Making life easier for Preservation People since 2007

LET’S DOCUMENT YOUR BUILDING’S HISTORY!

The National Register of Historic Places is the gateway to accessing financial incentives including grants, historic tax credits, and (depending on your state) other property and/or sales tax exemptions. Whether you’re a property owner, government agency, or nonprofit organization, you can count on Steph McDougal to help you navigate and complete the National Register process.

Need to know if your building is even eligible for the National Register? Each project starts with a formal request for a Determination of Eligibility (DOE) from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Or, if you are planning to pursue historic tax credits, a Part 1 (or state equivalent) tax credit application. DOEs and Part 1s typically require 4-6 weeks to prepare. The purpose of the DOE/Part 1 is to provide the SHPO with enough information to say, “This sounds good; tell us more!” This also allows us to discuss the nomination strategy before continuing with additional work. Fees depend on how much information is already available and the complexity of the building/site.

If you already have a DOE or Part 1/equivalent, great!

The National Register nomination builds upon the very basic research and writing included in the DOE or Part 1/equivalent. Typically, the preparation of this document takes 90-120 days, depending on the complexity of the case for significance and the availability of historical/archival data. Fees depend on the location of the subject property, travel costs, and whether pre-existing research and writing have been completed that we can use (instead of creating everything from scratch). The nomination also requires several dozen current photographs of the subject property, including building interiors.

After the nomination is drafted, reviewed by the SHPO, and revised (if necessary), it goes to a State Board of Review for preliminary consideration. Each SHPO works with a Board of volunteer historians to review nominations and formally recommend them to the National Park Service, which maintains the National Register. After the National Park Service approves the nomination, it is formally listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Register process in total usually takes about 18-24 months to complete.

PREVIOUS NATIONAL REGISTER LISTINGS

  • Christensen Castle (co-author), approved by State Board of Review, May 2024
  • Mayfair Building, Tyler, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (co-author), approved by State Board of Review, January 2024
  • San Marcos “Colored” School Home Economics Building, San Marcos, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (co-author), approved by State Board of Review, January 2024
  • Longhorn Ballroom, Dallas, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (co-author), 2024
  • Plaza Theater, Vernon, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (co-author), 2023
  • Eldorado Ballroom, Houston, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (co-author), 2021
  • Bayou Brae Historic District, League City, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (first 1960s subdivision to be listed in the State of Texas), completed by high school intern John Falavolito under my supervision, 2021
  • Old Bayview Cemetery, Corpus Christi, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (co-author), 2020
  • Gage Hotel, Marathon, Texas. National Register of Historic Places (co-author), 2020
  • Park-to-Park Residential Historic District, Fort Madison, Iowa. National Register of Historic Places, 2014
  • Commercial Historic District, Eagle Lake, Texas. National Register of Historic Places, 2007

HISTORIC CONTEXT STUDIES

  • Civil Rights Movement in Fort Collins, Colorado, 7 individual historic contexts, 2022–2023
  • African American History in Conway, Arkansas, 2021