17VAC10-20-100. 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.
Statutory Authority
§ 10.1-2202 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR392-01-02 § 3.7, eff. February 9, 1994.
17VAC10-20-110. Integrity.
In addition to determining the property's significance, the director shall determine its integrity. As set out in 17VAC10-20-50, a property's integrity is assessed by examining its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. A property nominated for designation as a National Historic Landmark must retain a high degree of integrity.
Statutory Authority
§ 10.1-2202 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR392-01-02 § 3.8, eff. February 9, 1994.
17VAC10-20-120. Additional National Historic Landmark criteria considerations.
Ordinarily, cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, and properties less than 50 years old are not eligible for designation. Such properties, however, will qualify if they fall within the following categories:
1. A religious property deriving its primary national significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance; or
2. A building or structure removed from its original location but which is nationally significant primarily for its architectural merit, or for association with persons or events of transcendent importance in the nation's history and the association consequential; or
3. A site of a building or structure no longer standing but the person or event associated with it is of transcendent importance in the nation's history and the association consequential; or
4. A birthplace, grave or burial if it is of a historical figure of transcendent national significance and no other appropriate site, building or structure directly associated with the productive life of that person exists; or
5. A cemetery that derives its primary national significance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, or from an exceptionally distinctive design, or from an exceptionally significant event; or
6. A reconstructed building or ensemble of buildings of extraordinary national significance when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other buildings or structures with the same association have survived; or
7. A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own national historical significance; or
8. A property less than 50 years old, if it is of extraordinary national importance.
Statutory Authority
§ 10.1-2202 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR392-01-02 § 3.9, eff. February 9, 1994.