The Virginia Department of Historic Resources
is the State Historic
Preservation Office.
Our mission is to foster, encourage, and support the stewardship of
Virginia's significant historic architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources.
Historic Virginia
Eleven Sites Added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in Dec. 2015→
Two places of recreation—a historic district centering on the iconic Natural Bridge in Rockbridge Co. and William Byrd Park in Richmond, as well as a nearby residential complex and a neighborhood on the west side of the city park, and a rural historic district in Rappahannock Co. are among eleven historic sites added to the VLR earlier this month.
See this slideshow of the places.
(See more slideshows here.)
Eleven Sites Added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in Dec. 2015→
Two places of recreation—a historic district centering on the iconic Natural Bridge in Rockbridge Co. and William Byrd Park in Richmond, as well as a nearby residential complex and a neighborhood on the west side of the city park, and a rural historic district in Rappahannock Co. are among eleven historic sites added to the VLR earlier this month.
See this slideshow of the places.
(See more slideshows here.)
Recent News and Announcements
Powhatan in his longhouse at Werowocomoco.
In February DHR and the Virginia Historical Society hosted a Banner Lecture about the archaeological site of Werowocomoco, the legendary American Indian village where chief Powhatan, his daughter Pocahontas, and Capt. John Smith first crossed paths when Smith was brought there as a prisoner. However, Werowocomoco emerged at least 400 years before the English settled at Jamestown. To learn more about this internationally significant site, watch this video of the Banner Lecture presentation, now available on the VHS website.
DHR is now soliciting applications for our Survey and Planning Cost Share Program: Cost Share projects are funded through a partnership between DHR and a local government and/or regional planning district commission (PDC). Eligible projects encompass a broad range of survey and planning activities and protection of historic resources through identification, documentation, evaluation, and preservation planning activities consistent with the responsible stewardship of historic resources. For more information about the program, contact Carey Jones. Or download a PDF of the application, or visit the Survey and Planning section of this website.
Changes to Rehabilitation Tax Credit Regulations: Amendments and clarification of the existing program regulations took effect February 10, 2016. These changes were necessary to
- Enhance the ease of use for program applicants;
- More clearly set out the application requirements and standards of review for both applicants and DHR staff; and
- Establish stricter reporting requirements to ensure the integrity of financial data.
Invitation for Public Comment, Hurricane Sandy Disaster Assistance Grant Program: DHR is accepting public comment on projects funded by the Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Assistance Grant Program for Historic Resources. DHR administers the grant in Virginia via partnership with the National Park Service. The invitation for public comment includes projects to survey archaeological and architectural historic resources in the following counties: Accomack, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland; and the following towns: Colonial Beach, Saxis, and Surry. Further information on these surveys can be found in DHR’s November 3, 2015 press release. If you have questions or concerns regarding these projects, please contact Jim Hare, Director, Survey and Register Division.
As Virginia’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), DHR is mandated to periodically develop and publish a Statewide Comprehensive Preservation Plan (under by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended). Accordingly, we are pleased to present our new plan, "Today's Treasure--Tomorrow's Trust, Virginia's Comprehensive Preservation Plan, 2016-2021. (low resolution PDF). As a truly statewide and comprehensive historic preservation plan, this document is intentionally far-reaching and intended both to inspire and to represent the work of the diverse stakeholders who benefit and who shape the future of Virginia’s historic landscape. The goals, objectives, and suggested strategies outlined in the plan target DHR's next six-year planning cycle, 2016 through 2021. (High-resolution PDF)
(NPS Handbook): An established Native American settlement as early as 1200 CE, Werowocomoco—located in Gloucester County, along the York River—was a secular and sacred seat of power of the Algonquian people in present-day Virginia, whom the English would call the “Powhatan.” The site was rediscovered in 2003. Only about 1 percent of the 58-acre site has been investigated; however, based on archaeological research conducted so far, it appears to be an unprecedented archaeological find for the eastern coastal region of the nation, and its significance to Virginia Indians today and our shared history is without parallel. Generously illustrated and informed by recent scholarship, this latest addition to the National Park Service Handbook series is an engaging and concise history of the site, its rediscovery, and what recent archaeology tells us about Werowocomoco. Order the book from the University of Virginia Press or online retailers such as Amazon. Priced at $12.95, consisting of 148 pages with more than 100 color images, photographs, and maps, this book is intended for a general reader interested in Native American and Virginia history.
Natural Disaster Recovery Advisory: See this webpage.
© 2016 Commonwealth of Virginia / Virginia Department of Historic Resources
2801 Kensington Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221
Phone: (804) 482-6446 or (804) 367-2323
2801 Kensington Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221
Phone: (804) 482-6446 or (804) 367-2323