Minimum Guidelines for Professional Surveys
of Historic Properties

Surveys of historic properties are intended to provide the information necessary to assess the eligibility of a property for the National Register of Historic Places. The survey should provide comparative information that may be used to assess historic properties within the survey area. The survey provides data on construction techniques and stylistic trends and applications, as well as historical information that aids in the development of contexts for the built environment of the state.

Inventory code number

All Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant surveys will be given an INVENTORY CODE NUMBER. This number will be placed on every inventory form in the upper right hand corner on the front side of the form. The inventory code number will then be followed by a three digit number, assigned by the surveyor, on each individual form, which will in turn give each form a unique number. EXAMPLE: If a survey of Stone County is conducted in 1996, the inventory code number will be ST-96-01. If there are 146 individual properties included in the survey, the first form will be numbered ST-96-01-001, the second form would be numbered ST-96-01-002, the third would be ST-96-01-003, and so on, through the final form in the survey, which would be numbered ST-96-01-146.

Research design

The research design consists of four sections: survey objectives, description of geographical area surveyed, survey methodology and expected results. In order to prepare the research design, some archival research and field work is required.

Objectives will always be to identify and evaluate cultural resources for potential eligibility for listing in the National Register. The criteria for selection of inventoried properties 50 years old or older will be described; if exceptionally significant properties have been identified during the preparation of the research design, they also should be described. Those properties that retain their integrity will be inventoried after evaluation of integrity and relation to proposed areas of significance. In the case of districts, all properties within proposed boundaries must be identified and mapped, contributing properties within proposed boundaries inventoried, and district significance defended and justified according to context and themes.

Geographical description should be a verbal description of the geography and built environment. The historical development of the area must be described. The selection of the survey area should be justified.

Methodology should identify the methods that the surveyor plans to use to identify properties to be inventoried. The methodology will consist of two broad categories: archival research and field work. In this section, the survey strategy should be planned to keep expenses at a minimum. Sources most likely to yield information should be included in this section, as well as the personnel who will actually be responsible for components of the project (e.g., volunteers, professional contractors, technicians such as draftsmen and photographers).

Expected results should provide a projection of the survey outcome, including possible districts or individually eligible properties and expected format for nomination. Expectations about the kind, number, location, character and condition of historic properties should be presented; anticipated contexts and property types should also be described.

Historic property inventory forms

In general, a historic property inventory form should be completed for all resources 50 years old or older, or for resources for which exceptional significance is proposed. It is, however, the responsibility of the surveyor to assess and evaluate all resources within the survey area or encompassed by the provisions of the approved research design. If a resource clearly does not retain sufficient integrity to be eligible or a contributing property within a district, it may not be necessary to complete an inventory form.

All items on the form should be completed. If an item cannot be discerned, it should be marked undetermined; items should not be left blank. Description should include an assessment of alterations or additions and their effect on integrity of the resource. The significance section should contain sufficient information to assess National Register eligibility; "no known significance" is not acceptable. The significance section should be more than a summary of a property abstract. Context should be presented and property type noted, if appropriate. Contexts and property types identified in the research design and developed in the survey report may be referenced as justification for significance.

Maps

Rural surveys must use 7.5 minute U.S.Geological Survey topographic quadrangles. These may be obtained from: Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, 111 Fairgrounds, Rolla, MO 65402, tel: 573/368-2125; or from local wilderness outfitter-type stores.

Urban surveys may use topographic quadrangles (if individual buildings appear on the printed map), project maps or other maps (such as Sanborn Insurance Maps or city planning maps); however, individual building footprints (all buildings, not just those surveyed) must be shown on the map.

Aerial maps may be useful in some cases.

All maps must be identified by type or title, inventory code number, location, name of quadrangle, as applicable, year and source.

All properties must be marked on one large-scale master map, rather than an individual map for each property (it may be necessary to use several maps to encompass the entire project area). All surveyed properties should be identified on the survey map by their survey number. If historic districts are recommended, district boundaries should be clearly indicated and resources should be identified as contributing or non-contributing.

A site plan is required if a property consists of two or more resources (such as a house and barn, or a barn and a granary). Streets/roads, a north arrow and a scale should be indicated. The scale may be one of three options: "to scale" (bar scale preferred); "approximate scale," and "not to scale." Site maps should be labeled to correspond to survey numbers and include building functions, as appropriate.

Photographs

Minimum:

Additional photographs illustrating important features or details may also be 3"x5".

Photographs should be clear and show important features.

In urban areas, surveys of proposed historic districts should include streetscape photographs illustrating views of the several buildings at once in order to get a sense of the view down the street; for proposed districts in rural areas, photographs should show the relationship of the various components of the district.

Photographs must be labeled with survey number, property name and address, using a soft (e.g., 6H) pencil or photographic marking pen.

Survey report

A final report must complete the survey. A detailed table of contents should be included. The report consists of the same four primary sections as the research design: objectives, methodology, geographical description and results.

The objectives stated in the research design may be identical to those in the final report. Often, however, especially when an area has received little previous scholarly attention, new contexts and themes may have been discovered in the course of the survey. These should be stated in the objectives section of the report.

Methodology should be expanded from that presented in the research design, noting additional sources discovered in the course of archival research or field work. Any alterations to proposed methodology should be noted and justified.

Geographical description should never change from that presented in the research design, unless it was altered in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office due to financial considerations or as the result of additional information garnered during the survey.

The final section--results--will usually be significantly different from results projected in the research design. In narrative form, this section provides historical and architectural contexts for the survey area and evaluates the surveyed properties for their potential for listing in the National Register. The results section describes those properties recommended by the surveyor for listing. It also identifies any proposed districts, thematic resources, or multiple resource areas located by the survey and associated with identified contexts. Specific National Register criteria and areas of significance that apply to all recommended properties are noted. Any threats to the identified properties or incentives for listing should be described; priorities for listing may be assigned. Recommendations for future survey or research are included.

A list of surveyed properties, including survey number, property name, and address, will be included as part of the final report.

August 5, 1997

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