Resources
Preservation Briefs
The National Park Service (NPS) provides technical assistance through various types of publications that can be found on their website. They provide guidance on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings. The publications help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to work.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of our country’s historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. It was established as part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is overseen by the National Park Service. The National Register recognizes more than 90,000 properties for their significance in:
- American History
- Archeology
- Architecture
- Art
- Culture
- Engineering
National Center for Preservation Technology & Training (NCPTT)
NCPTT helps preservationists find tools, materials, and approaches to conserving buildings, landscapes, sites, and collections. They apply scientific and technological practices to issues in cultural resources management. More information can be found on their website.
Tax Incentives
The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program encourages private sector investment in the rehabilitation and re-use of historic buildings. It creates jobs and is one of the nation’s most successful and cost-effective community revitalization programs. The National Park Service and the Internal Revenue Service administer the program in partnership with State Historic Preservation Offices.
Preservation or Conservation Easements
A historic preservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement, typically in the form of a deed, which permanently protects a significant historic property. Since it is a perpetual easement, an owner is assured that the property’s historic character will be preserved. In addition, an owner who donates a historic preservation easement may be eligible for one or more forms of tax benefits.
Important Resources
- National Park Service Bulletin: Easements to Protect Historic Properties: A Useful Historic Preservation Tool and Potential Tax Benefits
- National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Section on Easements
- Florida Division of Historical Resources’ Information on Conservation Easements
- Florida Trust for Historic Preservation's Easement Program
Disaster Planning & Mitigation for Historic Resources
Recently, there has been a focus on incorporating disaster preparedness and historic preservation, as recent weather events have seen the destruction of many historic and cultural resources. Multiple documents have been published by the National Park Service, the Florida Division of Historical Resources, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
- Protecting Florida’s History from Hazards
- Disaster Mitigation for Historic Structures: Protection Strategies
- Disaster Planning for Florida’s Historic Resources
- Weather It Together: The City of Annapolis planning initiative is designed to adapt its historic community to minimize the risks associated with flooding.
- Keeping History Above Water: An annual conference focusing on the increasing and varied risks posed by the sea-level rise to historic coastal communities and their built environments.