Preservation is most effective in communities that have historic preservation programs managed at the local government level. Technical assistance, advice, and educational programs are available to municipalities and preservation organizations to develop preservation plans, establish local historic district ordinances, investigate alternatives for preserving key buildings, and explore strategies for promoting heritage tourism and commercial and neighborhood revitalization.
Options available to municipalities in Pennsylvania for protection of historic resources include designating historic districts under local ordinance as authorized by the 1961 Historic District Act (Act 167) (PDF, 24.5 KB) as well as using provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 67 & 68, Article 6, Section 603-8-7-G-2 and Section 604) that authorizes municipalities to use zoning for protection and preservation purposes. Municipal ordinances adopted under the Historic District Act must be certified by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), by resolution, before the ordinance takes effect. The PHMC has a policy and checklist (PDF, 129 KB) to facilitate the certification process.
In addition, municipalities in Pennsylvania with ordinances that protect and regulate historic properties may be eligible for the federal Certified Local Government (CLG) status, a program authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act. Funding is available through the CLG program to assist such municipalities to carry out their preservation mission. To see if your municipality currently has a locally designated historic district and if it is also participating in the Certified Local Government program, please contact your regional Community Preservation Coordinator (see map below).
Historic District Designation
in Pennsylvania
by Michel R. Lefèvre
“All the essential information you’ll need for forming a historic district is in this booklet!” —Terry Hudson
From the initial stage of designation, to the creation of public support, and ultimately the protection of the district, “Historic District Designation in Pennsylvania,” updated in 2007 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, includes a step-by-step procedure to establishing a historic district under Pennsylvania 's Historic District Act.
"Historic District Designation in Pennsylvania" (PDF, 2.29 MB) is available to you right now. Click on the title to download your FREE copy. The booklet is in Adobe.pdf format and requires the Adobe Acrobat reader to be viewed and printed. The software is available free of charge from the link below.
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| For assistance or more information, contact the following Community Preservation Coordinators:
Bill Callahan (Western PA)
412.565.3575
wcallahan@pa.gov
Bryan Van Sweden (Central PA)
717.772.5071
bvansweden@pa.gov
Cory Kegerise (Eastern PA)
215.219.3824
ckegerise@pa.gov |
Community Preservation Coordinator Regions
(click image to download larger pdf version, 300 KB) |
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Additional information such as Certified Local Government Guidelines and our Historic District Handbook are available by contacting our office.
Please note:
By submitting materials with respect to state or federal historic preservation programs administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), you grant to the PHMC the rights to:
1. Use the materials for education and promotional purposes and to promote the mission of the PHMC;
2. Publish the materials on the PHMC Web site; and
3. Make the materials available to researchers and scholars.
