Historical Preservation and Restoration Resources
Links to External Preservation and Restoration Sites
The Historical Society receives many questions about the preservation and/or restoration of buildings. Our volunteer staff is not qualified to answer these types of queries.The following links have been provided to give an authoritative source for answers to some of the more commonly asked questions.
Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings
The Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings are excellent resources for all work done on historic homes. These guidelines are used to determine whether the historic character of a building is preserved in the process of rehabilitation. The guidelines recommend responsible methods and approaches and list treatments that should be avoided.
The Historical Society has a reference copy available in our Library.
A copy of these resources can also be obtained from your State Historic Preservation office, from the Government Printing Office, or downloaded online by clicking on the following link.
Secretary of Interior's Standards - National Park Service
The National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archaeological resources.
A National Register designation mandates that a property must be considered in the planning of federal or federally assisted projects impacting the registered property, and qualifies it for financial assistance from governmental funds for historic preservation when these funds are available.
The National Register web site offers general information about the program, specific information about registered properties, guidelines for nominating properties, and publications. You can also search to find out if a home is listed on the National Register. To access the National Register website, click the following link:
National Register of Historic Places Program: Fundamentals - National Park Service
The National Register of Historic Places can also be contacted by mail or telephone as follows:
National Register of Historic Places
National Park Service
P.O. Box 37127
Washington, District of Columbia 20013
Phone: (202) 354-2213
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is the State Historic Preservation Office. Their mission is to foster, encourage, and support the stewardship of Virginia's significant historic architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources. All requests for listing on the National Register must go through this office. You can visit their web site for more information by clicking on the following link:Register Information - Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation helps thousands of people each month answer their preservation questions. This assistance takes many forms, including contact information, answers to frequently asked questions, and publications on specific subjects. You can visit the National Trust web site by clicking on the following link:PreservationNation - National Trust for Historic Preservation
USDA National Agricultural Library
USDA National Agricultural Library - Rural Information Center: Historic Preservation Resources