Historic Property Survey Plans

Historic property survey is the process of identifying, documenting and describing historic resources throughout the community.  Buildings, burial grounds, landscapes, bridges, structures and objects are all examples of historic resources that are included within a community’s historic property survey.  Many states have formalized and standardized the process of historic property survey through state survey forms. 

 

Ideally, a community’s historic property survey is updated regularly so that it remains relevant and useful.  Updating historic property survey includes adding properties that were not previously surveyed.  It also includes revising survey forms that do not contain adequate documentation.  If updates have not been made over many years, the survey for the community becomes far less useful. 

 

When a community has substantial historic property survey needs, it is usually best to move forward with a historic property survey plan that can prioritize where to begin.  A survey plan reviews all of the existing historic property survey forms, investigates community-wide historical and cultural resources not currently surveyed, analyzes where forms are in need of revision and where unsurveyed historic resources should be included. 

 

With recommendations that include a phased approach, a historic property survey plan can save time and allocate funding resources as efficiently as possible.