APPENDIX V
THE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS CRITERIA
The quality of national significance is ascribed to districts, sites,
buildings, structures, and objects that possess exceptional value
or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United
States in history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture
and that possess a high degree of integrity of location, design, setting,
materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:
- That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution
to, and are identified with, or that outstandingly represent, the
broad national patterns of United States history and from which
an understanding and appreciation of those patterns may be gained;
or
- That are associated importantly with the lives of persons nationally
significant in the history of the United States; or
- That represent some great idea or ideal of the American people;
or
- That embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural
type specimen exceptionally valuable for a study of a period, style
or method of construction, or that represent a significant, distinctive
and exceptional entity whose components may lack individual distinction;
or
- That are composed of integral parts of the environment not sufficiently
significant by reason of historical association or artistic merit
to warrant individual recognition but collectively compose an entity
of exceptional historical or artistic significance, or outstandingly
commemorate or illustrate a way of life or culture; or
- That have yielded or may be likely to yield information of major
scientific importance by revealing new cultures, or by shedding
light upon periods of occupation over large areas of the United
States. Such sites are those which have yielded, or which may reasonably
be expected to yield, data affecting theories, concepts and ideas
to a major degree.
NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK EXCLUSIONS
Ordinarily, cemeteries, birthplaces, 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 and properties that have achieved significance
within the past fifty years are not eligible for designation. If
such properties fall within the following categories they may, nevertheless,
be found to qualify:
- A religious property deriving its primary national significance
from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance;
or
- A building or structure removed from its original location but
which is nationally significant primarily for its architectural
merit, or for association with persons or events of transcendent
importance in the nation's history and the association consequential;
or
- A site of a building or structure no longer standing but the person
or event associated with it is of transcendent importance in the
nations's history and the association consequential; or
- A birthplace, grave or burial if it is of a historical figure
of transcendent national significance and no other appropriate site,
building, or structure directly associated with the productive life
of that person exists; or
- A cemetery that derives its primary national significance from
graves of persons of transcendent importance, or from an exceptionally
distinctive design or an exceptionally significant event; or
- A reconstructed building or ensemble of buildings of extraordinary
national significance when accurately executed in a suitable environment
and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master
plan, and when no other buildings or structures with the same association
have survived; or
- A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition,
or symbolic value has invested it with its own national historical
significance; or
- A property achieving national significance within the past 50
years if it is of extraordinary national importance.
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