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1_ oZ<5.76/3:cZ//^7 ClemsonUniversity 3 1604 014 798 179 NATIONAL REGISTER BULLETIN Technical information on the the National Register ofHistoric Places: survey, evaluation, registration, and preservation ofcultural resources FEDERAL PUBLICATION U.S. DepartmentoftheInterior NationalParkService CulturalResources NationalRegister, Historyand Education DEFINING BOUNDARIES FOR NATIONAL REGISTER PROPERTIES The missionofthe Department ofthe Interior is to protectand provide access to our Nation's naturaland cultural heritageand honorour trust responsibilities to tribes. This material is partiallybased uponworkconducted under a cooperative agreement with the National Conference ofState Historic PreservationOfficers and the U.S. Department ofthe Interior. Cover: (Top Left) Detail ofUSGS map showing the National Registerboundariesofthe Columbia Historic District in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. (Top Right) ViewofArchitect Marcel Breuer's International Stylehome in Lincoln, Massachusetts. (Ruth Williams) (Bottom Left) Viewofthe Roxborough State ParkArcheological District near Waterton, Colorado. (William Tate) (Bottom Right) Detailofa 1987land survey mapdefining theproperty boundaries of Gunston Hall in Buncombe County, North Carolina. (Blue Ridge Land Surveying, Inc.) NATIONAL REGISTER BULLETIN DEFINING BOUNDARIES FOR NATIONAL REGISTER PROPERTIES BY DONNA SEIFERT J. including Barbara J. Little, Beth L. Savage, and John H. Sprinkle,Jr. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 1995, REVISED 1997 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ii CREDITS ANDACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii DEFINING BOUNDARIES FORNATIONAL REGISTERPROPERTIES I. 1 Why Boundaries are Important 1 Getting Help 1 Deciding What to Include 2 Factors to Consider 2 Selecting Boundaries 3 Revising Boundaries 4 DOCUMENTING BOUNDARIES II. 5 Completing Section 10, Geographical Data 5 The Verbal Boundary Description and BoundaryJustification 5 Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) References 6 Global PositioningSystem (GPS) 6 III. CASE STUDIES 7 Boundaries for Buildings 7 Buildings in Urban Settings 7 Buildings in Rural Settings 10 Boundaries for Historic Districts 12 Contiguous Districts in Urban Settings 13 Discontiguous Districts in Urban Settings 16 Contiguous Districts in Rural Settings 17 Discontiguous Districts in Rural Settings 23 Parks as Districts 23 Boundaries for Particular Property Types 27 Traditional Cultural Properties 27 Mining Properties 27 Boundaries for Archeological Sites and Districts 30 Archeological Sites 31 Contiguous Archeological Districts 33 Discontiguous Archeological Districts 34 Shipwreck Sites 35 Boundaries for Historic Sites 36 Boundaries forObjects 40 Boundaries for Structures 41 IV. REFERENCES 45 V. NATIONAL REGISTERCRITERIA FOR EVALUATION 46 VI. NATIONAL REGISTER BULLETINS 47 APPENDIX: Definition ofNational Register Boundaries for Archeological Properties (formerly National Register Bulletin 12: Definition ofNational Register BoundariesforArcheological Properties) 48 PREFACE The National Register ofHistoric document, and register significant This bulletin was prepared by Places is the official Federal list of properties. This bulletin is designed Donna Seifert, archeologist, under a J. districts, sites, buildings, structures, to help preparers properly select, cooperative agreement between the and objects significant in American define, and document boundaries for National Conference ofState Historic history, architecture, archeology, National Register listings and deter- Preservation Officers and the Na- engineering, and culture. National minations ofeligibility. It includes tional Park Service. Register properties have significance basic guidelines for selectingbound- in the prehistory or history oftheir aries to assist the preparer in complet- Carol D. Shull community, State, or the nation. The ing the National Register Registration Keeper, National Register is maintained by the Form. Examples ofa variety of National Register ofHistoric Places National ParkService on behalfofthe property types are presented. These National Park Service Secretary ofthe Interior. examples illustrate several ways to U. S. Department of the Interior National Register Bulletins provide address boundary issues. guidance on how to identify, evaluate, AND CREDITS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This bulletinaddresses issues Comments and contributions from Resources Division, National Park originally presented in National the following individuals were Service; Kirk F. Mohney, Maine Register Bulletin: Definition ofBound- particularly valuable: Paul Alley, Historic PreservationCommission; ariesforHistoric Units oftheNational Western Regional Office, National David L. Morgan, Kentucky Heritage Park System and National Register Park Service; David Banks, Inter- Council; BruceNoble, Interagency Bulletin: How to Establish Boundaries agency Resources Division, National Resources Division, National Park forNational Register Properties. Both Park Service; Robin K. Bodo, Dela- Service; William W. Schenk, Midwest were prepared before National Register ware Historic PreservationOffice; RegionalOffice, National Park Bulletin: How to Complete theNational Carol Burkhart, Alaska Regional Service; and Robert E. Stipe, Chapel RegisterRegistration Form was revised. Office, National ParkService; William Hill, NorthCarolina. This revised bulletincomplements the R. Chapman, Historic Preservation This publication hasbeenprepared guidelines onboundaries inHow to Program, University ofHawai'i at pursuant to the National Historic Complete theNational RegisterRegistra- Manoa; Rebecca Conard, Tallgrass Preservation Actof 1966, asamended, tion Form and provides a variety of Historians L.C.; Dan G. Diebler, whichdirects the Secretary of the case studies to assist nomination Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Interior todevelop and make avail- preparers. Commission;Jim Draeger, Wisconsin able informationconcerning historic Thisbulletin benefited from the DivisionofHistoric Preservation; properties. Defining Boundariesfor suggestions offered by thestaff Audry L. Entorf, General Services National RegisterProperties was members ofthe National Registerof Administration; Betsy Friedberg, developed under the general Historic Places, who shared their Massachusetts Historical Commis- editorship ofCarol D. Shull, Keeper, opinions and expertise. Critical sion; Bruce Fullem, New YorkState National Register ofHistoric Places. guidance was provided by Carol D. Office ofParks, Recreation and Antoinette Lee, historian, was J. Shull, Antoinette Lee, andJan Historic Preservation; Elsa Gilbertson, responsible for publications coordina- J. Townsend; BethSavage provided an Vermont Division for Historic Preser- tion, and Tanya M. Velt provided important case study, which was vation; Susan L. Henry, Interagency editorial and technical support. included in thebulletin. John Byrne Resources Division, National Park Comments on this publication may be ofthe National Register staff, pre- Service; Gerri Hobdy, Louisiana directed to Keeperof theNational pared lists ofproperties to consider in OfficeofCultural Development; Register of Historic Places, National the selection ofthe case studies, and Thomas F. King, SilverSpring, ParkService, 1849 C Street, NW, Tanya M. Velt ofthe National Confer- Maryland;John Knoerl, Interagency Washington, D.C. 20240. ence ofState Historic Preservation Resources Division, National Park Officers provided researchassistance. Service; Paul Lusignan, Interagency in Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/definingboundariOOseif DEFINING BOUNDARIES I. FOR NATIONAL REGISTER PROPERTIES The preparer ofa National Register however, these considerations apply archeological site, traditional cultural nomination collects, evaluates, and only to governmentactions affecting property, or rural historic district. presents the information required to the property; National Register listing Such properties may extend far document theproperty and justify its does not limit the private owner's use beyond the area ofpotential effect or historical significance. Among the ofthe property. Private property access may be denied in areas beyond decisions the preparer must makeis owners can do anything they wish the undertaking. It is always best to the selection of the property's bound- with their property, provided no consider the entire eligible property, aries: in addition to establishing the Federal license, permit, or funding is but it maynot be possibleor practical significanceand integrity ofa prop- involved. to define the full extentofthe prop- , erty, the physical location and extent Under Section 106 of the National erty. Insuch cases, reasonable, ofthe property are defined as part of Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as predicted, estimated, or partial the documentation. Boundary infor- amended, Federal agencies must take boundaries encompassing resources mation is recorded in Section 10, into account the effect oftheir actions within the area ofpotential effect may Geographical Data, on the National on historic properties (defined as be the only way to set the limits of Register Registration Form. This properties in, or eligible for, the contributing resources when the bulletin is designed to assist the National Register ofHistoric Places) entire property cannotbe observed or preparer in selecting, defining, and and give the Advisory Council on evaluated from historic maps or other documenting boundaries for National Historic Preservation the opportunity documents (as in the case ofsubsur- Register properties. The bulletin to comment. To be in compliance face archeological resources). Con- addresses the factors to considerand with the act, Federal agencies must sider all available information and includes examples that illustrate identify and evaluate National select boundaries on the basis of the properly defined boundaries for a Register eligibility ofproperties best information available. When variety ofproperty types. within thearea ofpotential effect and defining boundaries oflarge resources WHY evaluate the effect ofthe undertaking extending beyond the area ofpoten- BOUNDARIES oneligible properties. The area of tial effect, it is advisable to consult the potential effect is defined as the area State historic preservation office. ARE IMPORTANT in which eligible properties may be affected by the undertaking, including GETTING HELP direct effects (such as destruction of Carefully defined boundaries are the property) and indirect effects important forseveral reasons. The (such as visual, audible, and atmo- In addition to the guidance in this boundaries encompass the resources spheric changes which affect the bulletin, assistance is also available that contribute to the property's character and setting of the property). from State Historic Preservation significance. Boundaries may also The area ofpotential effect may Officers, Federal PreservationOffic- have legal and management implica- include historic properties that are ers, and the staffof the National tions. For example, only the area well beyond the limits of the under- Register ofHistoric Places. These within the boundaries may be consid- taking. For example, a Federal professionals can help preparers with ered part of the property for the undertaking outside of thedefined general questions and special prob- purposes of Federal preservation tax boundaries ofa rural traditional lems. For assistance with specific incentives and charitable contribu- cultural property oran urban historic questions or for information on how tions. State and local laws that require district can have visual, economic, to contact the appropriate State consideration ofhistoric resources traffic, and social effects on the Historic Preservation Officer or may also refer to boundaries in the setting, feeling, and association of the Federal Preservation Officer, contact application ofimplementing regula- eligible resources. the National Register ofHistoric tions or design controls. National Large properties present special Places, National Register, History and Register boundaries, therefore, have problems. For example, an undertak- Education, National Park Service, legal implications that can affect the ing in a narrow corridor, such as a 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C property's future. Under Federal law, pipeline, may affect part ofa large 20240. Several other National Register GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING BOUNDARIES: publications arealso available to assistpreparers. National Register ALL PROPERTIES Bulletin: How to Complete theNational Register Registration Form provides the (summarized from How to Complete theNational RegisterRegistration Form, basic instructions forboundary p. 56) selectionand documentation. The following instructions, which are • Selectboundaries to encompass but not exceed theextent ofthesignifi- consistent with those inHow to cant resources and land areas comprising the property. Complete theNational RegisterRegistra- tion Form, provide additional assis- • Includeall historic features of the property, but do not include buffer tance for the preparer. The following zones or acreage not directly contributing to the significance ofthe discussion addresses many property property. types by considering the special • Exclude peripheral areas that no longer retain integrity due to alter- boundary problems associated with ations in physical conditions or setting caused by human forces, such each type and providing casestudies as development, or natural forces, such as erosion. to assist the preparer in dealing with • Include small areas that are disturbed or lacksignificance when they such issues. Bulletins that deal with are completely surrounded by eligible resources. "Donut holes" are specific property types mayalsobe notallowed. useful (see the listofNational Regis- ter Bulletins at the end ofthis publica- • Define a discontiguous property when large areas lacking eligible resources separate portions ofthe eligible resource. tion). WHAT DECIDING contributing resources; simply must be preserved. Activities that TO INCLUDE identify the noncontributing resources often compromise integrity include and include them within the bound- new constructionor alterations to the aries of the property. resource or its setting. Natural Selection ofboundaries is a judg- Districts may include noncontribut- processes that alter or destroy mentbased on the nature ofthe ing resources, such as altered build- portions of the resource or its setting, property's significance, integrity, and ings orbuildings constructed before suchas fire, flooding, erosion, or physical setting. Begin to consider or after the period ofsignificance. In disintegration of the historic fabric, boundaries during the research and situations where historically associ- may compromise integrity. For data-collection portion of the nomina- ated resources were geographically example, an abandoned farmhouse tion process. Byaddressingboundary separated from each other during the that has been exposed to the ele- issues during the field and archival period ofsignificance orare separated ments throughyears ofneglect may research, the preparer can take into by intervening development and are have lost its integrity as a building; account all the factors that should be now separated by large areas lacking however, it may retain integrity as considered in selecting boundaries. eligible resources, a discontiguous an archeological site. aWthede,nresaisgsneisfsictahnecebohuasndbaereinesevtaolu- adirsitersicotfmthaeydbiescdoenftiingeudo.usThdiestbroicutnd- • Setting and Landscape Features: ensure appropriate correspondence define two or more geographically Consider the setting and historically between the factors that contribute to separate areas that includeassociated important landscape features. the property's significanceand the Natural features ofthe landscape physical extent of the property. eligible resources. may be included when they are Select boundaries that define the located within thedistrict or were limits of the eligible resources. Such FACTORS TO used for purposes related to the resources usually include the immedi- historical significance of the prop- ate surroundings and encompass the CONSIDER erty. Areas at the margins of the appropriatesetting. However, eligible resources may be included exclude additional, peripheral areas only when suchareas were histori- that do not directly contribute to the Thereare several factors to con- cally an integral part of the property. property's significance as bufferor as sider in selecting and defining the For example, a district composed of open space to separate the property boundaries ofa National Register farmsteads along a creek may from surrounding areas. Areas that property. Compare the historic extent include the creek if it runs through have lost integrity becauseofchanges of the property with the existing the district, if the creek was impor- in cultural features or setting should eligible resources and consider tant in the original siting of the be excluded when they are at the integrity, setting and landscape farmsteads, or if the creek wasa periphery ofthe eligible resources. features, use, and research value. source ofwater power or natural When such areas are small and resources exploited by the farm- surrounded by eligible resources, they • Integrity: The majority ofthe steads. Consult National Register may notbe excluded, but are included property must retain integrity of Bulletin: Guidelinesfor Evaluatingand as noncontributing resources ofthe location, design, setting, feeling, Documenting Rural Historic Land- property. That is, do not select and association to be eligible. The scapes for additional guidance in boundaries which exclude a small essential qualities that contribute to selecting boundaries for rural noncontributing island surrounded by an eligible property's significance historic landscapes.