Save a historic or old building
Options for preservation, historic districts, and giving old buildings new uses.
Before you rely on thisThese are older articles and answers, and laws and programs change and vary by place. For current rules, check with your state historic preservation office.
Start with these
Guide
Planning and Implementing a Local Historic District
Preserving a local historic district improves the odds that a neighborhood will retain its historic, cultural, and architectural context. Property values rise.Visitor question
How to establish a historical designation of your neighborhood
Visitor Question: In searching for ways to improve established neighborhoods - would it be possible to call a neighborhood historic if it was only startedGuide
Adaptive Reuse Re-Imagines Obsolete Buildings
Adaptive reuse, or converting old buildings to a new use, is an attractive means of adding distinctive and marketable housing or business to a community.Guide
Recycling Buildings Through Re-Use Makes Great Spaces
Recycling buildings may sound strange, but the practice of finding an adaptive reuse of vacant structures prevents demolition, reduces solid waste, and enlivens an existing community asset.Visitor question
Saving Abandoned House from Demolition
Visitor Question: Hi. My in-laws have been taking care of the house next to them for the last 15 years, as in keeping the yard mowed and trimmed. This
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Original guidance from A Good Community: How to Make and Keep It, owned and edited by Nancy Thompson (formerly Useful Community Development), shared with permission. Community Compass notes and updates are our own and have not been reviewed by Nancy Thompson.