Section 100. Historic significance

Article 2. National Historic Landmark Criteria for Evaluation

In determining whether to nominate a resource for designation as a National Historic Landmark, the director must determine whether the resource has national significance. The quality of national significance is ascribed to districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States in history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture. A resource shall be deemed to have national significance for the purpose of this section if it meets one or more of the following six criteria:

1. The resource is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to, and are identified with, or that outstandingly represent, the broad national patterns of United States history and from which an understanding and appreciation of those patterns may be gained; or

2. The resource is associated importantly with the lives of persons nationally significant in the history of the United States; or

3. The resource represents some great idea or ideal of the American people; or

4. The resource embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen exceptionally valuable for a study of a period, style or method of construction, or that represent a significant, distinctive, and exceptional entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or

5. The resource is composed of integral parts of the environment not sufficiently significant by reason of historical association or artistic merit to warrant individual recognition but collectively compose an entity of exceptional historical or artistic significance, or outstandingly commemorate or illustrate a way of life or culture; or

6. The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information of major scientific importance by revealing new cultures, or by shedding light upon periods of occupation over large areas of the United States. Such sites are those which have yielded, or which may reasonably be expected to yield, data affecting theories, concepts and ideas to a major degree.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR392-01-02 § 3.7, eff. February 9, 1994.

Statutory Authority

§ 10.1-2202 of the Code of Virginia.