The criteria for listing historical resources in the
California Register are consistent with those developed by the National Park
Service for listing historical resources in the National Register, but have
been modified for state use in order to include a range of historical resources
which better reflect the history of California. Only resources which meet the
criteria as set out below may be listed in or formally determined eligible for
listing in the California Register.
(a)
Types of resources eligible for nomination:
(1) Building. A resource, such as a house,
barn, church, factory, hotel, or similar structure created principally to
shelter or assist in carrying out any form of human activity. "Building" may
also be used to refer to an historically and functionally related unit, such as
a courthouse and jail or a house and barn;
(2) Site. A site is the location of a
significant event, a prehistoric or historic occupation or activity, or a
building or structure, whether standing, ruined, or vanished, where the
location itself possesses historical, cultural, or archeological value
regardless of the value of any existing building, structure, or object. A site
need not be marked by physical remains if it is the location of a prehistoric
event, and if no buildings, structures, or objects marked it at that time.
Examples of such sites are trails, designed landscapes, battlefields,
habitation sites, Native American ceremonial areas, petroglyphs, and
pictographs;
(3) Structure. The
term "structure" is used to describe a construction made for a functional
purpose rather than creating human shelter. Examples of structures include
mines, bridges, and tunnels;
(4)
Object. The term "object" is used to describe those constructions that are
primarily artistic in nature or are relatively small in scale and simply
constructed, as opposed to a building or a structure. Although it may be
moveable by nature or design, an object is associated with a specific setting
or environment. Objects should be in a setting appropriate to their significant
historic use, role, or character. Objects that are relocated to a museum are
not eligible for listing in the California Register. Examples of objects
include fountains, monuments, maritime resources, sculptures, and boundary
markers; and
(5) Historic district.
Historic districts are unified geographic entities which contain a
concentration of historic buildings, structures, objects, or sites united
historically, culturally, or architecturally. Historic districts are defined by
precise geographic boundaries. Therefore, districts with unusual boundaries
require a description of what lies immediately outside the area, in order to
define the edge of the district an to explain the exclusion of adjoining areas.
The district must meet at least one of the criteria for significance discussed
in Section
4852(b)(1)-(4) of
this chapter.
Those individual resources contributing to the significance
of the historic district will also be listed in the California Register. For
this reason, all individual resources located within the boundaries of an
historic district must be designated as either contributing or as
noncontributing to the significance of the historic
district.
(b)
Criteria for evaluating the significance of historical resources. An historical
resource must be significant at the local, state, or national level under one
or more of the following four criteria:
(1)
It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the
broad patterns of local or regional history, or the cultural heritage of
California or the United States;
(2) It is associated with the lives of
persons important to local, California, or national history;
(3) It embodies the distinctive
characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or
represents the work of a master or possesses high artistic values; or
(4) It has yielded, or has the potential to
yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area,
California, or the nation.
(c) Integrity. Integrity is the authenticity
of an historical resource's physical identity evidenced by the survival of
characteristics that existed during the resource's period of significance.
Historical resources eligible for listing in the California Register must meet
one of the criteria of significance described in section
4852(b) of this
chapter and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be
recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their
significance. Historical resources that have been rehabilitated or restored may
be evaluated for listing.
Integrity is evaluated with regard to the retention of
location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. It
must also be judged with reference to the particular criteria under which a
resource is proposed for eligibility. Alterations over time to a resource or
historic changes in its use may themselves have historical, cultural, or
architectural significance.
It is possible that historical resources may not retain
sufficient integrity to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register,
but thy may still be eligible for listing in the California Register. A
resource that has lost its historic character or appearance may still have
sufficient integrity for the California Register if it maintains the potential
to yield significant scientific or historical information or specific
data.
(d) Special
considerations:
(1) Moved buildings,
structures, or objects. The Commission encourages the retention of historical
resources on site and discourages the non-historic grouping of historic
buildings into parks or districts. However, it is recognized that moving an
historic building, structure, or object is sometimes necessary to prevent its
destruction. Therefore, a moved building, structure, or object that is
otherwise eligible may be listed in the California Register if it was moved to
prevent its demolition at its former location and if the new location is
compatible with the original character and use of the historical resource. An
historical resource should retain its historic features and compatibility in
orientation, setting, and general environment.
(2) Historical resources achieving
significance within the past fifty (50) years. In order to understand the
historic importance of a resource, sufficient time must have passed to obtain a
scholarly perspective on the events or individuals associated with the
resource. A resource less than fifty (50) years old may be considered for
listing in the California Register if it can be demonstrated that sufficient
time has passed to understand its historical importance.
(3) Reconstructed buildings. Reconstructed
buildings are those buildings not listed in the California Register under the
criteria in Section
4852(b)(1), (2), or
(3) of this chapter. A reconstructed building
less than fifty (50) years old may be eligible if it embodies traditional
building methods and techniques that play an important role in a community's
historically rooted beliefs, customs, and practices; e.g., a Native American
roundhouse.
(e) Historical
resource surveys. Historical resources identified as significant in an
historical resource survey may be listed in the California Register. In order
to be listed, the survey must meet the following: (1) the resources meet the
criteria of Section
4852(b)(1)-(4) of
this chapter; and (2) the survey documentation meets those standards of
resource recordation established by the Office in the "Instructions for
Nominating Historical Resources to the California Register" (August 1997),
Appendix B.
(1) The resources must be
included in the State Historical Resources Inventory at the time of listing of
the survey by the Commission.
(2)
The Office shall review all surveys to assure the standards of resource
recordation, which can be found in the "Instructions for Nominating Historical
Resources to the California Register" (August 1997), Appendix B of this
chapter, have been met. If the survey meets the standards, the Office shall
recommend to the Commission that all resources with a significance rating of
category 1 through 4, or any subcategories thereof, on DPR Form 523 be listed
in the California Register. The Office shall review all category 5
determinations for consistency with the California Register criteria of
significance as found in Section
4852(b) of this
chapter. Office review will occur within sixty (60) days of receipt of the
survey. At the end of sixty (60) days, the Office will either: (1) forward the
survey for consideration by the Commission or (2) request additional
information.
The status codes, established to indicate eligibility to the
National Register of Historic Places, have the following meanings:
(A) Category 1--Listed in the National
Register of Historic Places;
(B)
Category 2--Formally determined eligible for listing in the National
Register;
(C) Category 3--Appears
eligible for listing in the National Register;
(D) Category 4--Could become eligible for
listing in the National Register; or
(E) Category 5--Locally
significant.
(3) If the results of
the survey are five or more years old at the time of nomination, the
documentation for a resource, or resources, must be updated prior to nomination
to ensure the accuracy of the information. The statute creating the California
Register requires surveys over five (5) years old to be
updated.
(f)
Historical resources designated under municipal or county ordinances.
Historical resources designated under municipal or county ordinances which have
the authority to restrict demolition or alteration of historical resources,
where the criteria for designation or listing have not been officially approved
by the Office, may be nominated to the California Register if, after review by
Office staff, it is determined that the local designation meets the following
criteria:
(1) The ordinance provides for
owner notification of the nomination of the resource for local historical
resource designation and an opportunity for public comment.
(2) The criteria for municipal or county
historical resource designation consider the historical and/or architectural
significance and integrity of the historical resource and require a legal
description of the resource.
(3)
The designating authority issues findings or statements describing the basis of
determination for designation.
(4)
The designation provides some measure of protection from adverse actions that
could threaten the historical integrity of the historical
resource.
