Section 40. Historic significance

Part III. Resource Evaluation Criteria

Article 1. National Register Criteria for Evaluation

A. In determining whether to nominate a district, site, building, structure, or object to the National Register, the director must determine whether the district, site, building, structure, or object has historic significance. A resource shall be deemed to have historic significance if it meets one or more of the following four criteria:

1. The resource is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or

2. The resource is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or

3. The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, design, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master (for example, an individual of generally recognized greatness in a field such as architecture, engineering, art, or planning, or a craftsman whose work is distinctive in skill or style), or possesses high artistic values, or is a district that taken as a whole embodies one or more of the preceding characteristics, even though its components may lack individual distinction; or

4. The resource has yielded or is likely to yield, normally through archaeological investigation, information important in understanding the broad patterns or major events of prehistory or history.

B. A National Register resource can be of national historic significance, of statewide historic significance, or of local historic significance. The director shall use the following criteria in determining the level of significance appropriate to the resource:

1. A property of national significance offers an understanding of history of the nation by illustrating the nationwide impact of events or persons associated with the property, its architectural type or style, or information potential.

2. A property of statewide historic significance represents an aspect of the history of Virginia as a whole.

3. A property of local historic significance represents an important aspect of the history of a county, city, town, cultural area, or region or any portions thereof.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR392-01-02 § 3.1, eff. February 9, 1994.

Statutory Authority

§ 10.1-2202 of the Code of Virginia.