The National Register is the federal government's official list of historic buildings and other
cultural resources worthy of preservation.  Along with providing recognition of a property's
significance, National Register listing identifies properties for planning purposes and in so doing
assures that these properties will be taken into account in the planning of federally funded or licensed projects.  In addition, through the Tax Reform Act of 1986, owners of income-producing properties listed in the National Register are eligible for federal tax incentives for
rehabilitation activities on properties which meet preservation standards.

Entry on the National Register does not place any obligations or legal restrictions on the use or disposition of the property by the owner.  National Register designation is not the same as
historic district zoning or local landmark designation which often requires maintenance and
repair standards.  National Register designation requires owner consent and does not
encourage public access to the property.

Before a property is considered for the National Register, extensive research and field
evaluation for the preparation of a National Register nomination form is conducted by the
Tennessee Historical Commission or some other qualified individual or organization such as the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.  The nomination of the property is then presented for approval to the Tennessee National Register Review Board at one of its regularly scheduled meetings.  Upon review and approval by the Board, the nomination is forwarded to the National Park Service in the United States Department of the Interior in
Washington, D.C. (the federal department responsible for administering the National Register program) for final consideration for the National Register.


What does the National Register do?

1.  Identify historically significant buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts, according to the National Register Criteria for Evaluation.

2.  Encourage the preservation of historic properties by documenting the significance of historic properties and by lending support to local preservation activities.

3.  Enable federal, state, and local agencies to consider historic properties in the early stages of planning projects.

4.  Provide for review of federally funded, licensed, or sponsored projects which may affect
historic properties.

5.  Make owners of historic properties eligible to apply for federal grants-in-aid for preservation activities (this applies only to properties owned by government agencies or nonprofit groups, not individuals).

6.  Encourage the rehabilitation of income-producing historic properties which meet
preservation standards through tax incentives; discourage the demolition of income-producing
properties through tax disincentives.