Historic Contexts, National Register of Historic Places Research Page -- National Register of Historic Places Official Website--Part of the National Park Service

Historic Contexts

Underwater shipwreck in one of the Great Lakes from Shipwrecks of Isle Royale National Park TR and Boulevard Diner from the Diners of Massachusetts MPS
National Register photos

Approximately one-third of the over 80,000 historic places listed in the National Register of Historic Places have been submitted as components of Multiple Property Submissions (MPS). MPS cover documents contain valuable historic context information on groups of properties around the country. As a keystone in building the National Register's digital documents library, multiple covers and historic contexts have been digitized and are available as pdfs through the National Register Information System database.

By making this information available online, we hope to aid States, Federal agencies, tribes and local governments and other preservation professionals avoid duplication of effort as they initiate multiple property documentation, develop historic contexts, and evaluate historic and archeological properties. Much of the research conducted or the evaluation methodologies detailed in existing MPS documentation may be applicable to other communities, States or geographic areas, and the bibliographies may be helpful as well. While the MPS format is especially useful for evaluating properties' eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, MPS documents also are a useful resource for planning, heritage education and tourism.

National Historic Landmark theme studies are another valuable source of historic context documentation. A list of theme studies that have been conducted, that are underway and those available online may be found at the National Historic Landmarks web site.

The National Register Bulletin: How to Complete the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form provides guidance on using the MPS format in conjunction with downloadable multiple property documentation form templates.

Notes: Prior to the introduction of the term Multiple Property Submission in 1984, multiple property nominations were called Thematic Resources (TRs) or Multiple Resource Areas (MRAs).

MPS documentation related to archeology is included in Appendix 1 of Guidelines for Evaluating and Registerering Archeological Properties, a recent National Register Bulletin published in 2000. MPS documentation on Historic Residential Suburbs in the United States, 1830-1960 was developed in tandem with the National Register Bulletin entitled Historic Residential Suburbs: Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places, published in 2002.