National Register Nominations

The National Register was authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as the official list of the Nation’s historic resources/districts worthy of preservation. National Register listing increases a community’s awareness of its cultural resources and provides financial incentives for the rehabilitation and re-use of historic properties, such as federal tax credits. A property must be at least 50 years old, possess architectural integrity, and meet at least one of the following National Register Criteria, in order to be considered eligible for listing:

Criterion A

associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history

Criterion B

associated with the lives of persons significant in our past

Criterion C

embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master

Criterion D

have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history

Jean is skilled in the preparation of National Register of Historic Places nominations for eligible buildings and districts. The process involves a site visit to review and take digital photographs of the resource(s), a representative sample of which are submitted with the final package. A detailed physical description is written for the building, describing its current appearance and subsequent alterations. Intensive primary and secondary source research is undertaken at a variety of repositories to develop scholarly, footnoted essays, establishing significance according to one or more of the NR Criteria, and providing historical context. Supplemental materials (historic photos, maps, architectural drawings) found during the research phase are inserted at the end of the written portion of the nomination.

As part of this process, Jean develops a PowerPoint presentation for each nomination, which is presented at one of the quarterly meetings of the state’s National Register Review Board. Complete nominations, with certifying recommendations, are then submitted by the state to the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. for final review and listing.

Jean also prepares National Historic Landmark (NHL) nominations, which recognize resources of exceptional national significance. The process for NHL listing is different from that for National Register designation with different criteria and procedures used. However, both programs are administered by the National Park Service, and NHL-designated resources are automatically included in the National Register of Historic Places.