Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Historic Preservation?

Recognizing and caring for cherished places from our past, and then protecting and maintaining them for future generations, is the very heart of preservation. It begins with an understanding of the sites and structures that give a community its distinctive character and historic sense of place. Historic preservation protects properties from neglect and stimulates economic vitality and community pride.

Q. Why Historic Preservation?

When historic buildings and neighborhoods are torn down or allowed to deteriorate, a part of our past disappears forever. When that happens, we lose history that helps us know who we are, and we lose opportunities to live and work in the kinds of interesting and attractive surroundings that older buildings can provide.

Q. What do I need to understand about the architectural history and evolution of my building before starting a work project?

Consult a local historical society to find documents that can assist your research, such as drawings and records pertaining to your house and its neighborhood. The National Park Service recommends the following:

1. "Repair rather than replace" historic materials, such as masonry, wood, and architectural metals that comprise a building's features and character. Remember that historic preservation is based, in part, on the retention of historic building materials.
2. Never sandblast old exterior brick. Sandblasting abrades the surface of historic brick and changes its historic appearance. Just as important, because brick is essentially a soft, baked clay product, it is highly susceptible to increased deterioration when its outer surface has been removed through sandblasting or other harsh cleaning methods.
3. Maintain your historic building on a regular basis. For example, clean gutters several times a year, and keep painted wood surfaces in good repair through scraping, sanding, priming and re-painting, as needed.
4. Improve energy efficiency. Install storm windows that are compatible with the character of the historic windows.
5. Be sure that ice removal methods don't damage historic building materials. Use non-chloride products to melt ice on walkways, stoops and porch steps. Chloride salt products can result in spalling of masonry and metal corrosion.
6. Protect vacant historic buildings. Buildings were meant to be occupied, not left vacant. Before rehabilitaiton begins, if your old house is temporarily vacant, ensure that there is adequate ventilation; install a fire and burglar alarm; inspect the electrical system; prevent entry by animals and unauthorized persons; and remove all debris and trash from the yard and inside the building.
7. Keep your historic building where it is rather than moving it. When a historic building is moved from its original location, it loses some of the significance associated with its setting, as well as causing damage to its historic materials and features, and even to the structure itself.
8. Join a local preservation organization so that you have a voice in preservation decisions that affect your historic building and neighborhood. Then join Maine Preservation!

Q. What is the Maine Historic Preservation Commission ?

Established through a legislative act in 1971, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission is the state agency that functions as the State Historic Preservation Office in Maine. As such, the Commission is responsible for the identification, evaluation, and protection of Maine's significant cultural resources as directed by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The Commission oversees the statewide survey program, nominates properties to the National Register of Historic Places, reviews development activities for their effect on cultural resources, co-ordinates rehabilitation projects under the Preservation Tax Incentives Program, assists local governments in survey work and the design of preservation guidelines, and is involved in a variety of public education activities.

Q. How do Maine Preservation and the Maine Historic Preservation Commission work together?

Think of us as statewide partners. Maine Preservation is a private nonprofit advocacy organization headquartered in Portland. The Maine Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC for short) is the state government agency for historic preservation and archaeology, located in Augusta. We are entirely separate, though often work together to achieve our preservation goals.

Q. What is The National Trust for Historic Preservation ?

A private nonprofit organization with more than a quarter million members, the National Trust is the leader of the vigorous preservation movement that is saving the best of our past for the future. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by Congress in 1949 and provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities.

Q. What is the National Register of Historic Places ?

The National Register of Historic Places was authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is administered by the Department of the Interior's National Park Service. It is the nation's official list of historically significant structures, and includes districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. 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 that site for financial assistance from governmental funds for historic preservation when these funds are available.

All National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) are included in the National Register. NHLs constitute approximately 2,000 listings in the National Register. There are different criteria for NHL designation than for National Register designation. For more information visit the National Historic Landmarks Web site, www.cr.nps.gov/landmarks.htm . The best place to learn more about the National Register is its website, www.cr.nps.gov/nr . It includes information on the program, the more than 70,000 listed properties, and how to nominate a property.

Q. What is the process for listing a property in the National Register?

Properties are nominated to the National Register by the State Historic Preservation officer (SHPO) of the State in which the property is located, by the Federal Preservation Officer (FPO) for properties under Federal ownership or control, or by the Tribal Preservation Officer (TPO) if the property is on tribal lands. Ordinarily, State nomination forms are prepared by private individuals or the staff of the SHPO. These nomination forms are then submitted to a State review board, composed of professionals in the fields of American history, architectural history, architecture, prehistoric and historic archeology, and other related disciplines. The review board makes a recommendation to the SHPO either to approve the nomination if, in the board's opinion, it meets the National Register criteria, or to disapprove the nomination if it does not.

During the time the proposed nomination is reviewed by the SHPO, property owners and local officials are notified of the intent to nominate. Local officials and property owners are given the opportunity to comment on the nomination and owners of private property are given an opportunity to object to or concur with the nomination. If the owner of a private property, or the majority of private property owners for a property or district with multiple owners, objects to the nomination, the SHPO may forward the nomination to the National Park Service for a determination of eligibility. Without formally listing the property in the National Register, the National Park Service then determines whether the property is eligible for listing. If the property is eligible, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation must be afforded the opportunity to comment on any Federal project that may affect it.

If the review board and the SHPO agree on the eligibility of the property (and the owner has not objected to the nomination), then the nomination is forwarded to the National Park Service to be considered for listing.

Q. What are the Secretary of the Interior Standards ?

Rooted in over 120 years of preservation ethics in both Europe and America, The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties are common sense principles in non-technical language. They were developed to help protect our nation's irreplaceable cultural resources by promoting consistent preservation practices. The Standards may be applied to all properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places: buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts. It should be understood that the Standards are a series of concepts about maintaining, repairing and replacing historic materials, as well as designing new additions or making alterations; as such, they cannot, in and of themselves, be used to make essential decisions about which features of a historic property should be saved and which might be changed. But once an appropriate treatment is selected, the Standards provide philosophical consistency to the work. Go to the online - generously illustrated and all navigable - Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties .

Q. What is a Section 106 Review ?

In the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Congress established a comprehensive program to preserve the historical and cultural foundations of the Nation as a living part of community life. Section 106 of NHPA is crucial to that program, because it requires consideration of historic preservation in the multitude of Federal actions that take place nationwide. Section 106 requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of their actions on historic properties and provide the Council an opportunity to comment on Federal projects prior to implementation. Click here for the Citizen's Guide to Section 106.

Q. Where can I find funding for my restoration project?

Project funding is one of the most difficult challenges facing preservationists today. Grants are rarely, if ever, available to the private property owner. Once a year, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission awards grants for survey, planning and public education projects to nonprofit organizations or municipalities. Limited grant funding is also available for building projects (bricks and mortar) through the New Century Community Fund program. Recent budget cuts, however, have reduced the available of funds for these grants. The deadline for applications is December 1st. For more information and to get on the mailing list, contact Amy Cole Ives at (207) 287-2132.

Q. What are Rehabilitation Tax Credits and how can they help me?

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program is one of the nation's most successful and cost-effective community revitalization programs. The program fosters private sector rehabilitation of historic buildings and promotes economic revitalization. It also provides a strong alternative to government ownership and management of such historic properties. The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives are available for buildings that are National Historic Landmarks, that are listed in the National Register, and that contribute to National Register Historic Districts and certain local historic districts. Properties must be income-producing and must be rehabilitated according to standards set by the Secretary of the Interior.

In 1999, Maine passed legislation to provide the same Rehabilitation Tax Credits at the state level. Currently, amendments are being sought to make this important statewide tax incentive program even more effective in preserving income-producing buildings and fighting sprawl. For more information, contact Amy Cole Ives at the Maine Historic Preservation Commission at (207) 287-2132.

The Historic Preservation Tax Incentives have proven an invaluable tool in revitalizing communities and preserving the historic places that give cities, towns, and rural areas their special character. The Historic Preservation Tax Incentives generate jobs, both during the construction phase and in the spin-off effects of increased earning and consumption. Rehabilitation of historic buildings attracts new private investment to the historic core of cities and towns and is crucial to the long-term economic health of many communities. Enhanced property values generated by the Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program result in augmented revenues for local and state government through increased property, business, and income taxes. Historic Preservation Tax Incentives also create moderate and low-income housing in historic buildings

Q. Where can I find more information to care for my historic building ?

For over 25 years, Technical Preservation Services (TPS) of the

National Park Service has helped home owners, preservation professionals, organizations, and government agencies by publishing printed pamphlets and books--easy-to-read guidance on preserving, rehabilitating and restoring historic buildings. TPS has now placed many of its popular classics, together with new interactive "web classes," on one site so you can access them more easily. The Good Guides is devoted to all aspects of caring for historic buildings - from choosing an appropriate treatment to actually "doing" the work in a way that meets historic preservation standards. And we've been expanding it to meet your needs!

Q. What Can I Do to Help Protect My Historic Property? Click for great tools and information.

Q. Can you please help me understand the steps I need to take in creating a local historic district ?

The order of the steps will depend upon whether the local government already has a process in place for creating a local historic district.

1. Find out if the local government has a system for creating local districts. If it does, go to step 3. If it doesn't, go to step 2.
2. Ask the State Historic Preservation Office what the State authorizing statutes have to say about establishing local historic preservation programs and local districts. Go to step 3.
3. Find out the eligibility criteria for becoming a local district and what the benefits/consequences are for being located in a historic district. Go to step 4.
4. Given the answers to the issues in step 3, find out from community members whether or not they think that this is worth while at least investigating. If you don't have community support, you probably will have difficulty in getting the local political support necessary to move the process along. If you are successful, go to step 5.
5. Find someone with the requisite expertise to help you determine whether the community meets the eligibility criteria. If it does, go to step 6.
6. Hold a community meeting or survey community members to get a more formal expression of support to pursue local designation as a local district. If successful, go to step 7.
7. Approach the local government a) entity responsible for historic preservation at the local level or b) if there is no local historic preservation program, the entity that State law requires to initiate the process for establishing a local program. Go to step 8.
8. Assist and encourage the local government a) to follow its certification procedures to designate the community as a local historic district or b) to take the steps necessary to establish a local historic preservation program and then use that system to designate the community as a local historic district.