Preservation at the Crossroads Newsletter
February 2026
DHPA Photo Contest Open
As part of Historic Preservation Month 2026, the annual DHPA Photo Contest is open for submissions. The digital photo contest must be of resources found in Indiana. Watermarks and/or signatures are not permitted on entries.
Photographs can be submitted in the following categories: Color, Black & White, Altered, Kids (under 18), and photos pertaining to the Preservation Month theme in 2026. This year’s Historic Preservation Month theme centers on the National Road in Indiana. We welcome submissions of buildings, districts, or streetscapes that highlight resources found in historic Hoosier communities along the National Road. Use the registration form for each picture submitted (up to three per photographer) and send entries to DHPAConnect@dnr.IN.gov by Friday, April 3.
State Residential Historic Tax Credit Update
The State Residential Historic Tax Credit is an adjusted gross income tax credit for the rehabilitation of a historic resource that functions as the owner’s primary residence, where the overall costs of the rehab work meet or exceed $10,000. Read more about the latest updates to the program.
Researching Green Book Sites in Indiana
In 2023, the DHPA was awarded an Underrepresented Communities grant from the National Park Service in order to conduct research on Green Book sites in Indiana. The Negro Travelers’ Motorist Green Book was published from 1936 through 1967 as an annual guide for African American travelers. Entries in the book included tourist homes, hotels, taverns, restaurants, service stations, beauty parlors, and more. In Indiana, out of the nearly 200 businesses listed during its publication, only 35 buildings (17%) of these remain extant. Read more about how DHPA interns conducted research into these historic resources.
Researching Demolished Green Book Sites
A Glimpse into Central Marion County
AMERICA 250 CORNER
2026 marks the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To commemorate this anniversary, DHPA will set aside articles in this America 250 Corner to highlight topics in this newsletter pertaining to US history. This issue features the six Vice Presidents who hail from Indiana.
Grants to Preserve Local History Across Indiana
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced it will award five federal Historic Preservation Fund matching grants totaling more than $279,000 for historic preservation and archaeology projects in five Indiana communities. Read more about these projects.
DHPA County Survey Program Update
DHPA staff have begun to resurvey counties as part of the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. The program was initiated nearly 50 years ago in response to the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Read more about the current survey initiative.
Recent Listings on the National Register
In January 2026, Indiana added 10 listings to the National Register of Historic Places. These listings—a courthouse square, commercial, residential, and industrial districts; country clubs, and churches—have added approximately 318 historic resources to the National and State Registers. For information on Indiana properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures, go to on.IN.gov/SHAARD.
Listening to and Reading about History, Archaeology, and Historic Preservation
The DHPA staff loves podcasts, social media, and resources related to history, archaeology, and historic preservation. In each newsletter issue, we’ll highlight something we’ve found or used.
Website: The Living New Deal website features maps, images, and resources pertaining to the history of the New Deal. There is also a specific page dedicated to Indiana’s New Deal resources: https://livingnewdeal.org/indiana/
YouTube: Explore the Indiana Historical Society’s Unboxed playlist, where they highlight their collections, including information on Lustron Houses, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and more!
What archaeology, architecture, or preservation pages do you follow? We want to know at DHPAConnect@dnr.IN.gov.
Follow DHPA on Facebook
The Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology is on Facebook. Follow us at www.facebook.com/INdhpa to find out about upcoming events, participate in trivia, find out about things to see and do throughout the state, and learn interesting facts about preservation and archaeology in Indiana.
Tell us what you think
We are always interested in your ideas. If there is a topic you would like to see in an upcoming issue of Preservation at the Crossroads, email us at DHPAConnect@dnr.IN.gov.