Preservation Resources & Law
The Act establishing the Downtown Lowell Historic District and the Lowell Historic Board.
The State Register of Historic Places was established in 1982 as a comprehensive listing of the buildings, structures, objects, and sites that have received designations based on their historical or archaeological significance. Since its establishment, the State Register has added listings for over 60,000 properties in 312 cities and towns.
Federal historic preservation legislation which was enacted in 1966 in response to widespread concern at the loss of historic properties due to the rise of government sponsored public works projects. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 is at the center of historic preservation policy in the United States. The Act also created the National Register of Historic Places, the list of National Historic Landmarks, the positions of State Historic Preservation Officers and the process of Section 106 Review to ensure continued preservation of historic sites.
The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Under federal law, owners of private property listed on the National Register are free to maintain, manage, or dispose of their property as they choose provided that there is no Federal involvement or funding.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires Federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic properties and afford the Council a reasonable opportunity to comment on such undertakings. The goal is to identify historic properties potentially affected by an undertaking (funded partially or completely by federal funding), assess its effects and seek ways to avoid, minimize or mitigate any adverse effects on historic properties.