Registration is an honor bestowed on historic properties by the state and federal governments. It recognizes the historic value of a property and encourages present and future owners to continue to exercise good stewardship. Owners of registered properties may donate historic preservation easements (which can reduce real estate taxes), qualify for the state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, receive technical assistance from department staff for maintenance and rehabilitation projects, and purchase plaques that mark the property’s significance.

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 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.

DHR currently offers no direct grants to property owners interested in registering their property or performing maintenance or repairs on a registered property. Information about various financial incentive programs for historic properties is available on our Grants & Incentives web page.

Not necessarily. Only easements protect property in perpetuity. Registration informs owners, local planners, government agencies, and others involved in land-use planning of the existence of a historic resource. Neither the National Historic Preservation Act nor the Code of Virginia, however, requires property owners, developers, or government agencies to avoid affecting or destroying historic resources. The National Historic Preservation Act does require, however, that federal agencies take historic properties into account when planning projects. In many cases, state and federal agencies work around the historic property or mitigate the effects of a project on the property. However, in most cases, the federal or state project usually proceeds even if it affects or destroys the resource. In some instances, the force of public opinion has persuaded developers or government agencies to spare a registered property.

No. The Register criteria apply to places of local as well as of national or statewide significance. Many places are listed in the registers because they exemplify themes or architectural styles important in local history.

The Department of Historic Resources (DHR) and National Park Service (NPS) do not charge any fees for any part of the registration process. Costs may be incurred for items such as maps, postage, photo prints, photocopies, and other materials the author includes with the nomination packet. Many property owners successfully complete the Preliminary Information Form with advice from department staff. The preparation of a nomination is more complex and if possible, property owners may wish to pay a consultant to undertake this portion of the process. We suggest that they review our Historic Trades & Consultants Directory and contact several consultants to compare estimated costs. Regardless of who prepares a nomination, a nomination must be reviewed and approved by DHR before it will be scheduled for presentation to the Virginia State Review Board and the Board of Historic Resources. There are costs associated with ordering a register plaque [pdf] for a historic property, and, again, contacting suppliers and comparing estimated costs and designs is recommended.

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.

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.

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 itself appears to have little effect, although one would expect well-kept, attractive, older properties and neighborhoods to experience rising values over the long run.

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.

Yes. Although aluminum or vinyl siding is not a recommended treatment for historic buildings that predate the introduction of such siding (it conceals the historic fabric and may damage it through moisture retention), the national and state registers do not definitively exclude vinyl-sided buildings from consideration. A property must, however, retain physical integrity in order to be registered; non-historic and/or unsympathetic alterations tend to erode integrity.

The process consists of evaluation and nomination. During the evaluation phase, preliminary information about the property is examined by the DHR regional office and DHR’s Register Evaluation Committee, which then recommends to the State Review Board properties that appear to meet the criteria for registration. Once the evaluation phase is completed, property owners decide if and when they will proceed with a nomination of these qualified properties. As a general practice, DHR staff do not prepare nominations; however, as the State Historic Preservation Office, is responsible for assuring that nominations meet scholarly standards, are factually accurate, and conform to state and federal regulations. Nominations that do not meet these requirements will be returned to the property owner and/or author for revisions.

Listing in the national or state registers in no way affects the transfer of property from one owner to another, or any other rights or responsibilities of property ownership.

The concept of a district precludes its looking like a doughnut or a slice of Swiss cheese. The boundaries of a district are drawn to include the highest concentration of resources that contribute to the significance of the district, but there will often be properties within the district that do not contribute to it. (For instance, a historic farm complex is likely to have modern structures that do not contribute to the significance of the complex.) These properties are included within the district boundary but are recorded as noncontributing. This has the same effect as “leaving them out” without compromising the integrity of the district as a whole.