PIERCE COUNTY HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY PROJECT 2009-2010 Pierce County and the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission launched the Comprehensive Survey and Inventory of Historic Properties in Unincorporated Pierce County and Cities in Pierce County without Historic Preservation programs. The foremost goal of the survey and inventory effort is to significantly build the County's documentation and understanding of historic places by fostering partnerships with the citizens, communities and cities of greater unincorporated Pierce County. Additionally, Pierce County and the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission hope to raise awareness of cultural heritage in Pierce County and highlight the financial incentives associated with preservation efforts. Spearheading this project, Artifacts in-house team will collaborate with local archaeology, graphic design, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and editing specialists. Artifacts' scope of work will include: selectively updating previous survey efforts, identifying and surveying additional resources throughout Pierce County and developing a comprehensive, illustrated context statement, available for public use that chronicles land use history in Pierce County. An extensive GIS component is employed within the project to develop a predictive model and provide a public tool, allowing property research and histories to be more accessible to interested home and property owners. Also highlighted in the survey and inventory effort is an extensive public outreach component though the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission and Pierce County Library system. The intent of the outreach is to provide opportunity for self-nomination by property owners for inclusion in the survey process; create an email distribution network to provide project updates and news releases, encouraging an arena for public input and attendance at Pierce County Landmarks Commission meetings. Three public meetings are to be held at end of the project to present findings in spring of 2010, locations in Pierce County to be announced. All final products will be available online through the Pierce County Public Library system. Contacts: PIERCE COUNTY HISTORICAL DOCUMENT SURVEY PROJECT 2009-2010 Pierce County and the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission launched the Comprehensive Historical Document Survey project to be conducted on a countywide basis. Historical documents and records sought for cataloguing include a variety of public, private, governmental, and institutional records in a variety of media. These can include but not limited to: photographs; commercial, public, government and institutional records; maps, surveys and plats; birth and death records; scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, notebooks, diaries, correspondence, family reminiscences, oral history, recordings; architectural drawings; and more. The project organizers are especially interested in documents and records kept in private and institutional repositories. If you have historic documents/records you would like to see included in the Pierce County Historic Document Survey catalogue, please complete the Repository and Collection Information Form to Julia Park, Pierce County Historic Preservation Officer, at jpark@co.pierce.wa.us. Contacts: Introduction The Pierce County Register of Historic Places is one of the important tools utilized by Pierce County to provide public recognition and measures of protection for historically significant properties in Pierce County. Properties are designated to Pierce County Register of Historic Places through nomination processes which include evaluation and determination of their eligibility for listing by the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission and further review and final adoption by the County Council. See Pierce County Register of Historic Places. There are other similar historic registers at the federal and state levels; the National Register of Historic Places and Washington Heritage Register are examples. These are administered by the respective federal and state level agencies. Why would an owner want to designate a property to a historic register?
What kind of tax incentives can a property owner expect? Federal Level: Pierce County Level:
Properties with qualifying open space resources are assessed on the current use basis:
What is the process to nominate a property for designation to the Pierce County Register of Historic Places? A nomination application can be filed with the Planning and Land Services Department. It is customary for property owners to file such a nomination for their own property. If it is not an owner filing an application, owner permission and cooperation must be provided in order to nominate a property for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places. The Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission reviews and determines whether a nominated property is eligible for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places. Once determination is made, the Commission's evaluation and determination is forwarded to the County Council for final action. What makes a property eligible for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places? The criteria used to determine eligibility of a property for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places are similar to those used to determine eligibility for listing in the historic registers at the federal or state levels. A property must be at least fifty years of age, although exceptions may be allowed for special resources, and possess the quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, culture, and have integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The property must meet one or more of the following criteria:
How do I find out about the nomination and designation processes? You may contact Julia Airyang Park, Pierce County Historic Preservation Officer and Senior Planner at the Planning and Land Services Department, via telephone at (253) 798-2783, email jpark@co.pierce.wa.us for information and application guidelines and form. Need more information? Historic Preservation Program Pierce County Planning and Land Services Department Local Tax Incentive Program Pierce County Assessor's Office State and Federal Programs Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Technical Assistance and Preservation Information National Trust for Historic Preservation Washington Trust for Historic Preservation Preservation Links: Washington State Historical Society Internet Resources for Heritage Conservation Historic Preservation and Archeology |
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