Historic Registers
Frequently Asked Questions
Is registration expensive? No fees are charged for any part of the registration process. Many property owners successfully complete the Preliminary Information Forms and National Register of Historic Places nominations with advice from department staff. Others, however, may wish to pay a consultant to do the work for them. We suggest that they review our Consultants Directory and contact several consultants to compare estimated costs. There are costs associated with ordering a register plaque for a historic property, and, again, contacting suppliers and comparing estimated costs is recommended.
Will anyone be able to stop me if I want to alter or tear down my property once it’s registered? Not as a result of registration. Property owners who donate historic preservation easements, participate in the federal or state tax credit programs, or accept a federal or state rehabilitation grant must abide by certain restrictions on alterations or demolitions associated with those programs. Otherwise, only local building codes and permit requirements must be satisfied, as with any property.
Some friends live in a historic district, and they tell me that they have to get permission from a board to repair their porch or paint their house. Will I have officials looking over my shoulder if I register my house? No. Only locally designated historic districts are subject to local zoning ordinances and procedures. Sometimes, a property or district may be listed at the national, state, and local levels but it is only the local designation that places restrictions on private owners.
Do I have to open my property to the public if it is registered? No. Listing in the National Register of Historic Places or the Virginia Landmarks Register does not require that you open your house to the public.
Will registration or listing increase or decrease my property values and tax burden?
Many factors affect the value of real estate: location, improvements, supply and demand, zoning, surroundings, local and national economic conditions, business cycles, and actions of national, state, and local governments. Changes in any of these factors may increase or decrease the value of property. Registration per se appears to have little effect, although one would expect well-kept, attractive, older properties and neighborhoods to experience rising values over the long run.
Can a property be nominated individually if it is within a district? Yes. However, property owners in districts already can receive the same benefits as owners of individually listed properties. In other words, if a property is listed as a contributing structure within the district, it is already "just as registered" as if it were listed individually.
Style Sheet Reference for Nomination Writing
List of Virginia Properties on the State and National Registers
County & City Listings—Nominations Forms for Properties
Preliminary Evaluation and Nomination Process
Downloading Preliminary Evaluation and
Nomination Forms
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The Rice House is the most significant example of International Style domestic architecture in Richmond. Listed on the registers in 1999
The Old West End Historic District in Danville contains one of Virginia's most concentrated collection of Victorian and 1900s residences. The First Baptist Church sits on Main Street. Listed on the registers in 1973
The Sidna Allen House, in Carroll County, was briefly home to Allen who was convicted for participating in the Hillsville Massacre of 1912. His house, an expression of the Queen Anne style, was confiscated. Listed on the registers in 1974
The Commodore Theatre, in Portsmouth, opened in 1945. It still serves as a movie-dinner theater today. Listed on the registers in 1997
Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District is one Virginia's most intact cultural landscapes. Listed on the registers in 1991