World history is filled with fascinating landmarks that represent humanity at its best, yet what exactly constitutes a historic location?
The National Park Service collaborates with partners to preserve America’s historic places – from prehistoric Native American sites and 19th-century homesteads, battlefields and Civil Rights history sites, women’s history sites and battlefields – from prehistory through present.
Definition
Historical places are locations with cultural, social or political significance that have been preserved to honor their past as monuments to our history and heritage. They could include buildings, landmarks, archaeological sites or any other area contributing to a community’s collective history and legacy.
Historic sites can be powerful teaching tools because they allow students to relate events from national history with local communities and people. Used wisely, historic sites can add depth and context to curriculums that focus on broad trends or topical events.
Historic places provide students with an engaging introduction to human-made marvels ranging from Incan cities to 19th Century steel mills. Every town, city and region boasts their own historic sites; many can be found listed on the National Register; each landmark plays an essential part in shaping America’s past.
Types
World history is filled with stunning historical marvels that reflect its past civilizations’ brilliance, such as palaces and forts, ancient temples, and other structures that transport us back through time. They may include palaces and forts as well as archaeological sites or folklife resources that connect back to Native American habitations – the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum are just three such landmarks around the globe which stand out among them all as significant historic spots.
National Register
The National Register of Historic Places is an official list maintained by the US federal government that contains districts, sites, buildings and objects deemed worthy of preservation due to their significance in American history, architecture, archaeology and culture. Established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, properties can be listed individually or as part of larger historic districts.
Nomination of properties may come from anyone, including its owner; most nominations, however, are made by historical societies, preservation consultants or government agencies. Nomination processes typically promote accurate documentation according to professional standards.
Historical sites can be defined as buildings, structures or objects associated with an important person or event in history; or examples of specific styles of architecture, engineering or archaeology. Tourists from all over the world often flock to historic sites known for their beauty or stories they tell.
National Heritage Areas
The world is filled with fascinating historical marvels that attest to human ingenuity and innovation. Many are breathtaking works of architecture or engineering from past civilizations that show just how advanced their technology was at the time of their construction.
National Heritage Areas are places that bring together historic, cultural and natural resources in ways that form nationally significant landscapes. Unlike national parks, NHAs are large lived-in landscapes; therefore their entities collaborate closely with communities to determine how best to make heritage relevant for local interests and needs.
These sites are not administered by the National Park Service but instead by state governments, non-profit organizations or private corporations (known as local coordinating entities). The NPS acts in an advisory capacity with limited technical, planning and financial assistance for each of these NHAs ranging from Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area’s 3 million acres to Tennessee’s entire state with its 125 counties that constitute Civil War NHAs. There are currently 55 National Heritage Areas across America ranging from Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area to Tennessee Civil War NHA
