The National Register of Historic Places is a list of cultural resources in the US that are considered worthy of preservation. It includes sites, structures, buildings, objects, and districts that have historical significance. Properties must go through a nomination and selection process to be listed. There are over 1.6 million properties listed, and more than 30,000 are added each year.
The National Historic Register, which is more accurately called the National Register of Historic Places, is the United States’ approved list of cultural resources considered worthy of preservation. It is maintained by the United States government and lists sites, structures, buildings, objects, and districts that have been important in the history, archeology, architecture, engineering, or culture of the United States. Properties approved for inclusion on the National Historic Register are those that have historical significance to a local community, state, or the nation as a whole.
Properties that are listed on the National Historic Register include all historic areas in the National Park System. One example is Valley Forge National Historical Park. Also listed on the National Register are sites called National Historic Landmarks, which are properties of national significance determined to have exceptional quality or value in interpreting or illustrating United States heritage. For example, the United States Capitol is designated a National Historic Landmark. Finally, the National Register lists properties that have been nominated by federal agencies, tribal offices of conservation, or state offices of historic preservation and have subsequently been approved to be added to the list by the National Park Service.
Established in 1966 by the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Historic Register is maintained by the National Park Service, which is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior. To be listed on the National Register, properties must complete a nomination and selection process. Any individual or organization can recommend a property, but the nomination must go through the Federal Preservation Officer, State Historic Preservation Officer, or Tribal Preservation Officer. These offices act as partners of the National Park Service. They appraise the property, prepare the nomination, and then officially nominate the property to the National Park Service for inclusion on the National Historic Register.
Since the National Register was established in 1966, ideas about what constitutes a historic site have broadened. Prior to 1966, a designated historic site was often an ancient battlefield, building, or site. Now, sites on the National Register are as varied as a pioneer settler’s shelter in Oklahoma, a section of Route 66, or a WWII-era DC-3 plane.
Every state and nearly every county in the United States has at least one site or property listed. There are more than 1.6 million properties listed on the National Historic Register. More than 30,000 properties are added each year.
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