 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Frequently Asked QuestionsHere are the answers to some of the questions that we are often asked. If your question isn't answered here, do call, write, or email us and ask! 1. Who can fix/replicate/rebuild my ____________?
Check our Preservation Directory for a listing of qualified professionals. If you don't see your category listed, we might be able to help locate more obscure services. Before contacting a professional, you might want to learn more about the technical aspects of your project. The National Park Service has a wonderful series of Preservation Briefs (which should really be called Preservation Not So Briefs) which cover a variety of topics. They can be found at http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm 2. Is there any funding available for my preservation project? Grants for private preservation projects are few and far between, and they usually require that your building be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The few grants that do exist tend to be for public projects, but it's certainly worth researching your options.
A more common way to offset rehabilitation costs is through tax incentives.
Consider placing an easement on your building. The Historic Preservation League of Oregon holds easements on more than 33 buildings around the state. In exchange for agreeing to maintain one's building, a property owner enjoys lower property taxes. To learn more, go to our easements page. There are some organizations that specialize in certain types of buildings. They're not exactly sources of abundant cash, but they offer a wealth of information that's worth checking out.
If you know of another organization that should be included here, tell us about it! 3. Can you tell me about the National Register of Historic Places? The National Register is an honorific list of structures that are worthy of preservation and protection. The National Park Service oversees the program, and has so much information on their site that it's hardly worth replicating here. If you want to find out whether your house is listed on the National Register, contact the State Historic Preservation Office at 503-986-0707 ext. 0672. 4. How can I find out more about the history of my house? Researching a house's history can be fun for the whole family! Click here for more detailed information about how to do it. Chances are, you won't find a pre-written history of your house neatly filed in some archive or library -- it's going to be a do-it-yourself treasure hunt. Most research will involve time in libraries, archives, and government records. You'll find youself marveling about the number of records that our society retains, while tearing your hair out over missing pieces. The bad news is that it's rare to find original blueprints for houses, and it's difficult, if not impossible, to find the names of the architects who designed most common houses ( not all houses were designed by an architect, for that matter). The good news is that there's still a lot of interesting stuff to find out about your house, and who knows -- you might just get lucky and find exactly what you're looking for. 5. Help! How can I save a threatened building? Part of preservation is convincing the owners of a building that they've got a treasure worth keeping. Sometimes the owners are private citizens, sometimes they're the government. The following list will help you to begin your work. Do feel free to contact us and the State Historic Preservation Office (see question #6) for more help. Is it on the National Register of Historic Places or any local historic registers? The point of these registers is to designate structures worthy of preservation and protection, and to document the structures' historical value. Preservation laws are generally directed towards structures listed on the National Register, so you'll have more of an uphill battle if you're trying to save an unlisted building. Is the building being threatened by a federally funded or federally licensed project? That is, is the project receiving federal tax benefits or federal grants? If so, it's required to undergo a Section 106 review in which the parties in question must be aware of the impact of their project on historic resources. It's something like an Environmental Impact Statement, in which the project area is examined for historic resources. This doesn't necessarily stop demolition, but it can help to encourage a body to revise the project to lessen the impact on any historic resources. If your building is designated on a city's register of historic resources, has the project been reveiwed by the city's historic landmarks commission? Local laws, usually found in the zoning code, are often more effective in preserving buildings than are federal laws. There are often required reviews by a landmarks commission and sometimes, it's possible to delay demolition through these laws. Check with your city government to find out about the types of local laws that apply to historic buildings. Is there a way to change the project so that the owner can still have a reasonable use of his/her property, but without demolishing or damaging the historic resource? Sometimes, people just don't realize the value of what they have. Try to come up with positive alternatives -- can the building be re-used? A variety of economic studies show that rehabilitation often makes economic sense. With rehabilitation, money goes towards jobs -- the highly skilled kind -- more than towards materials and waste disposal. Have you publicized your building? We're always looking for articles for our quarterly newsletter, Field Notes. Contact us for more details. 6. What's the State Historic Preservation Office(SHPO)? You probably notice that we refer to the SHPO a lot. That's because it's a very important preservation resource. We, the Historic Preservation League of Oregon, are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. As such, we are free to offer advice, advocate for the preservation of buildings, lobby for preservation legislation (within certain limits), and generally try to preserve Oregon's heritage in any way that we can. We can't, however, enforce preservation laws, oversee the National Register, or administer the Special Assessment program. That's where the SHPO comes in. It's part of the Oregon Parks Department, and the employees at the SHPO are responsible for ensuring that the rules and regulations regarding historic preservation are met within the state of Oregon. If you want to nominate a property to the National Register, you'll do it through the SHPO. If you're interested in the Special Assessment program, talk to the SHPO. If you want to learn more about what they do, look at their website. 7. Aaack! My question isn't answered here! E-mail us with your question. Try to be as specific as possible.
Write us at 3534 SE Main Street, Portland, Oregon 97214. |