Identifying New Historic Preservation Sites
The Heritage Preservation Commission is charged with cataloging and recommending to the City Council any areas, places, buildings, structures, lands, districts or other objects to be designated as Heritage Preservation Sites. The commission uses the following criteria in considering a site for designation:
- Character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the city, state, or the United States
- Location as a site of a significant historic event
- Identification with a person who significantly contributed to the culture and development of the city
- Embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, period, form, or treatment
- Identification as work of an architect or master builder whose individual work has influenced the development of the city
- Embodiment of elements of architectural design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship which represent a significant architectural innovation
- A unique location, scale, or other physical characteristic representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, a district, the community, or the city
Survey Reports
In order to identify properties that meet the above criteria for local heritage preservation designation, as well as any that may be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, the city commissioned three surveys (1998, 2002, and 2006) which together cover all properties within Excelsior. An independent contractor with expertise in architectural history performed the surveys. The final reports from the survey are available at City Hall.
Sites Not Identified by the Survey
The Heritage Preservation Commission is currently only designating as Heritage Preservation Sites buildings recommended for designation in the surveys. However, if an owner or interested person wishes to discuss designation, and has additional information about why a building should be designated, the Commission is interested in discussing the process. For more information on Historic Preservation in Excelsior, see Section 20 of the City Code.