National Register of Historic Places

In 1966, in response to a growing interest in historic preservation and after a series of well-publicized building demolitions, the National Historic Preservation Act was passed by Congress. Among its many notable accomplishments was the creation of the National Register of Historic Places, the requirement for each state to have a State Historic Preservation Officer or SHPO (popularly referred to as the “ship-o”), and a legal review process, Section 106 of the Act, to monitor the impact of federal actions on recognized historic properties.

The National Register of Historic Places, maintained by the National Park Service, serves as the nation’s principal acknowledgement and recognition of historic buildings, structures, objects, sites and districts. To be listed in the National Register, a nomination form must be prepared and submitted to the State Historic Preservation Officer, be fifty years old or older (there may be exceptions for outstanding resources less than fifty years old) and meet criteria and integrity requirements established by the US Secretary of the Interior. While listing in the National Register is the accepted threshold establishing credibility for historic resources, it does not, per se, provide any protection for listed properties. In fact, scores of National Register properties are lost to demolition each year.

Protection of listed properties, not a federal requirement, is provided by many state and local governments. These laws and policies vary tremendously by jurisdiction, with the most rigorous generally found at the local government level. The federal government is required, through Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, “to take into account” the effects of federally funded or sponsored projects (or private projects that are subject to federal licensing, permitting or approval) on historic sites that are listed in or “determined eligible” for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. “Determination of Eligibility” (DOE) is made by the SHPO based on evidence of the historic qualities of a property without undertaking a full nomination process—DOE’s are generally undertaken for projects that involve federal funding.

For historic roads, listing in the National Register, or a DOE, requires the managing agency (local, state or federal) to undertake a review of the proposed action and determine its effects on the integrity of the historic road if federal funds (in whole or in part) are being used. Often this leads to a modification of the proposed action to protect the historic resource. In instances the historic property can be altered, even destroyed, if there is a compelling reason for the action. Under such circumstances mitigation for the loss must be arranged in an agreement with the managing agency (often the DOT) and the SHPO.

The National Register of Historic Places Criteria for Evaluation

To assist in determining the significance and historic context of a historic resource, the National Register of Historic Places uses four criteria for evaluation established by the US Secretary of the Interior. To be considered for listing in the National Register, a property must meet at least one of the four criteria and be “associated with an important historic context (period of significance) and retain historic integrity of those features necessary to convey its significance.” The four criteria are:

Criterion A

Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. Historic roads meeting Criterion A may include:

  • Roads associated with Revolutionary or Civil War campaigns,

  • The Selma to Montgomery Highway in Alabama for its association with the Civil Rights Movement,

  • Route 66 for its association with westward migration during the Dust Bowl.

Criterion B

Associated with the lives of significant persons in our past. Historic roads meeting Criterion B may include:

  • The Columbia River Highway in Oregon for its association with Good Roads advocate Samuel Hill,

  • The Mount Vernon Memorial Highway in Virginia for its association with George Washington,

  • The Selma to Montgomery Highway in Alabama for its association with Dr. Martin Luther King.

Criterion C

Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. Historic roads meeting Criterion C may include:

  • The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia for its artistic values,

  • The Grand Rounds parkway system in Minneapolis designed by noted landscape architect H.W.S. Cleveland,

  • The Hana Road as a representative Hawai’ian island belt road.

Criterion D

That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory. Historic Roads meeting Criterion D may include:

  • El Camino Real in New Mexico for its incorporation of the roads of indigenous peoples,

  • Segments of the historic National Road in Maryland and Pennsylvania that may have original Trésaguet paving technology beneath the current pavement,

  • The Hana Road in Hawaii for information on road construction practices of the Pacific Islanders.