Section III: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register of Historic Places Bulletin (NRB 15)

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National Register Bulletin How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service

III. HOW TO USE THIS BULLETIN TO EVALUATE A PROPERTY

For a property to qualify for the National Register it must meet one of the National Register Criteria for Evaluation by:

Being associated with an important historic context and
Retaining historic integrity of those features necessary to convey its significance.

Information about the property based on physical examination and documentary research is necessary to evaluate a property's eligibility for the National Register. Evaluation of a property is most efficiently made when following this sequence:

Categorize the property (Part IV). A property must be classified as a district, site, building, structure, or object for inclusion in the National Register.
Determine which prehistoric or historic context(s) the property represents (Part V). A property must possess significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, or culture when evaluated within the historic context of a relevant geographic area.
Determine whether the property is significant under the National Register Criteria (Part VI). This is done by identifying the links to important events or persons, design or construction features, or information potential that make the property important.
Determine if the property represents a type usually excluded from the National Register (Part VII). If so, determine if it meets any of the Criteria Considerations.
Determine whether the property retains integrity (Part VIII). Evaluate the aspects of location, design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling, and association that the property must retain to convey its historic significance.

If, after completing these steps, the property appears to qualify for the National Register, the next step is to prepare a written nomination. (Refer to the National Register bulletin How to Complete the National Register Registration Form.)

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