/county and state for the most reliable results. Property names or addresses might not always return a match if the listing was entered differently, especially for historic districts which have one entry but encompass many individual properties.
  • Many State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) have digitized their files and put them on their websites, which can provide more detailed information, including narrative descriptions and photos.

2. Contact Your State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO):

  • Every state has an SHPO, and they are your best local resource. They can provide lists of historic properties in your area, copies of nomination forms for the state or national register, and information about local historic preservation programs.
  • They often have searchable databases specific to their state’s listings.

3. Check with Local Government Agencies:

  • Local historic societies and nonprofit preservation organizations are invaluable. They often have detailed knowledge of properties in their community.
  • City’s community development or planning departments can provide lists of locally designated historic properties.
  • County Tax Assessment Offices are a good starting point for property records, ownership history, and descriptive information. You might need to trace deeds backward to find original owners.
  • Building Departments, City Planning Offices, or Zoning and Code Enforcement Offices may have building permits and blueprints that can offer clues about a property’s age and alterations.

4. Utilize the National Archives:

  • The National Archives is the permanent home for many records related to National Register nominations. You can search their catalog by reference number, property name, state, or keyword.

5. Explore Online Property Databases (with caution):

  • Some commercial real estate websites or public record directories (like NETR Online) might offer some historical data, but always cross-reference with official historic preservation sources.

6. “Old House” Focused Resources:

  • Organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation (savingplaces.org) offer tips and resources for finding and researching historic homes. They also have a collection of historic sites.

What Age Makes a Property Historic?

While there’s no absolute, hard-and-fast rule, the general guideline for a property to be considered “historic” for National Register of Historic Places eligibility is that it must be at least 50 years old.

However, age is just one factor. To be considered historic, a property generally needs to have three essential attributes:

1. Sufficient Age:

  • As mentioned, typically 50 years or older. There are exceptions for properties of “exceptional importance” that have achieved significance within the past 50 years (e.g., a groundbreaking architectural achievement from 40 years ago).

2. Relatively High Degree of Physical Integrity:

  • This means the property must still resemble its historic appearance. Its essential character-defining features (design, materials, workmanship, setting, etc.) from its period of significance must still be present and relatively unchanged. Significant alterations can impact its historic integrity.

3. Historical Significance:

  • This is crucial. The property must be significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture. This can be demonstrated by:
    • Association with important events: The property was the site of significant historical events or trends.
    • Association with important persons: The property is strongly linked to the life of a significant historical figure.
    • Architectural or artistic significance: The property embodies distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic value.
    • Potential to yield information: The property (especially archaeological sites) has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to prehistory or history.

In essence, every historic house is old, but not every old house is historic. An old house becomes historic when it meets these criteria and is recognized for its significance.