Clockwise from bottom left: a site, a building, a structure and an object. All examples of National Register of Historic Places property types.

The U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) classifies its listings by various types of properties. Listed properties generally fall into one of five categories, though there are special considerations for other types of properties which do not fit into these five broad categories or fit into more specialized subcategories. The five general categories for NRHP properties are: building, structure, object, site, and district. In addition, historic districts consist of contributing and non-contributing properties. Historic districts possess a concentration, linkage or continuity of the other four types of properties. Objects, structures, buildings and sites within a historic district are united historically or aesthetically, either by choice or by the nature of their development. A property of an object is some intrinsic or extrinsic quality of that object, where the nature of the object in question will depend on the field, as, for example, indicated below. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

Buildings, as defined by the National Register, are distinguished in the traditional sense. Examples include a house, barn, hotel, church or similar construction. They are created primarily to shelter human activity. The term building, as in outbuilding, can be used to refer to historically and functionally related units, such as a courthouse and a jail or a barn and a house.^[1] A house in Pathanapuram, Kerala (India). ... A barn in southern Ontario, Canada A gambrel-roofed barn in Wisconsin A barn in Poland A Thomas Ranck Round Barn in Fayette County, Indiana A barn (bawrn) is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. ... Dariush Grand Hotel,Kish island, Iran The 4-star Manor House Hotel at Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England. ... It has been suggested that Ecclesia (Church) be merged into this article or section. ...

Structures differ from buildings, in that they are functional constructions meant to be used for purposes other than sheltering human activity. Examples include, an aircraft, a grain elevator, a gazebo and a bridge. Objects are usually artistic in nature, or small in scale when compared to structures and buildings. Though objects may be movable they are generally associated with a specific setting or environment. Examples of objects include, monuments, sculptures and fountains. Sites are the location of significant events which can be prehistoric or historic in nature and represent activities, buildings (standing, ruined or vanished). With sites it is the location itself which is of historical interest and it possesses cultural or archaeological value regardless of the value of any structures which may currently exist on the location. Examples of sites include, shipwrecks, battlefields, campsites, natural features and rock shelters. Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A large ass gazebo on the grounds of Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA This gazebo inside the spacious Singapore Botanic Gardens also serves as a bandstand. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... The Taj Mahal, commissioned by the Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum for his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum. ... A sculpture is a three-dimensional object, which for the purposes of this article is man-made and selected for special recognition as art. ... The worlds highest fountain: King Fahds Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Three traditional fountain features: a low jet, a pair of raised basins, and sculpture with a water theme, here hippocamps (Villa Borghese, Rome) A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons... Campsites are often situated in or near forests. ... A rock shelter is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff. ...

General categories

Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Fallingwater is an example of a building.

Listed properties generally fall into one of five categories, though there are special considerations for other types of properties which do not fit into these five broad categories or fit into more specialized subcategories. The five general categories for NRHP properties are: building, structure, object, site, and district.^[1] In addition, historic districts consist of contributing and non-contributing properties. Image File history File linksMetadata FallingwaterWright. ... Image File history File linksMetadata FallingwaterWright. ... Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was one of the worlds most prominent and influential architects. ... Fallingwater is now a museum, open to the public. ...

When multiple like properties are submitted as a group and listed together, they are know as a Multiple Property Submission. Old Slater Mill, a historic district in Rhode Island, has the distinction of carrying the NRHP reference number 66000001, technically making it the first property added to National Register on November 13, 1966. ...

Building

Buildings, as defined by the National Register, are distinguished in the traditional sense. Examples include a house, barn, hotel, church or similar construction. They are created primarily to shelter human activity. The term building, as in outbuilding, can be used to refer to historically and functionally related units, such as a courthouse and a jail or a barn and a house.^[1]

Buildings included on the National Register of Historic Places must have all of their basic structural elements as parts of buildings, such as ells, wings, interiors or facades are not independently eligible for the National Register. As such, the whole building is considered during the nomination and its significant features must be identified. If a nominated building has lost any of its basic structural elements it is considered a ruin and categorized as a site.^[1] An ell is a wing of a building, often a farm house that lies perpendicular to the main portion of the house. ... West facade of the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg Cathedral A facade (or façade) (Pronounced fa-sa-de) is generally the exterior of a building — especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. ... Rocky landscape with ruins, by Nicolaes Berchem, ca. ...

Historic districts

Historic districts often encompass numerous buildings, such as these in the Oregon Commercial Historic District, in Illinois.

Main article: Historic district (United States)

The National Register of Historic Places defines a historic district per U.S. federal law, last revised in 2004.^[2] According to the Register definition a historic district is: "a geographically definable area, urban or rural, possessing a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united by past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development. A district may also comprise individual elements serparated geographically but linked by association or history."^[2] Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Helvenston House, part of the Ocala Historic District, in Ocala, Florida. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ...

A contributing property is any building, structure, object or site within the boundaries of the district which contributes to its historic associations, historic architectural qualites or archaeological qualites of a historic district. Another key aspect of the contributing property is historic integrity. Significant alterations to a property can damage its physical connections with the past, lowering its historic integrity.^[3] Broadly defined, a contributing property is any property, structure or object which adds to the historical intergrity or architectural qualities that make a historic district, listed locally or federally, significant. ... This article is about the built environment. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... A historic district in the United States is a group of buildings, properties or sites that have been designated by one of several entites on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. ...

As a general rule, contributing properties are what help make a historic district historic. A 19th century Queen Anne mansion, such as the David Syme House, is a contributing property while a modern gas station within the boundaries of historic district is a non-contributing property. The Buttermans, the historic home of John Newman, the butter king, is one of several Queen Anne mansions in Elgin, Illinois The Queen Anne style of British and American architecture reached its greatest popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century, manifesting itself in a number of different ways...

Object

Objects are usually artistic in nature, or small in scale when compared to structures and buildings. Though objects may be movable they are generally associated with a specific setting or environment. Examples of objects include, monuments, sculptures and fountains.^[1] The Taj Mahal, commissioned by the Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum for his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum. ... A sculpture is a three-dimensional object, which for the purposes of this article is man-made and selected for special recognition as art. ... The worlds highest fountain: King Fahds Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Three traditional fountain features: a low jet, a pair of raised basins, and sculpture with a water theme, here hippocamps (Villa Borghese, Rome) A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons...

Objects considered for inclusion on the NRHP, individually or as part of districts, should be designed for a specific location, that is objects such as transportable sculpture, furniture and other decorative arts that lack a specific place are discouraged. Fixed outdoor sculpture, an example of public art, would be a good object for inclusion on the Register. The setting of an object is important in relation to the Register. It should be appropriate to their significant historical use, roles, or character. In addition, objects that have been relocated to a museum are not considered for inclusion on the Register.^[1] welcome:: This is an article about items in a room. ... The decorative arts are traditionally defined as ornamental and functional works in ceramic, wood, glass, metal, or textile. ... The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that has been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. ...

Site

The ruins of this barn in Kentucky Camp Historic District, Arizona, qualify as a site.

Sites are the location of significant events which can be prehistoric or historic in nature and represent activities, buildings (standing, ruined or vanished). With sites it is the location itself which is of historical interest and it possesses cultural or archaeological value regardless of the value of any structures which may currently exist on the location. Examples of sites include, shipwrecks, battlefields, campsites, natural features and rock shelters.^[1] Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Campsites are often situated in or near forests. ... A rock shelter is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff. ...

Sites often possess significance for their potential to yield information in the future, though they are added to the Register under all four of the criteria for inclusion. Sites need not have actual physical remains if it marks the location of a prehistoric or historic event or if there were no buildings or structures present at the time of the events marked by the site. Site determination can take careful evaluation when the location of prehistoric or historic events cannot be conclusively determined. Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ...

Sites are represented by different locales. Sites can be a natural landmark strongly associated with significant prehistoric or historic events. Though, in general, the Register excludes natural waterways or bodies of water, even if they were significant in the historical development of an area. More appropriate documentation of the importance of natural waterways is through nomination and Register inclusion of properties affiliated with the waterways.^[1]

Structure

Brush Creek Bridge in Kansas is an example of a structure.

Structures differ from buildings, in that they are functional constructions meant to be used for purposes other than sheltering human activity. Examples include, an aircraft, a grain elevator, a gazebo and a bridge. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A large ass gazebo on the grounds of Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA This gazebo inside the spacious Singapore Botanic Gardens also serves as a bandstand. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ...

For nominated structures the criteria are applied in much the same fashion as they are for buildings. The basic structural elements must all be intact, no individual parts of the structure are eligible for separate inclusion on the NRHP. An example would be a truss bridge being considered for inclusion. Said truss bridge is composed of metal or wooden truss, abutments and supporting piers; for the property to be considered eligible for the Register all of these elements must extant. Structures which have lost their historic configuration or pattern of organization through demolition or deterioration, much like buildings, are considered ruins and classified as sites.^[1] A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements (typically straight) which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. ... In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units which are constructed with straight slender members whose ends are connected at joints. ... An Abutment is the end supports of a bridge superstructure. ... For the type of foundation, see Deep foundation. ...

Other categories

There are several other different types of historic preservation associated with the properties on the National Register of Historic Places that do not fall into the categories with simple buildings and historic districts. Through the National Park Service the National Register of Historic Places publishes a series of bulletins designed to aid in evaluating and applying the criteria for evaluation against different types of properties.^[1] Though the criteria are always the same, the way they are applied can differ slightly, depending upon the type of property involved. The Register bulletins cover application of the criteria for: aids to navigation, historic battlefields, archaeological sites, aviation properties, cemeteries and burial places, historic designed landscapes, mining sites, post offices, properties associated with significant persons, properties achieving significance within the last 50 years, rural historic landscapes, traditional cultural properties, and vessels and shipwrecks.^[1]

Archaeological sites

Archaeological properties are subject to the same four criteria as other properties under consideration for the NRHP. Archaeological sites also must meet at least one of the criteria. Many listed properties which joined the Register under the first, second and fourth criteria contain intact archaeological deposits. Often, these deposits are undocumented, for example a 19th century farmstead is likely to contain intact, undocumented archaeological deposits.^[4] Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ...

Cultural landscapes

Maritime sites

The SS Jeremiah O'Brien is an example of a maritime property in San Francisco.

By the tenth year of the National Register's existence, 1976, there were 46 shipwrecks and vessels listed on the NRHP.^[5] In 1985 Congress mandated that the National Park Service undertake a survey of historic maritime sites, including military sites, in tandem with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the maritime preservation community. The program was known as the National Maritime Initiative.^[6]The goal of the program was to establish priorities for the preservation of maritime resources and recommend roles for the federal government and the private sector in addressing those priorities. The program categorized the known maritime resources of the United States into one of eight categories. They included: preserved historic vessels, shipwrecks and hulks (those ships not afloat but not submerged entirely), documentation (logs, journals, charts, photos, etc.), aids to navigation (including coast guard stations and life-saving stations), marine sites and structures (wharves, warehouse, waterfronts, docks, canals, etc.), small craft (less than 40 feet long, less than 20 tons displacement), artifact collections (fine art, tools, woodwork, parts of vessels, etc.), intangible cultural resources (shipwright and rigging skills, oral traditions, folklore, etc.).^[7] Image File history File linksMetadata SSJeremiahOBrien. ... Image File history File linksMetadata SSJeremiahOBrien. ... SS Jeremiah OBrien is a Liberty ship built during World War II and named for American Revolutionary War ship captain Jeremiah OBrien (1744–1818). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... From the latin maritimus, maritime refers to things relating to the sea. ... Shipwreck of the SS American Star Shipwreck in the Saugatuck River mouth in Westport, Connecticut A shipwreck or sunken ship can refer to the remains of a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck, such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink, the... A wharf (plural wharfs, or (especially in American English) wharves, collectively wharfing or wharfage) is a fixed platform, commonly on pilings, roughly parallel to and alongside navigable water, where ships are loaded and unloaded. ... Dock can refer to several things: Places for the transfer of people and materials to, from, or between different forms of transport or working with transport: A maritime dock. ... The Canal du Midi, Toulouse, France Canals are man-made channels for water. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ... In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. ... An artifact (also artefact) refers to any object or process resulting from human activity which represents things from the past. ... Fine art refers to arts that are concerned with beauty or which appealed to taste (SOED 1991). ... Intangibles are qualities in an individual or group of individuals, especially those organized in an official group (e. ... Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Oral tradition or oral culture is a way of transmitting history, literature or law from one generation to the next in a civilization without a writing system. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Traditional cultural properties

1992 amendments to the NHPA allowed for a new designation of property type, that of the traditional cultural property (TCP). The amendments established that properties affiliated with traditional religious and cultural importance to a Native American tribe or Native Hawaiian group were eligible for the National Register. TCPs include sacred sites, natural resource collection areas and the occasional archaeological site associated with ancestral Native American groups.^[8] Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... In April of 1990, Daniel K. Akaka became the first native Hawaiian and Chinese American to serve in the United States Congress as a Senator from the State of Hawaii. ...

See also

• Historic preservation
• National Register of Historic Places

Historic preservation, heritage management, or heritage conservation is the theory and practice of creatively maintaining the historic built environment and controlling the landscape component of which it is an integral part. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ...

Notes