HISTORIC DESIGNATION: THE MISUNDERSTOOD DEVELOPMENT TOOL
The downtown historic district in Shullsburg bustles with activity.
There are several tried-and-true economic and community development tools for downtown and neighborhood revitalization. One that can be effective and sometimes even vital to such efforts is historic designation. Having properties officially listed as historic can afford local, state, and federal protections and incentives for their maintenance, repair, renovation, or restoration. Although the mention of historic designation sometimes elicits negative connotations, these are largely based on myths, misinformation, and misconceptions.
My wife and I live in a historic district. One day, a real estate agent was showing the house next door to potential buyers. We overheard her telling them it was on the national register, so they would have to get approval before remodeling the kitchen. I so badly wanted to jump over our picket fence and tell her she was wrong! Misconceptions like this are so ingrained that even people who should know better sometimes spread falsehoods they heard from someone else.
The best way to combat these misconceptions is with education. Let’s examine historic designations, their history, and how they work in practice to help dispel the misinformation.
