City-County of Spokane Historic Preservation

The National Register of Historic Places serves as the Federal government's official list of those properties deemed worthy of preservation. Listing on the National Register is primarily a tool to encourage preservation, recognition, and rehabilitation of our national landmarks. It is a strong reminder that the preservation and re-use of historic properties may also be economically feasible.

Criteria for listing:

The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and:

1) Those structures that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our local history; or

2)That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or

3) That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or

4) That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to prehistory or history; and

5) The property is 50 years of age or older

Exceptions and Considerations:

Ordinarily, cemeteries, birthplaces, or graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National Register. However, such properties may qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria, or if they fall within the following categories:

1) A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance

2) A building, or structure, removed from its original location but which is significant primarily for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with an historic person or event

3) A birthplace or grave of an historical figure of outstanding importance, if there is no appropriate site or building directly associated with his/her productive life

4) Cemetery which derives its primary significance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events

5) A reconstructed building, when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a signified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived

6) A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own historical significance

7) A property achieving significance within the past 50 years, if it is of exceptional importance

Benefits of listing on the National Register:

While local tax incentives may only be available to properties listed on the Spokane Register of Historic Places, there are several Federal incentives available for individually listed National Register landmarks and contributing structures of historic districts. These include:

1) Eligibility to apply for Federal planning and renovation grants, when funds are available

2) Profitable renovation of commercial properties (including residential rental) by means of Federal investment tax credits for approved rehabilitations

3) Assurance that the property will not be altered or demolished by federally funded or licensed projects without careful consideration to the owner's interests and comment by the President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

4) Recognition in national publications and listings and, if the owner wishes, display of a bronze National Register plaque

5) Generally higher sales value because of listed benefits.

Listing on the National Register does none of the following:

1) It does not require the owner to preserve or maintain the property. Unless the owner applies for and accepts special Federal benefits, he or she can do anything with the property that he or she wishes, so long as it is permitted by state and local law

2) It does not guarantee preservation of the property. The owner is not required to preserve the property, nor is the property protected from the effects of state and local projects, unless Federal funding or licensing is involved

3) It does not block even federally funded or licensed projects when these are desired by the owner and shown to be in the public interest. Procedures do require careful consideration of federally funded or licensed projects which call for alteration or demolition of National Register properties, before the license is issued or funds released

4) Demolition of National Register properties does not result in significant tax penalties.

For more information about nominating a landmark, visit the National Register of Historic Places website at the National Parks Service website here.

Nomination Fees:

Residential properties: (+ County Auditor Filing Fee) $ 50.00

Commercial properties:(+ County Auditor Filing Fee) $100.00

National Historic Districts

Properties cited as contributing structures within National Historic Districts are also individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Owning a home that is a contributing structure within a district allows the homeowner to take advantage of federal incentives without the signing of a management agreement.

To learn more about neighborhood preservation, click here.

For information on National Historic Districts in Spokane, click here.

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