Section 40. Standards for evaluating significance within registered historic districts

A. Some properties listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register, primarily historic districts, are resources whose concentration or continuity possesses greater historical significance than many of their individual component buildings and structures. These usually are documented as a group rather than individually. Accordingly, this type of documentation is not conclusive for the purposes of this part. The owner shall supplement this documentation using Part 1 of the Historic Preservation Certification Application, providing information on the significance of the specific property, as set forth in 17VAC10-30-30 C.

B. The Department of Historic Resources evaluates properties located within registered historic districts to determine if they contribute to the historic significance of the district by applying the following standards:

1. A property contributing to the historic significance of a district is one that by location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association adds to the district's sense of time and place and historical development.

2. A property not contributing to the historic significance of a district is one that does not add to the district's sense of time and place and historical development, or one where the location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association have been so altered or have so deteriorated that the overall integrity of the building has been irretrievably lost.

3. Ordinarily buildings that have been built within the past 50 years shall not be considered to contribute to the significance of a district unless a strong justification concerning their historical or architectural merit is given or the historical attributes of the district are considered to be less than 50 years old.

C. Certifications of significance will be made on the appearance and condition of the property before the beginning of the rehabilitation work.

D. If a nonhistoric surface material obscures a building's facade, it may be necessary for the owner to remove all or a portion of the surface material before requesting certification so that a determination of significance can be made. After the material has been removed, if the obscured facade has retained substantial historic integrity and the property otherwise contributes to the significance of the historic district, it will be determined to be a certified historic structure.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 22, Issue 13, eff. April 5, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 10, eff. February 10, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§§ 10.1-2202 and 58.1-339.2 of the Code of Virginia.