National Register

From HistoricHydeSquare

The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's list of sites, buildings, districts, and landscapes worth preserving for future generations. Becoming a National Register Historic District recognizes the significance of an area in the development of Boston.

Listing on the National Register does not put any restrictions or review on any privately owned property.

The National Register is maintained by the US Department of the Interior National Parks Service, and places are added to the list through a nomination process.

1 What is the National Register nomination process?
2 What are the benefits of becoming a National Register Historic District?
3 What restrictions does the National Register impose?
4 Proposed National Register Districts
5 External Links

What is the National Register nomination process?

In Boston, the nomination process is coordinated by the city's Boston Landmarks Commission. The process includes an inventory and study of the buildings and their history to determine whether they meet the National Register criteria.

The proposed districts in the Hyde Square area are based on the findings from the 1984 Parker Hill/Mission Hill Study Report and the 1984 Jamaica Plain Survey Report. These reports recommended the six National Register districts desribed on this web site.

The following document from the Boston Landmarks Commission gives an overview of the National Register nomination process:

BLC National Register Process (PDF, 128 K)

According to the Massachusetts Historical Commission's National Register Application Manual, it can take up to two years from the date of a detmination of eligibility to the date a nomination is added to the National Register.

MHC National Register Application Manual (PDF, 5.9 MB)

What are the benefits of becoming a National Register Historic District?

There are three major benefits to being listed on the National Register:

Recognition — Listing on the National Register provides recognition for the historic significance of the neighborhood.
Tax incentives for restoration — Houses or commercial buildings may qualify for the Federal 20% investement tax credit for restoration work. The City of Boston also offers special Historic HomeWorks matching grants of up to $5,000 for repair and restoration work on historic homes.
Protection — Listing on the National and State Registers provides protection against demolition and other negative effects of projects funded by the Federal or State governments.

Listing on the National Register is typically required by grant programs that could help save historic buildings in the neighborhood.

What restrictions does the National Register impose?

National Register listing does not restrict what you can do with your house. You can choose any paint color for your house. You can modify it as you see fit. You could even demolish it.

What it will do is highlight what's important about your house and help you understand why your house is historic. It helps make the case for why you might want to consider a historic color for your house. And it explains why the old doors, windows, and trim on your house are worth preserving.

As the owner or resident of a house in a historic district, you can help maintain the character of the neighborhood for your children and for future generations.