National Register of Historic Places for Property Owners

What does it mean when a property is “On the National Register of Historic Places”?  

According to the General Services Administration “The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of our country's historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. It was established as part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is overseen by the National Park Service. The National Register recognizes more than 90,000 properties for their significance in American history, architecture, art, archeology, engineering, and culture.” The National Register is mostly an honorific listing, but it can make a property eligible for federal or state tax credits. 

In general, when preservationists says a property is “on the register” they mean that is either 1) listed individually on the National Register or 2) listed a part of a historic district that is listed on the National Register.  In Little Rock, there are  many more properties listed as parts of districts than individually.  

There’s no distinction in terms of eligibility for tax credits. Instead, eligibility for federal tax credits is determined by property usage. Properties listed on the register that will be used to generate income are eligible for federal and state tax credits. Properties on the National Register of Historic Places are eligible for Arkansas historic preservation tax credits whether they are income producing or not. 

There are a series of myths about the National Register and what it means for a listed property.  A great way to find out what is and isn’t true about NR listing is to read the following articles: 

• “The Truth about the National Register of Historic Places”
  
• “The Devil’s Advocate Guide to National Register Listing”
  
• “Myth busting the National Register of Historic Places”

Who manages the National Register of Historic Places in greater Little Rock? 

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program is a state agency that oversees the National Register for Historic Places for Arkansas and the Arkansas Register of Historic Places.  You can find them here.

What is the Arkansas Register of Historic Places? How is it different from the National Register of Historic Places?  

According to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Arkansas Register of Historic Places is “the state’s official record of those properties, sites, structures, buildings, landscapes areas and objects significant in the history, architecture, and culture of the state of Arkansas and its communities.”  This designation has different inclusion criteria from the National register. It also does not make a property eligible for tax credits.  However, all properties in Arkansas that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places are automatically added to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places. In other words, a property only listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places is not eligible for tax credits.

If you want to know more about the  Arkansas Register of Historic Places, click here.

Want to know more about historic districts and regulations? Click Here.