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Subject: Historic House


    1)  What steps does one take to have a home placed on the national
    register?  What are the advantages to this?
          To place a building on the National register contact the State
Historic Preservation Office in the state where the building is located.  The
office is usually part of state government.  It takes 12 to 18 months to
successfully place a building on the register.  If you hire a consultant to
do this budget at least $1,500.  If it is done on a volunteer basis give
yourself about 24 months.  The best reasonm to do this is that such a
designation adds to community pride and awareness.  This translates into
dollars and emotional support for a project.


    2)  Are there any granting agencies / foundations specifically
    aimed at helping to raise money for such projects?
          Local projects attract local money.  If a community is not willing
to do this for themselves - why would anyone else care to help?

    3) What set backs or mistakes have any of you encountered in such
    a project that you would undo if possible?
          Don't over do the house - don't feel as if you have to return it to
1850 if the house is a great 1900 and everyone remebers the 1900 period as
the most important ( this is called period of significance for the house) It
is OK to say no if the project will do more damgage to the health of the
sponsor than help it.  Don't think that it will pay for itself - it won't.

    4)  Any other advice?
           Find an equivalent house in a similar sized town and talk to the
sponsors.
Good Luck!

Greg Koos
McLean County Historical Society
Old Courthouse Museum
200 N. Main St.
Bloomington IL 61701  phone (309) 827-0428
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http://www.dave-world.com/community/mchs