Evaluating Historic Significance

8/6/2019 Evaluating Historic Significance

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Evaluating Historic Significance

Western MA Conference on the Community

Preservation Act

Northampton, MA - May 8, 2010

Michael SteinitzMichael Steinitz

Massachusetts Historical CommissionMassachusetts Historical Commission

MicheleMichele PlourdePlourde--BarkerBarker

Preservation Massachusetts &Preservation Massachusetts &

National Trust for HistoricNational Trust for Historic

PreservationPreservation


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The Massachusetts Historical Commission Established in 1963 as the Commonwealths

historic preservation agency

Partners with local historical commissions andlocal historic district commissions

Maintains the statewide inventory of historic andarchaeological resources (~185K properties andsites)

Administers the National Register of HistoricPlaces program in Massachusetts (65K+ properties

and sites - #2 in the country!) Maintains the State Register of Historic Places

(~75K properties)


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The Massachusetts Historical Commission

Under state and federal laws, reviews the effectsof public projects on historic resources and sites.

Provides matching grants for both planning andbricks-and-mortar preservation.

Administers state and federal tax incentiveprograms for historic preservation.

Staff reviews thousands of projects every year andevaluates the historical significance of hundreds of

properties every year.


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A Primer for CPCs

What are historic resources? What is historical significance?

What properties qualify as historicresources under CPA?

How can you CPA projects affect the

historical significance of properties?


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Historic Resources and TheCommunity Preservation Act

M.G.L. Chapter 44B, section 2, defines HistoricResources as:

a building, structure, vessel, real property,

document or artifact that is listed or eligible for listing on the stateregister of historic places

or has been determined by the local historicpreservation commission to be significantinthe history, archeology, architecture or cultureof a city or town.


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Listed in the State

Register of Historic

Places

The State Register of

Historic Places wasestablished in 1982 as

a comprehensive

listing of properties

and sites that have

received local, state or

national designations

based on theirhistorical or

archaeological

significance.


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Designations included in theState Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places Districts

National Historic Landmarks

Massachusetts Historic or Archaeological

Landmarks

Local Historic Districts

Local Landmarks

Preservation Restrictions (MGL Ch 184, s 31-33)


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CPA Historic Resources

Listed in the State Registerof Historic Places

Buildings

Structures (Objects)

Real Property

(Archaeological Sites)

(Landscapes)

(Cemeteries)

(Districts)

Vessels

Documents

Moveable Artifacts

Not discussing these

today

CPA Historic Resources

Not Listed in the State

Register of Historic Places


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Inventory vs. State Register

The Inventory of Historic and ArchaeologicalAssets of the Commonwealth MHC inventoryforms fully completed and filed with the MHC.

State Register of Historic Places only propertieswith official designations.

The Inventory and the State Register are not thesame.


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AN MHC INVENTORY FORM


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A page from the State Register of Historic Places


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www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc


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What does eligible for Listing

on the State Register of Historic

Places mean? The State Register of Historic Places is a

compendium of specified local, state and federal

designations.

Properties are only included in the State Register

when they receive one of these designations.

There are no criteria for establishing whether or

not a property is eligible for listing in the State

Register of Historic Places.


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Whats best established means of

evaluating the significance of

Historic Resources?

The standards foreligibility for listing in

the National Register

of Historic Places.


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The National Register of Historic

Places

Established in 1966 as part of the National Historic Preservation Act.

MA has more than 65,000 properties on the National Register,including over 900 National Register districts.

The official national list of significant historic places.

Maintained in MA by the MHC for the National Park Service.


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The National Register includes a variety of properties


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Structures and Objects


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Parks and Landscapes

Boston Common

Topsfield


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Individual Properties and Districts

Shirley Eustis HouseBoston

Westport Point HistoricDistrict


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The NR Evaluation Process

An evaluation of a property for eligibility forlisting in the National Register considers:

1. The Four National Register significance criteria

2. The Seven Aspects of Integrity

3. The Period of Significance

4. The Level of Significance 5. The Boundaries

6. Contributing and Non-contributing Resources


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http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15


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There are 4 criteria for evaluatingNational Register eligibility:

A: Association with broad patterns ofhistory.

B: Association with the lives of significant

individuals in the past. C: Examples of representative or

outstanding architecture or design.

D: Potential to yield information archaeology.


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NATIONAL REGISTER

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATIONCriterion A: Properties

associated with events

that have made a

significant

contribution to the

broad patterns of ourhistory. Shirley Center School

Providence St Three Deckers, Worcester


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Patterns of History

Princeton Center HD

Fish Flake HillHD - Beverly


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NATIONAL REGISTER

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATIONCriterion B: Properties

that are associated

with the lives of

significant persons in

our past.

Longfellow House - Cambridge

Fitz Henry (Hugh) Lane House - Gloucester


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NATIONAL REGISTER

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATIONCriterion C: Properties that

embody the distinctive

characteristics of a type,period, or method ofconstruction, or thatrepresent the work of amaster, or that possesshigh artistic values, or thatrepresent a significant anddistinguishable entitywhose components maylack individual distinction.

H.H. Richardson Ames Gatehouse, Easton

Fletcher Steele Unity Close Garden, Easton


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Representative Examples of a Type or Period

Chestnut Hill HD -Newton

Machine Shop Village

HD North Andover


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NATIONAL REGISTER

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATIONCriterion D: Properties

that have yielded ormay be likely to yield,

information important

in history or

prehistory.Barn Ruins Shaker Village HD, Harvard

Richmond Furnace Historic & Archaeological

District


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The Seven Aspects of IntegrityDistricts, sites, buildings, structures, and

objects should possess integrity of

Location

Design

SettingMaterials

Workmanship

Feeling

Association


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The evaluation should consider the

Period of Significance

Construction date Role in community

history over time

Physical evolution ofthe building

Early and later history

50 years old - 1960


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Consider the Level of Significance

Most Properties are eligible for

their significance in local history

State Significance National Significance


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Consider Boundaries


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Consider Contributing and Non-contributing Resources


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Get help! Contact the MHC for aNational Register Eligibility Opinion

Could require CPA applicants to provide aneligibility opinion from MHC, or

The Local Historical Commission could

request an eligibility opinion from the MHC

Need to provide documentation: inventory

form, parcel map, current photos Allow time


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MHC Evaluation Group staff meets

every other week to evaluate

properties.


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MHC Responses

1. Eligible

2. Not-eligible

3. More information needed

MHCs staff opinion is advisory

Under CPA the decision onsignificance is made by thelocal historic preservationcommission.


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Questions?

Evaluating Historic Significance

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