Preserving our American heritage became a national policy with the passage of the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
The federal National Register of Historic Places has set the guidelines and the standards for structures and locations that can be considered historic. Local and state governments now use the federal forms and the review processes of the National Register because they offer uniform standards for evaluation.
Here are some of the very basic rules.
It has to be at least 50 years old.
It has to be in its original location.
It should retain its original integrity. (In other words, it's identity should be easily recognizable. If it's an old gas station, it should look like a gas station.)
The building or other structure must be associated with an individual or event that has made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. Local landmarks must be significant on a local level; state and national landmarks must be significant on a higher level.
The evidence must be documented.
Once the structure has been nominated, the application is reviewed and evaluated by a team of architects and historians.
