National Register of Historic Places

Being listed in the National Register of Historic Places:

• Provides prestigious recognition to significant properties.
• Encourages the preservation of historic properties.
• Provides information about historic properties for local and statewide planning purposes.
• Helps promote heritage tourism and economic development.
• Provides eligibility for financial incentives for the rehabilitation of a historic property via multiple historic tax programs.
• Effects on historic properties are taken into consideration during the planning of state and/or federally funded or assisted projects.

Properties are evaluated for National Register eligibility based on criteria established by the National Park Service, which can be found in National Register Bulletin 15. Generally, properties are not eligible simply based on their age. It is recommended that fifty years have elapsed to adequately judge the historic significance of a property, however, a property more than fifty years old is not automatically considered historic. If you are interested in listing your property on the National Register, you will first need to identify the historic context your property is associated with.

• Examples of this include:
  • Events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history;
  • The lives of significant persons in our past;
  • Embody the distinctive characteristics of an architectural type, period, or method of construction;
  • Have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.

After the historic context has been established, you must determine if your property significant within that historic context. It must be sufficiently documented that your property is significant within the larger historic context. It must go beyond being loosely associated or having existed at the time of the historic event or person. The significance can be at a local, state, or national level.

To be eligible, a property must retain a high level of integrity in most of the following aspects that are considered:

• Location
• Design
• Setting
• Materials
• Workmanship
• Feeling
• Association

Fill out and submit a Historic Resources Inventory Form (download after clicking). History Nebraska staff will review and contact you regarding the eligibility of your property.

If eligible, the process of preparing a National Register of Historic Places nomination form can begin:

• Download and prepare the Nomination Form.
  • Instructions for completing the form can be found in National Register Bulletin 16a
  • Extensive historical research and documentation are required to sufficiently demonstrate that a property is eligible for listing in the National Register. These resources can help:
    • National Register Bulletin 39: Researching a Historic Property
    • Researching Your Nebraska Property
• You can either prepare the nomination yourself or hire a professional consultant.

History Nebraska is here to help you prepare your nomination. We can:

• Provide professional guidance on the historical and architectural aspects of the property being nomination.
• Verify the nomination is properly documented to establish the significance of the property.
• Ensure the nomination is prepared properly and meets National Park Service requirements.

Nominations are presented to the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board. The Board meets three times per year: January, May, and September. Pay close attention to dates and deadlines for each Board meeting. Properties within a Certified Local Government (CLG) will need to be presented to the CLG’s Historic Preservation Commission.

Nominations approved by the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board are then forwarded to the National Park Service for review and listing in the National Register.