About the National Register of Historic Places

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[Graphic image] National Register of Historic Places

[Photo] Community Center of Goddard College Greatwood Campus, originally a hay barn and silos, in Plainfield, Vermont

The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources. Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. For more information on how to nominate a property to the National Register, visit our Listing a property page.

Included among the over 80,000 listings that make up the National Register are:

All historic areas in the National Park System;
Over 2,400 National Historic Landmarks, which have been designated by the Secretary of the Interior because of their importance to all Americans;
Properties across the country that have been nominated by governments, organizations, and individuals because they are significant to the nation, to a state, or to a community.

National Register properties are distinguished by having been documented and evaluated according to uniform standards. These criteria recognize the accomplishments of all peoples who have contributed to the history and heritage of the United States and are designed to help state and local governments, Federal agencies, and others identify important historic and archeological properties worthy of preservation and of consideration in planning and development decisions.

Listing in the National Register contributes to preserving historic properties in a number of ways:

Recognition that a property is of significance to the Nation, the State, or the community.
Consideration in the planning for Federal or federally assisted projects.
Eligibility for Federal tax benefits.
Qualification for Federal assistance for historic preservation, when funds are available.

Contact Us

The National Register archive is open Monday-Thursday 9:00am to noon. For security reasons, an appointment is necessary for access to the archives. The Reference Desk may be reached at 202-354-1496 to schedule an appointment.

Because USPS mail in Washington, DC, is irradiated, we recommend sending official correspondence to us by direct or overnight mail at the following address:

National Register of Historic Places
National Park Service
1201 Eye St., NW
8th Floor (MS 2280)
Washington, DC 20005
Main telephone: 202-354-2213
Send us an email:
General questions about the National Register
Reference questions about using the National Register collection and requesting copies of nominations and publications. (If requesting information, please include your mailing address, and for nominations, please include the property name, county, and state.)
NRIS Database questions about how to use the system
Teaching with Historic Places questions
Travel Itinerary questions

Comments or Questions
SEB/TCP

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