Preserve Arkansas is Arkansas’s only statewide nonprofit preservation organization. Since 1981, Preserve Arkansas has worked to preserve and enhance Arkansas’s communities and their diverse historic resources for the education and enjoyment of all.
Preserve Arkansas is located in downtown North Little Rock’s Argenta Historic District. We lease space inside the historic First Presbyterian Church at 201 W. 4th Street.
The easiest way to become a member is to join online. You can also call 501-372-4757 or email us at info@preservearkansas.org to receive a membership form and a full list of levels and benefits.
Preserve Arkansas’s staff is happy to answer any questions you may have about general contributions or supporting specific programs or events. You may donate online here!
Preserve Arkansas is happy to recommend design professionals and consultants who have performed work for preservation grant or tax credit projects or that have been recognized by Preserve Arkansas for excellence in preservation through our annual Preservation Awards program. Please contact Executive Director Rachel Patton at 501-372-4757 or rpatton@preservearkansas.org for more information.
Preserve Arkansas does not have grant money available for restoration projects. However, we are happy to provide you with information about grants and historic rehabilitation tax credits.
We don’t catalog photos, but many archival facilities and local museums do. Contact us for a referral based on your location and property.
If you are in a crisis or emergency situation and if you live in a community with a staffed historic preservation organization, contact that office first. You may also contact Preserve Arkansas’s Executive Director, Rachel Patton, for guidance and information on preservation advocacy efforts. You may also call the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. These entities can offer technical assistance and support, and in some situations, they may also be able to provide you with information on the significance of the property and direct you to any local preservation ordinances that may protect the structure.
Historic preservation is the practice of recognizing, protecting, using, and appreciating our nation’s diverse cultural resources so that generations to come may benefit from them. Encompassing a wide range of resources – including houses, neighborhoods, commercial buildings, downtowns, bridges, churches, schools, archeological sites, and cemeteries – historic preservation is also an economic development tool that has proven to be an effective way to revitalize neighborhoods and downtowns.
Restoration and rehabilitation are two options available when preserving a property. During a restoration, the goal is to accurately depict the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time. To stay true to an era, features added during other periods in the structure’s history must be removed, and missing features from the restoration period are reconstructed using all available evidence. Typically, restoration is used only for museums. On the other hand, rehabilitation makes possible a modern or contemporary use through repair, alterations, or additions to a historic structure. This type of project preserves the significant features of the structure, which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values and features, including historic changes. Because it allows for contemporary or adaptive use, it is also the most prevalent preservation treatment.
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 assigned the National Register of Historic Places the central role in recognizing buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects significant in national, state, or local history, archeology, architecture, engineering, or culture. Listing in the National Register does not guarantee full protection from demolition, but any development project using federal money or requiring a federal permit must undergo Section 106 review, required by the Historic Preservation Act, to consider the impact the project might have on nearby sites that are on or eligible for the National Register. Nominations to the National Register are submitted to and approved by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism and the Register is maintained by the National Park Service, but the vast majority of the buildings on the list are privately owned.
These terms are often confused, but each holds a different level of significance. Individual structures are listed on the National Register, but entire neighborhoods or areas can also be designated as a National Register Historic District. To qualify, the area must retain architectural integrity and reflect an aspect of the area’s history. A historical overview of the entire district is needed. The purpose of the overview is to provide a basic background history of the area and to justify the significance of the district. Historic resources survey documentation is required for all proposed districts, which involves photographing and mapping all buildings in the district, recording their architectural characteristics, and assessing whether or not they contribute to the historic character of the district. For more information, contact the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The highest level of designation is a National Historic Landmark, and therefore specific criteria are used to determine a site’s eligibility. National Historic Landmarks are properties deemed significant to all Americans because of their exceptional values or qualities, which help illustrate or interpret the heritage of the United States. If a property is named a National Historic Landmark, it is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places and eligible to obtain federal historic preservation funding, when available. Only three percent of properties in the National Register are also Landmarks, and they are usually owned by private individuals or groups; others are owned by local, state, tribal, or federal government agencies. For more information, visit the National Park Service website.
A local landmark or historic district is designated under city or county ordinance that seeks to retain the character of the building or area. To receive local designation, a building or district must be historically, architecturally, or culturally significant and retain most of its character. A historic preservation commission reviews and comments on projects affecting designated buildings. Under most local laws, owners of designated properties cannot demolish, move, or change exterior features of the structure without permission from the preservation commission. The National Register of Historic Places is a form of recognition which makes individually listed structures eligible for federal tax incentives and provides for a review for some federal- and state-funded undertakings.
You may search National Register listings in Arkansas via the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program’s website.
The National Register listing process and Determination of Eligibility forms are available here.
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) was enacted due to public concern that so many of the nation’s historic resources were not receiving adequate attention as the government sponsored much-needed public works projects. The NHPA, strengthened and expanded by several subsequent amendments, is today the basis of America’s historic preservation policy.
Section 106 refers to a particular part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 that requires every federal agency to take into account how each of its undertakings could affect historic properties. Section 106 Review refers to the federal review process designed to ensure that historic properties are considered during federal project planning. The review process is administered by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent agency, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer. The council must be afforded a reasonable opportunity to comment on such projects. Any project involving federal funds is subject to Section 106 Review. It is important to note that Section 106 Review extends to properties that possess significance and are determined eligible for listing in the National Register, but have not yet been listed.
Preservation tax incentives are available for any qualified project that the Secretary of the Interior designates as a certified rehabilitation of a certified historic structure. A certified historic structure is any building that is listed individually in the National Register or located in a registered historic district and certified as historically significant to the district. A certified rehabilitation is any rehabilitation of a certified historic structure that is certified as being consistent with the historic character of the property and the district in which it is located. Property owners are eligible for a 20 percent federal tax credit on rehabilitation costs of an income-producing property if all criteria are met. Arkansas also has a state tax credit for owner-occupied and income-producing properties. The credit percentage is tiered based on population. For more information, click here.