National Register
State and National Registers of Historic Places
The State and National Registers of Historic Places are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, objects, and sites significant in the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture of New York and the nation.
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the New York State Historic Preservation Act of 1980 established the National and State Registers programs. In New York, the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – who is also the State Historic Preservation Officer – administers these programs.
More than 129,000 historic properties throughout the state are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as components of historic districts.
Results of Listing in the Registers
What is the result of listing in the State and National Registers of Historic Places?
- Provides official recognition that a property is significant to the nation, the state, or the local community;
- Consideration in the planning of state and federal projects that are sponsored, licensed or assisted by state and federal agencies;
- Owners of listed properties may be eligible to apply for state and/or federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs;
- Local governments and not-for-profits that own listed properties may apply for state and federal preservation grants for planning and rehabilitation projects.
Please note: Private owners of National and State Register properties using private funds may sell, alter or demolish these properties within existing local zoning regulations. However, projects involving federal or state funding or permits are reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) staff with the goal of avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating effects on historic resources.
- If you are not using federal or state funds to complete your project (such as a grant) and you do not require a state or federal permit to undertake the work (such as a permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation), you are free to remodel, alter, paint, manage, subdivide, sell, or even demolish a National or State Register listed property (as long as you comply with local zoning).
- If you are using federal or state funds or if a federal or state permit is required, proposed alterations may be reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) staff if the property is either listed or determined to be eligible for listing in the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Questions? Contact Us!
Your first step when considering nominating a site or resource to the State and National Registers of Historic Places is to contact the county’s representative at the State Historic Preservation Office. They will be able to guide you through the application process.
To find the Survey & National Register staff member assigned to your county, please View Map
- Chelsea Towers, Coordinator, 518-268-2129
- Daniel Boggs, 518-268-2201
- Erin Czernecki, 518-268-2192
- Sara Evenson, 518-268-2151
- Campbell Higle, 518-268-2189
- Olivia Holland, 518-268-2148
- Jeff Iovannone, 518-268-2194
- Leslie Krupa, 518-268-2464
- Julie Maresco, 518-473-9940
- Tamara Pilson, 518-457-3900
Connecting with SHPO staff is important because:
- they may already be familiar with the property, the area, or the local context
- they may have documentation about the property or other similar properties on file
- a discussion may give the SHPO staff member a good idea of potential eligibility or a direction to guide you for further research
- it provides an opportunity to schedule a site visit
- knowing your preservation goals and objectives may help the staff member advise you on other preservation options or suggest something else that should be done before – or even instead of – National Register listing
Overview of the State and National Registers Nomination Process
The State and National Registers nomination process is designed to assist in the development of complete and accurate documentation of each eligible property according to the professional and archival standards of the National Park Service (NPS) and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
The research and technical requirements of the nomination process encourage the active participation of owners, sponsors, SHPO staff, and/or preservation consultants.
Eligibility
The same eligibility criteria are used for both the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Eligible properties must represent a significant historic theme (such as architecture, agriculture, industry, transportation, etc.) and they must be intact enough to illustrate their association with that theme. In most instances, properties must be more than 50 years of age to be considered for listing in the registers.
The types of properties that can be included in the registers include:
- Buildings and structures (such as residences, churches, commercial buildings, bridges)
- Sites (such as cemeteries, landscapes, archaeological sites)
- Districts (groups of buildings, structures, or sites that are significant as a whole, such as farmsteads, residential neighborhoods, industrial complexes, cultural landscapes)
- Objects (such as fountains, monuments)
Criteria for Evaluation
The National Register Criteria for Evaluation are used to evaluate properties for listing on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association, and
- Criterion A (Event): that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
- Criterion B (Person): that are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
- Criterion C (Design/Construction): that 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 distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
- Criterion D (Information Potential): that have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history
Evaluation and Nomination Process
The preparation of a State and National Registers nomination proposal is a cooperative effort between the sponsor – most often the owner of the property – and the staff of the State Historic Preservation Office. It is a multi-step process that addresses specific requirements and protocols and may take 1-2 years to complete. SHPO staff are experts in the process and will provide guidance and suggest resources to help prepare official nomination forms for review.
When nominations are ready, they are presented to the New York State Board for Historic Preservation. The board meets quarterly, and nomination reviews must be scheduled at least three months in advance in order to satisfy public notification requirements. If recommended, the nomination form is finalized and forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Officer for review and signature. Once signed, the nomination is entered in the New York State Register of Historic Places and transmitted to the National Park Service where it is nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. If approved by the Keeper of the Register, the nomination is signed and listed in the National Register.
Please note: The National Park Service will not place an individual, privately owned property on the National Register if its owner objects or if a majority of private property owners object to the proposed listing of a nomination containing multiple owners.
Resources
Guidance and Additional Information
- National Register Criteria for Evaluation (pdf)
- Criterios de Evaluación del Registro Nacional (pdf)
- Help for Nomination Sponsors: Individual Resources (pdf)
- Help for Nomination Sponsors: Historic Districts (pdf)
Digital Resources from the National Parks Service | National Register of Historic Places
Learn more about Historic Districts and the State and National Registers | Do you own property in a proposed State and National Registers Historic District? Please watch the following video for information on the State and National Registers, frequently asked questions about the programs, and basic information about preservation tax credits and grants.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are common questions about the State and National Registers Program:
Check out New York SHPO’s online database CRIS – Cultural Resource Information System or call the staff member assigned to your county to find out more.
- You can use the CRIS database as a “Guest”. Click the “search” button at the top of the page and search using the address, name of the property, or search by zooming into the map.
Nomination and listing of an individual property in the State and National Registers of Historic Places is a lengthy process that varies depending on the complexity of the project, the skill of the applicant and/or consultant, and the volume of nominations at the SHPO. The process from start to finish can take 1-2 years.
A historic district is a group of buildings, structures, and sites that are significant for their historical and physical relationships to each other. Properties in districts are not usually significant individually, but gain meaning from their proximity and association with each other. A district may include any number of properties.
Yes. Private property owners may object to National Register listing. If the property has one owner, that owner’s objection will prevent the listing. For nominations with multiple owners – such as historic districts – the majority of owners must formally object to prevent listing. No one owner can exempt themself from listing in a district by means of an objection. Although the New York State Register does not recognize owner objections, it is the policy of the SHPO to avoid listings with significant objections and to work with nomination sponsors and communities to provide information and education about the registers program.
State and National Registers listing should not be confused with local landmark designation.
- Many communities in New York State have local landmark ordinances, which establish commissions authorized to review work proposed for locally designated historic properties. These commissions regulate local policies and operate independently from the State and National Registers of Historic Preservation. Their local historic districts often differ from the historic districts listed in the Registers.
- National Register listing does not automatically lead to local landmark designation.
No. There is absolutely no requirement to open register-listed properties to the public.
Yes. Listing in the registers in no way affects the transfer of property from one owner to another.
No. Listing has no direct bearing on any of these local actions.
Although the SHPO does not provide plaques, a list of manufacturers is available upon request.