Old buildings are physical representations of past people, places, and ideas. They help us understand our shared history while contributing to our community’s success today and tomorrow. Historic Preservation is the act of protecting and maintaining historic places, materials, and features in our community.

There are lots of ways to do historic preservation. One of the main tools is the National Register of Historic Places, which recognizes important historic buildings that are associated with significant people, places, architectural styles, and ideas.

Other tools include regular building maintenance, restoring buildings to their original appearance, finding new ways to use historic buildings, installing plaques that tell the building’s story, and so much more!

The NRHP is the official list recognizing our nation’s places that are worthy of preserving. This list was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, to coordinate and support both public and private campaigns to protect our history. There are over 100,000 places listed on the NRHP across America! For more info on the NRHP click here and here.

Baker City has over 100 buildings on the NRHP, most of which are inside the Baker City Historic District. Our historic district was established in 1978, along with creating the Historic District Design Review Commission. The HDDRC protects the historic district through preservation standards and guidelines.

The NRHP is an official list that recognizes significant places that deserve to be preserved. With this recognition comes opportunities for federal tax credits, state tax benefits, grant eligibility, building code leniency, and special considerations for development projects. For more info click here.

The NRHP is not a homeowner’s association, and being on the NRHP does not protect a place from being damaged or destroyed. Protections and preservation guidelines for NRHP places can only be created through state and local ordinances.

Baker City’s Historic District Design Review Commission protects the buildings inside the historic district with its guidelines. Access the HDDRC guidelines here.

The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the National Park Service (NPS) have many resources to help you with your historic building.

Historic Building Resources:

• Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties

• Preservation Technical Notes

• NPS Preservation Briefs

• Interpreting the Standards Bulletins

• The Weather Envelope: Roofs, Siding, Doors, & More webinar

• Keeping Your Old Building Historic webinar

• Preservation by Topic glossary

• Preserving Oregon grant

• Oregon Main Street Revitalization grant

Upgrading Historic Buildings:

• Weatherization of Historic Buildings

• Solar Panels on Historic Properties

• Green Roofs on Historic Buildings

Facade Resources:

• Expose Your Transoms bulletin

• Historic Window Preservation webinar

• Diamonds in the Rough grant

Historic Materials Resources:

• A Glossary of Historic Masonry Deterioration Problems and Preservation Treatments

• Keeping it Clean: Removing Exterior Dirt, Paint, Stains, and Graffiti

• Metals in America’s Historic Buildings:

  • Part 1

  • Part 2

  • Part 3

  • Part 4