How are properties listed?
Union Mills Homestead Historic District, Carroll County. MHT Staff photo.
National Register Criteria
To be eligible for the National Register, a property must demonstrate significance in terms of one or more of
four broad criteria
- events or trends;
- association with individuals who made a demonstrable and lasting contribution;
- architectural merit;
- or the potential to yield information that will contribute to a better understanding of our past.
Significance is evaluated in a national, state, or local context.
Integrity
In addition to demonstrating significance, a property must retain physical integrity to reflect that significance; it
must not have been substantially altered since the period when the event occurred, or the person lived there.
- Architecturally significant properties must retain the majority of the features that characterize their type.
- Archaeological sites must remain intact.
Eligibility Determinations
National Register nominations require a substantial level of research and preparation. Therefore, prospective
preparers should contact MHT’s National Register staff to discuss the property’s likelihood for success in
listing before investing significant time and effort in developing the documentation. MHT staff can advise
on the property’s potential eligibility for the NR and can also suggest the most appropriate directions to
focus research.
To find out if your property is eligible for listing in the National Register, send your property address,
current interior and exterior photographs, and any history of the property, including (if known)
construction dates, achievements of past owners, and general historical information to
mht.nationalregister@maryland.gov.
For purposes of regulatory compliance, agencies may request a
determination of eligibility (DOE).
DOEs are only made in the course of compliance projects.
The Review Process
Gilpin Falls Covered Bridge, Cecil County. MHT Staff photo.
- Information concerning the physical character and historical development of a property is presented in
a specific format on a National Register nomination form. Once a favorable eligibility determination
is made, MHT staff can provide prospective preparers with the nomination form and instructions to
complete it. The National Park Service estimates that it takes a minimum of 60-100 hours to research
and complete a nomination form. Complex properties and districts may take closer to 200 hours.
- National Register nominations are submitted to MHT, where staff members perform a review to ensure
technical and substantive completeness. If the draft is not complete, it will be returned to the
preparer with a list of requested changes.
- Complete nominations are scheduled for presentation to the Governor’s
Consulting Committee on the National Register of Historic Places (GCC), Maryland’s state review
board, which meets three times a year.
- If the GCC votes to approve the nomination, and the State Historic Preservation Officer concurs,
the nomination is forwarded to the National Register office of the National Park Service for final
listing action.
Certain local governments in Maryland have been certified by NPS to participate in the National Register review
process. In these jurisdictions, the local Historic Preservation Commission and chief
elected official are also charged with reviewing nominations and making recommendations concerning their eligibility
for the National Register.
» Learn more about Certified Local Governments
In order to comply with federal notification requirements, the following timeline must be followed for submitting National Register nomination drafts to MHT staff.
Benefits and Protections
Robert Llewellwyn Wright House, Montgomery County. MHT Staff photo.
Listing in the National Register honors the property by recognizing its importance to its community,
State, or to the Nation, and confers a measure of protection from harm by Federal or State activities.
It does not, however, place any restrictions on the actions of private property owners.
Listing in the National Register is the effective threshold for eligibility for a variety of programs designed
to assist in the preservation of significant properties, including
Federal and State tax credits for certain types of rehabilitation work. Other financial incentives for preservation
include grants and loans.
Donations of preservation easements on Register-listed properties may qualify for charitable tax deductions.
» Learn more about the "Section 106" process
London Town Publik House, Anne Arundel County. MHT Staff photo.
National Historic Landmarks
The National Historic Landmarks program is administered by the National Park Service; the Maryland Historical
Trust plays an advisory role in the designation process. Properties designated National Historic Landmarks are
have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior to have exceptional value in representing or illustrating
an important theme in the history of the Nation as a whole.
» Learn more about the National Historic
Landmarks Program
Maryland Register of Historic Properties
Properties listed in the National Register, or determined eligible for the National Register by the Director of
the Maryland Historical Trust, are also included in the Maryland Register of Historic Properties (MRHP).
The MRHP is a list of properties recognized by the State of Maryland for their significance
in American history or culture. Properties listed in the MRHP are afforded certain regulatory
protections, and are eligible for MHT grants and loans.
» Learn more about the Maryland
Register of Historic Properties
