Historic Preservation

Unveiled in 1947 by the Vermont Legislature, the Roadside Historic Site Marker program has proven an effective way to commemorate Vermont’s many people, events, and places of regional, statewide, or national significance.

ACCESS THE VERMONT BARN CENSUS DATABASE

How many barns are in Vermont? In what kind of condition are they? Are significant numbers lost each year? What can be done to preserve these icons of our history and landscape?

The Online Resource Center ( ORC) provides online access to all of the Division for Historic Preservation’s documents related to historic preservation activities throughout the state since the 1960s.

Surveying Vermont’s historic resources is the foundation of our preservation program. Statewide survey began in earnest in 1967 and strengthened by the Vermont Historic Preservation Act of 1975. During this time, more than 30,000 historical, architectural and archaeological properties have been recorded and added to the state’s inventory of historic sites; the Historic Sites and Structures Survey (HSSS).

The National Register of Historic Places, established in 1966 by the National Historic Preservation Act and managed by the National Park Service, is the official list of buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts that embody the historical and cultural foundations of our country.

Vermont's historic resources include buildings, structures, landscapes, and archaeological sites, both on land and underwater. If you want to know the historic status of your property or learn about the history of your community, please use our Online Resource Center.

With evidence of Native American occupations extending as far back as 13,000 years ago, Vermont has a rich cultural, historical, and architectural legacy. This significant heritage manifests itself in the state’s ancient Native encampments, agricultural farmsteads with timber-framed barns and rising silos, villages with white-spired churches and town halls marking the valley bottoms and maple-strewn hillsides, downtowns centered on railroad depots and sites of early industrial centers, summer retreats surrounding lakes and ponds, and ski resorts nested on the slopes of the green mountains.

Municipalities and the developer of the qualified project may jointly apply to the Downtown Board for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials. Qualified projects must be located within a designated downtown district and may be eligible for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials.

The Vermont Village Greens Initiative is restoring appreciation for village greens and raising awareness about the important cultural and economic role they play. Vermont’s village greens (and commons) serve as the physical, historic and cultural heart of many communities, hosting concerts, fairs, parades, seasonal festivals and farmers markets.