DHR is Virginia’s State Historic Preservation Office, an agency within the Secretariat of Natural and Historic Resources. Our programs support historic preservation and archaeology throughout the Commonwealth. We identify historic places, educate the public, connect communities with their histories, and equip Virginians with the tools to foster historic preservation.

Report damages to historic properties and find resources for planning and recovery.

Every October, Virginia celebrates archaeology through special events and programs at libraries, museums, historical societies, clubs, and active archaeological sites. Each year DHR produces an archaeology month poster, often in collaboration with other organizations or museums. This year, we have partnered with the Council of Virginia Archaeologists (COVA) to highlight their 50^th anniversary and the role that COVA has played in the development and history of professional archaeology in Virginia.

Virginia’s Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HRTC) program has played an essential role in the restoration of some of the most iconic hotels and resorts throughout the state, including the Omni Homestead Resort.

On April 24, 2023, a state historical marker was dedicated in Richmond for Mary Wingfield Scott, the pioneering preservationist best known for her work to document and advocate for the rehabilitation and reuse of the city's historic buildings. The marker was erected in front of the Linden Row Inn, which is comprised of the houses that Wingfield Scott saved from demolition in the 1950s. To read more about DHR's historical highway marker program, check out the link below.