History of the National & State Registers
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NATIONAL REGISTER
In 1965, the United States Conference of Mayors issued a report which called for government intervention to save the scores of historic buildings being demolished in our urban areas. The following year, the United States Congress, stated:
"The historical and cultural foundations of the Nation should be preserved as a living part of our community life".
To aid in that goal, Congress enacted the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Part of this landmark legislation created the list known as the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the official list of sites, buildings, structures, districts, and objects important in our history.
Each state has a preservation office to administer the National Register and associated programs; the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) serves all Hoosiers interested in these programs. The National Park Service administers the National Register for the nation, the Survey and Registration Section of the DHPA manages the Register for Indiana.
Indiana landmarks are guideposts to our past. Our historic buildings, sites, and neighborhoods provide us with a tangible connection to the past which cannot be experienced in an old photograph or individual artifact. These landmarks, perhaps more than any other physical element, make our communities and rural areas distinct and special places. They provide us with an invaluable sense of place.
THE INDIANA REGISTER OF HISTORIC SITES AND STRUCTURES
The Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures (the State Register) was created by an act of the Indiana General Assembly in 1981. The DHPA administers this program. Note that all Indiana properties listed on the National Register are automatically listed on the State Register. However, sometimes properties listed solely on the State Register. If survey information about the property is available, this listing process requires less documentation than National Register listing and can be completed in a much shorter span of time.
The criteria for listing properties on the State Register are virtually the same as those for the National Register. A property owner wanting to nominate a property should send a letter of request to the DHPA that identifies the property, describes it briefly, and explains its importance. Black and white photographs of the property should also accompany the request. If the DHPA staff can use available documentation to evaluate the property and determine its eligibility, they will issue notification letters to the owners(s) and local and county officials. If no objection to the listing is received, the property is automatically listed 30 days from the date of the notification letter. In those cases where the available documentation is inadequate, the staff will request enough research from the applicant to be able to make a determination of the property’s eligibility for listing.
Other National Register Resources
