What Is a Historic Structure?
Let me explain to you what a historic structure really means. It's a specific subcategory of a historic property as designated by the National Register of Historic Places, which we often just call the National Register. In everyday talk, you might hear 'historic structure' used for any building or construct like a bridge, mine, canal, ship, highway, or locomotive that's tied to an important era in history. But officially, this designation sets it apart from something primarily meant as a human shelter.
Key Takeaways on Historic Structures
Here's what you need to know directly: A historic structure falls under the broader category of historic property as per the National Register of Historic Places. Right now, the United States has more than 2,600 national historic landmarks. These can include things like bridges, mines, canals, ships, and highways, but the official label makes clear it's not just a human dwelling. To get listed as a historic property with the National Park Service, it has to satisfy at least one of four main National Register criteria. The whole point of these criteria is to protect structures with real cultural and historical value.
Understanding a Historic Structure
Diving deeper, historic structures often feature unique architecture or carry political importance. If an area has a bunch of them, it might get labeled as a historic district. As an owner in one of these districts, you'll deal with specific rules and limits on how you maintain or change the property. On the upside, you could get grant money or tax credits to fix up structures that are falling apart.
Remember, a historic structure gets its official status from the National Register of Historic Places. This register covers all sorts of historic properties, from buildings and structures to objects, sites, and entire districts. To register one, including a historic structure, you petition the State Historic Preservation Office in its location, and it goes on the National Register through the National Park Service. Your petition needs details on the property's past and present uses, its architectural style and materials, and more. Ultimately, it must hit at least one of those four key criteria to make the list.
The Four Criteria of the National Register
The National Register sets out four clear criteria to determine if a structure qualifies as historic. You only need to meet one, and the goal is to preserve what's truly relevant culturally or historically—not just anything old without real significance.
The Specific Criteria
- Structures associated with events that significantly contributed to broad patterns in our history.
- Structures linked to the lives of people who were significant in our past.
- Structures that show distinctive traits of a type, period, or construction method, or represent a master's work, or have high artistic value, or form a significant entity even if parts aren't individually notable.
- Structures that have provided or could provide important information about prehistory or history.
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