The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is a National Park Service (NPS) program that recognizes buildings, sites and structures important in our nation’s history, however, it also sometimes conjures up fears of regulation and concerns about private property rights. In reality, the NRHP is an honorific program, and it carries with it no restrictions whatsoever to a private property owner. There are many misconceptions about the NRHP; please read on to learn the true facts about the program.

• Identify historic buildings/structures/sites that are of local, state, or national importance.
• Provide formal recognition of a property’s significance.
• Increase public awareness and appreciation for historic properties.
• Provide archival and research documentation for historic properties.
• Help qualify publicly- or nonprofit-owned properties for certain grant programs.

• Restrict the rights of private property owners to change or dispose of their property in any way – up to and including demolition.
• Automatically provide grants or low interest loans for a property.
• Require that historic properties be restored once listed.
• Require property owners to open their property for public visitation at any time.
• Guarantee the preservation of historic properties.

Generally, a property must be at least 50 years old, possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and it must meet at least one of the four criteria below:

A.  The property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history (history);  or

B. The property is associated with the lives of significant persons in or past (people); or

C. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction (architecture); or

D. has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory (archaeology).

Generally, a property must be at least 50 years old to be considered historic€ and eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. However, properties that have clear, exceptional significance, or that are fragile or disappearing, can be recognized by National Register listing before they are 50 years old.

Anyone may nominate any property to the National Register of Historic Places; however, private property owners are given the opportunity to object to the listing of their individual property and if they do so, their property will not be listed. If a nominated property is part of an historic district, at least 50% of the owners must object or the district will be listed in its entirety.

The NRHP is largely an honorific program and it carries with it no restrictions whatsoever to a private property owner up to, and including, demolition. National Register listing only regulates the use of federal funds that may affect the property and does not impose legal requirements on the private property owner. Once your property is listed, you are free to make any alterations with private funds and do not need prior approval from our office or anyone else to do so.

Please note: Some localities in Idaho have passed local ordinances that may regulate what a property owner can do with their historic property. To find out if your property may be affected by this type of regulation, contact your community’s planning and zoning department.

• The first step toward getting a property listed is to complete and submit a National Register Questionnaire (NRQ) to the SHPO with current photographs. The information in this questionnaire will allow SHPO staff to evaluate the property and determine whether it is likely to be eligible for the NRHP.
• If it is determined that the property is likely eligible for listing, the SHPO will contact you and the next step would be the completion of a National Register Nomination Form.
• Completed nominations are submitted to the Idaho SHPO, with two sets of photos and a full, original USGS Quadrangle map with the property located on it.
  SHPO staff reviews the nomination. The nomination may be sent back for revisions by the preparer if substantive changes or additions are required. SHPO staff is available to work with property owners to provide assistance and guidance in completing the form.
• Once a completed document is in-hand, the nomination is scheduled before the next meeting of the Idaho State Historic Sites Review Board.
  30-60 days prior to the meeting, legal notices are sent to the property owner and local governments.
• The Idaho State Historic Sites Review Board meets and either approves the nomination, rejects the nomination, or conditionally approves it pending modifications.
• Approved nominations are sent to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places at the National Park Service, and if approved, the property is formally listed in the NRHP.

This process generally takes at least 1 year from beginning to end.

Unfortunately, there are limited financial resources available for restoration/rehabilitation work for your historic property. Although some federal grant programs exist on the books, it has been a number of years since Congress has appropriated funds for most them. Properties in Certified Local Government communities can reach out to their local Historic Preservation Commission about the CLG Grant program for help. Owners of certain income-producing properties that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places may qualify for a federal tax credit under the Federal Tax Credit Program.

Other organizations may have limited grant funds available for historic preservation projects for public- or non-profit-owned properties; check their websites for more information:

The National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Idaho Heritage Trust

The Idaho SHPO maintains the list of National Register of Historic Places properties in the State of Idaho.

The Idaho SHPO has scanned all of it National Register nomination forms and most of them are available for download through our interactive map of Historic Places in Idaho. Contact our office to have a digital copy emailed or a hard copy mailed to you. For copies of NRHP nominations for properties located in other states, contact that state’s State Historic Preservation Office.

The Idaho SHPO has scanned all of it National Register nomination forms and most of them are available for download through our interactive map of Historic Places in Idaho. Contact our office to have a digital copy emailed or a hard copy mailed to you. For copies of NRHP nominations for properties located in other states, contact that state’s State Historic Preservation Office.

The Idaho SHPO has scanned all of it National Register nomination forms and most of them are available for download through our interactive map of Historic Places in Idaho. Contact our office to have a digital copy emailed or a hard copy mailed to you. For copies of NRHP nominations for properties located in other states, contact that state’s State Historic Preservation Office.

The National Register of Historic Places nomination form, instructions, and other NPS guidance publications can be found on the National Park Service’s website.

If you have further questions about the form or how to complete it, call (208) 334-3861 or e-mail the Idaho SHPO.

Many sites listed in the National Register arrange for a commemorative plaque. Unfortunately, the Idaho State Historical Society does not issue plaques as a result of listing; rather we leave it up to the individual owners if they are interested in having one. If you do not have a local trophy/plaque store that you prefer, the following list provided by the National Park Service may be helpful. We are not endorsing, authorizing, recommending, or implying any connection to any one company over another, including any company not listed here. Properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places are not required to have plaques.

All-Craft Wellman Products, Inc.
4839 East 345th Street
Willoughby, OH 44094
www.all-craftwellman.com
Phone: 800-340-3899
Fax: 440-946-9648

American Sign Letters
8140 Evernia St, Unit 1
Micco, FL 32976
https://americansignletters.com
Phone: 877-704-5170

Arista Trophies & Awards
25 Portland Avenue
Bergenfield, NJ 07621
p 201 387-2165
f 201 387-0955
http://www.aristatrophies.com/

Atlas Signs and Plaques
Enterprise Drive
Lake Mills, WI 53551
920-648-5647
http://www.atlassignsandplaques.com

Artistic Bronze
13867 NORTHWEST 19TH AVENUE
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33054
800.330.PLAK (7525) 305.681.2876 FAX
http://www.artisticbronze.com/

Blue Pond Signs
4460 Redwood Hwy #9
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: (415) 507-0447
Fax: (415) 507-0451
http://www.bluepondsigns.com/custom-plaques.html

Cerametallics a divison of Meridian Tile Products
101 S. 30th Street Phoenix AZ 85034
602-237-6401
www.cerametallics.com

Classic Bronze Resources, LLC
4628 Whispering Oak Trail
Cincinnati, OH 45247
Phone: 513-600-9048
www.classicbronzeresources.com

Eagle Sign & Design Inc.
901 E. Liberty St.
Louisville, KY 40204
888-561-0007
http://www.eaglesign.com/

Erie Landmark Company
637 Hempfield Hill Road
Columbia, PA 17512
1-800-874-7848
http://www.erielandmark.com

Franklin Bronze Plaques
191 Howard Street Franklin, PA 16323
Toll Free: 866-405-6623
Ph: 814-346-7205 Fax: 814-346-7047
http://www.franklinbronzeplaques.com/

Healy Plaques
P.O. Box 4
60 New River Road
Manville , RI 02838
1-800-995-0981
http://www.healyplaques.com/

Iagulli Signs
2404 43rd Ave. West
Bradenton, FL 34205
941-753-4549
www.buythesign.com

Impact! Signs
26 E Burlington St
La Grange, IL 60525
708-469-7178
www.impactsigns.com/bronze-plaque
sales@impactsigns.com

International Bronze Plaque Company
17031 Alico Commerce Ct. #3
Fort Myers, Fl 33967
https://www.internationalbronze.com/
sales@internationalbronze.com

Lake Shore Industries, Inc.
1817 Poplar Street
P.O. Box 3427
Erie, PA 16508-0427
(800) 458-0463
http://www.lsisigns.com
info@lsisigns.com

MASSILLON PLAQUE
5757 MAYFAIR RD
PO BOX 2539
NORTH CANTON,OHIO 44720
Phone 330-494-4199 ext 240 800-854-8404
http://www.massillonplaque.com/

Metallic Arts
914 North Lake Road
Spokane Valley, Washington 99212
Ph: 1-800-541-3200
Fx: 1-509-483-1759
http://www.metallicarts.com

Southern California Bronze Co.
337 W. Cerritos Ave.
Glendale, CA 91204
818-550-9132
www.socalbronze.com

US Bronze 811 Second Avenue
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
PH: (800) 872-5155
FX: (516) 253-2328
http://www.usbronze.com/plaques-and-seals/plaques/national-register-plaques/

W & E Baum
89 Bannard Street
Freehold, NJ 07728
PH: 800.922.7377
FAX: 732.866.8978
https://www.webaum.com

William G. Pomeroy Foundation
492 E. Brighton Ave.
Syracuse, NY 13210
Phone: 315-913-4060
info@wgpfoundation.org
https://www.wgpfoundation.org/history/national-register/

As far as phrasing is concerned, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office has no formal requirements or suggestions, but here are a few typical and accurate examples:

This property has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

or

(Historic name of your house) has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

You may want to indicate that the property is part of the historic district. In that case you may prefer:

This property is part of the Warm Springs Avenue Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

or

The (historic name) House, part of the Warm Springs Avenue Historic District, has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.