The Differences in National, Local and State Historic Places

There is a difference...

From a property owner's viewpoint, there are substantial differences between owning a property which is listed in a National Register Historic District and one that is designated as part of a Local Historic District:

THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
is the list of individual buildings, sites, structures and objects, as well as districts with recognized significance in history, prehistory, and architecture. This is a federal program administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the Department of Natural Resources and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

Listing in the Register:
* recognizes that the resource is important to the history of the local community, the state, or the nation
* allows the owners of income-producing properties certain federal tax incentives for renovation
* provides limited protection from adverse effects by federally funded, licensed, or assisted projects
* in no way limits the owner's use of the property unless public funding is used. If your property is listed in the National Register you may do anything there are no added restrictions to the use of your property.
* the district cannot be listed if a majority of property owners submit notarized objections to the State Office.

LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS
are established and administered by the City of Pawtucket and the Pawtucket Historic District Commission. Their purpose is to preserve the unique characteristics of the buildings and their surroundings and to encourage the builders of new structures in the districts to choose architectural designs which complement the historic buildings.

Inclusion in a Local Historic District:
* recognizes the property's relationship to an area that has distinctive historic character
* provides for the review of proposed exterior changes by the City of Pawtucket Historic District Commission. When changes are to be made, the owner must acquire a Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed work.

DOWNTOWN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT INFORMATION MEETING
The Pawtucket Department of Planning and Redevelopment is holding a public information meeting on the proposed Downtown Pawtucket National Register Historic District at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center Theater, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket, Wednesday, November 1st at 7:00 p.m. Click here for flyer.

The proposed National Register Historic District is a GOOD thing and will qualify property owners for tax credit financial incentives to restore their buildings. The proposed district is NOT a Local Historic District--National Register listing DOES NOT place restrictions on what an owner can do with their property! If you are a downtown property owner or simply interested in the National Register program or fixing up downtown, please come to the meeting. Representatives from the Pawtucket Department of Planning and Redevelopment and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission will be there to answer your questions.