| Q. |
What is the National Register of
Historic Places? |
| A. |
The National Register (or NR) is the
official federal listing of historic, architectural, and
archeological resources worthy of preservation. The National
Park Service, Department of the Interior, provides matching
funds to each state to conduct a comprehensive survey
of its cultural resources and nominate significant buildings,
structures, sites, objects, and historic districts to
the National Register of Historic Places. The National
Register program in Vermont is administered by the Division
for Historic Preservation. |
|
| Q. |
How can I, as a National Register
property owner, benefit from this designation? |
| A. |
In addition to protection, inclusion
in the National Register enables property owners to apply
for Grants-In-Aid for qualifying preservation projects
through the Division for Historic Preservation when funds
are available. Congress has not appropriated any money
in recent years to carry out work on National Register
buildings. The grants, when available, must be matched
by the building owner.
Under certain circumstances, the Economic Recovery
Tax Act of 1981 may benefit owners of income-producing
Register properties who "substantially rehabilitate"
their buildings. The rehabilitation investment required
to qualify for the program must equal the greater of
five thousand dollars or the adjusted basis of the building
(the purchase price of the building minus the value
of the land, minus depreciation already taken, plus
the cost of capital improvements already made). The
Tax Act provides a 20% federal tax credit for approved
projects on certified historic properties (properties
individually listed in the National Register or contributing
buildings within a National Register historic district).
The act also provides a lesser tax credit of 10% for
old non-residential income-producing buildings not listed
in the National Register. Substantial rehabilitations
of certified historic structures must meet the Secretary
of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation
Projects in order to receive a tax credit; projects
that do not conform to these standards will not be eligible
for the lesser tax credits (which do not require adherence
to the standards).
Property owners are encouraged to contact the Vermont
Division for Historic Preservation at the earliest stages
of planning any project for which tax benefits may be
claimed.
|
|
| Q. |
Does National Register listing restrict
the use of my property or place any legal restrictions
on the property? |
| A. |
National Register listing only regulates
the use of federal funds that may affect the property
and does not impose any legal requirements on the owner.
Property owners wishing to make alterations to their buildings
with private funds are free to do so. |
|
| Q. |
How does the National Register of
Historic Places protect my building and its surrounding
environment? |
| A. |
Inclusion in the National Register,
in addition to honorific recognition, provides a degree
of protection from federally assisted, licensed, and permitted
undertakings that might adversely affect a listed property
or jeopardize the property's environment. |
|
| Q. |
Does National Register recognition
mean that the State or Federal Government is interested
in buying my property? |
| A. |
No. It is merely a means of alerting
the property owner and all federal agencies that a particular
property is of architectural, historical, or archeological
significance. |
|
| Q. |
Will inclusion in the National Register
require that I sell, rent, or sublet my property, or a
portion of my property, to persons or tenants to whom
I would prefer not to sell or rent? |
| A. |
No. |
|
| Q. |
How are properties entered in the
National Register? |
| A. |
Nominations are prepared in close cooperation
with the Division and usually are done by professional
architectural historians, historians, and/or archeologists
employed by the property owner. A nomination typically
includes a detailed architectural description and a statement
of the building's significance. Also included are photographs
and maps. All nominations are reviewed by the Vermont
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation prior to submission
to the National Park Service for listing in the National
Register. In the process towns, regional planning commissions,
and property owners are notified and given an opportunity
to concur in or object to listing in the National Register.
The nomination is then forwarded to the National Park
Service in Washington, D.C., where it is reviewed and,
if eligible, entered in the National Register. |
|
| Q. |
What is a historic district? |
| A. |
A historic district is a group of buildings
that are related architecturally and/or historically and
are listed together in the National Register. A district
can range in size from a complex of farm buildings, to
a college campus, to a town center, or a whole village. |
|
| Q. |
What conditions are imposed on owners
of buildings in a historic district? |
| A. |
None. A building listed in the National
Register in a historic district is treated exactly the
same as a property listed individually. |
|
| Q. |
In a district that has new buildings
mixed in with the old ones, would owners of the new buildings
be eligible for Grants-In-Aid or investment tax credits
under the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981? |
| A. |
No. When a district is nominated all
buildings are evaluated to see if they are historic (contributing)
or non-historic (less than 50 years old or properties
that have been altered so they do not contribute to the
historic significance of the district). Buildings that
are non-contributing are so noted in the nomination, and
are not eligible for Grants-In-Aid or investment tax credits
under the Economic Recovery Tax Act. |
|
| Q. |
What are the advantages of a historic
district over an individual listing in the National Register? |
| A. |
A primary advantage is that a historic
district in a downtown commercial area facilitates revitalization
planning and may qualify the area for participation in
other federal grant programs. In addition, some buildings
that contribute to the historic character of the district
but that are not significant enough for individual listing
in the National Register receive the same benefits as
individually listed properties. |
|
| Q. |
If there is a historic district
in town, are there restrictions on what the town can do
with its local tax money? |
| A. |
No. As in the case with a private owner
of a listed property, the National Register has no control
over actions taken with local or private funds. |
|
| Q. |
What if a town wants to undertake
a project that is assisted by Federal funds within a historic
district? |
| A. |
If federal funds, permits, or licenses
are involved in a project, the existence of a historic
district must be taken into consideration by the federal
agency whether or not the historic district is officially
listed in the National Register. The federal agency must
consider the effect of its project on the historical and
architectural integrity of the historic district a the
earliest stages of planning. Procedures have been established
that provide a measure of protection for historic districts
while at the same time allowing the project to be carried
out. This same measure of protection is afforded to properties
and districts that are determined to be eligible for listing
in, as well as those actually included in, the National
Register. |
|
| Q. |
If a building is of historical value
in the district, must the owner improve his property to
conform with historically accurate buildings in the district? |
| A. |
No. The property owner may improve
the property or not, as he or she chooses. The Vermont
Division for Historic Preservation provides professional
assistance to property owners who wish to improve or restore
their properties. When an owner of a commercial property
wishes to take advantage of the Economic Recovery Tax
Act of 1981 by rehabilitating a building, the work must
be certified through the Division for Historic Preservation
in order to receive the more advantageous tax treatment.
|
|
| Q. |
Must I open my building to the public
if it is listed in the National Register? |
| A. |
No, unless you apply for and receive
a matching federal Grant-In-Aid for interior preservation
work on your property. The owner must then allow twelve
days per year for public viewing. |
|
| Q. |
Will listing in the National Register,
either individually or in a historic district, affect
local property taxes, zoning, or the Town's ability to
control these matters? |
| A. |
No. The National Register has no bearing
on any of these strictly local concerns. |
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