Center for Historic Preservation

National Register | Historic Sites | Heritage Tourism | Building Conservation

National Register Services

Center staff, working with and supervising graduate assistants and students, regularly prepare individual, district, and multiple property nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. Administered by the National Park Service, this is the official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.  The National Register process involves review and approval by the Tennessee Historical Commission staff and State Review Board before final approval can be given by the National Register staff in Washington, DC.  To date, the Center has successfully nominated nearly 200 nominations to the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee and Alabama.

A particular focus is on sites from the recent past (such as the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis), Civil Rights sites (Birmingham Civil Rights MPS, schools (Castle Heights in Lebanon and Tennessee State University in Nashville, Rosenwald Schools (Free Hills Rosenwald School in Clay County), Civil War-era sites (Rippavilla in Columbia and Freed House in Trenton), African-American churches and cemeteries (Hackney Chapel AME Zion Church in Loudon and Alexandria Cemeteries in DeKalb County), and farms (Leech-Larkin Farm in Dickson County).

Identification of National Register-eligible properties often occurs as a result of research and survey for existing Center initiatives, such as the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Rural African-American Church Survey Program, the Tennessee Century Farms Program, and the Tennessee Slave Housing Survey.

Several of the Center's nominations were multiple property submissions (MPS).  The MPS cover documents are a valuable tool.  Once completed, these thematic or geographic contexts provide a basis for the Center or others to prepare individual nominations of related properties which fall within the scope of the MPS cover.

The Center's MPS covers are available by clicking on the links below.  They include:

     Chickamauga-Chattanooga Civil War-Related Sites in Georgia and Tennessee MPS
     Historic and Architectural Resources of Dyersburg MPS
     Historic and Architectural Resources of Union City MPS
     Historic County Courthouses of Tennessee MPS
     Historic Family Farms in Middle Tennessee MPS
     Historic Rural African-American Churches in Tennessee MPS
     Transformation of the Nolichucky Valley MPS
    

Searching for National Register-listed properties

To search for a National Register-listed property, click on the National Park Service's National Register Information System.  To see a list of National Register nominations prepared by the Center, click on CHP NR Listing.

Ways to Prepare a National Register Nomination

1)  Research and write the nomination yourself with technical assistance from the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC), which is the State Historic Preservation Office that administers the National Register program for Tennessee.  While this is a federal program, submission requirements differ from state to state.  Contact the THC at 615.532.1550.

2)  Hire a private historic preservation consultant to research and write the nomination and provide the maps, slides, and photography.  The cost of hiring a consultant to complete a nomination ranges from $1,000 to $20,000+ depending on the quality of the consultant, the amount of work required, and the size of the property or district.

3)  Contract with us, the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, to research and write the nomination and provide the maps, slides, and photography.  To begin, we will schedule an initial site visit to determine whether your property is eligible.  costs associated with National Register projects vary depending on necessary travel, mapping, photography, and the size and complexity of the property.

Working with the Center to Prepare a National Register Nomination

Getting a National Register Eligibility Assessment
The Center invites local governments, chambers of commerce, state agencies, and private property owners to contact us about the possible preparation of National Register of Historic Places nominations.  This National Register eligibility assessment is done free-of-charge as a public service.  Contact Elizabeth Moore, Fieldwork Coordinator, for more information on getting a National register eligibility assessment.

Prior to an assessment of the property, we ask that property owners submit the following materials:

(1)  Photographs of the property.
(2)  A property tax map showing the location of the property.
(3)  Directions to the property.
(4)  As much history about the property as is known and/or already written.
(5)  A letter of support from the property owner.

Before assessing a property, Middle Tennessee State University requires that private property owners submit a letter outlining the service they are requesting and granting us permission to enter the property.

We carry out these projects as part of the university's service to the state and as training for our graduate students.  Thus, we do not charge for any staff time or office expenses.  However, all National Register nominations require considerable out-of-pocket expenses for the record photography, mapping, and our travel.   We ask property owners to consider helping us defray those costs through a donation to our account at the MTSU Foundation once the project is completed and the nomination approved.  Staff can estimate a projected cost once a property has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register.

Contracting with the CHP to Prepare a National Register Nomination
If we determine your property is eligible for listing in the National Register and you decide that you are interested in pursuing listing with our assistance, please send a letter to Elizabeth Moore so that we may place your project in our project queue.   Due to our current workload and the it may take several months before we can begin any new National Register projects.   To produce a draft to submit to the Tennessee Historical Commission generally takes at least one year to complete after the documentation process begins.