National Register of Historic Places
The Montana State Historic Preservation Office nominates eligible properties to the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's official list of those cultural resources deemed worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register includes districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. Although the National Register is a program of the National Park Service, it is administered at the state level by each respective state. In addition to the recognition that listing provides, registered properties are afforded a measure of protection from projects that are funded, licensed, or executed by the federal government. National Register properties may also be eligible for historic preservation tax incentives.
Using criteria established by the National Park Service, the State Historic Preservation Office and the State Historic Preservation Review Board evaluate data gathered from surveys, public inquiries, and other sources to determine the eligibility of specific Montana sites for nomination to the Register.
If the following answers to frequently asked questions leave you still wondering, we encourage you to call, email, or visit our office. Or, visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/faqs.htm
FAQs about the National Register
The National Register is the official list of the Nation’s historic buildings and archaeological sites considered worthy of preservation. The Register was established in 1966 to help property owners, communities, and neighborhoods recognize their important historic properties, to offer realistic incentives for preservation, and to ensure that Federal actions do not harm these properties without alternatives being considered. The National Register was not designed as a major regulatory program nor as just an honor roll. The Register was intended to be broad rather than exclusive and includes many different kinds of properties important to the Nation, the State, a region or a local community.
Learn more: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/what-is-the-national-register.htm
National Register property owners may apply for Federal grants for buildings rehabilitation when Congress appropriates such funds. However, these funds are extremely limited and most property owners will not receive such funding. If you are a Community Cultural Organization, we encourage you to check with the Montana Arts Council (444-6430) to determine whether the project you are considering would qualify for Cultural and Aesthetic Grant monies appropriated biennially by the Montana Legislature.
Recognition
Most of all, Register listing provided your property recognition for its historic value and rewards you for your efforts in preserving it. Listing of a building, site or district also affords it prestige that can enhance its value and raise community awareness and pride. While National Register properties do not have to be preserved, listing does ensure that preservation is taken to be an important consideration whenever a building’s or site's future is in question.
Technical Assistance
Owners of Register properties are also able to seek advice from the Montana Historic Preservation Office on appropriate methods to maintain and rehabilitate older buildings or sites.
Signs
Owners of listed properties may apply for funds to obtain Montana’s official National Register interpretive plaque to mount on a stand or hang on an outside wall of their building. The applicant pays only a $35.00 shipping and handling fee or $55.00, depending upon the type of sign, the balance coming from the Montana Historical Society.
Government Agency Compliance Review
The National Historic Preservation Act and the Montana State Antiquities Act require federal and state agencies to consider the impacts of all projects occurring on public lands, or with federal funding, that affect historic properties eligible for or listed in the National Register. In addition, the Surface Mining and Control Act of 1977 requires consideration of historic values in the decision to issue surface coal mining permits.
The National Register carefully evaluates the quality of significance of each property being considered for listing. To be eligible for the Register designation, a property must meet one of more of the following criteria:
- Be associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
- Be associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
- Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or that represent thework of a master, or that possess high artistic values or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
- Have yielded, or may likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. In addition, properties must possess a high degree of integrity to qualify for listing in the Register – in other words, they must be relatively unchanged in appearance from the historic period.
Generally speaking, a property must be at least 50 years old to be considered for the Register, unless it is of exceptional significance, or if it is an integral part of a historic district. Non-historic properties that are located within the boundaries of historic districts are also listed in the Register as “non-contributing” components of those historicdistricts.
If you still have questions, we encourage you to call, email, or visit our office.
Or, visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/faqs.htm to find answers to questions like...
- What is the National Register of Historic Places?
- How is a property listed in the National Register of Historic Places?*
- What are the restrictions, rules, regulations for historic property owners?*
- Can I modify, remodel, or renovate my historic house? *
- How do I apply for grant money or tax credits? *
- Are there insurance regulation implications of a house being listed in the National Register?
- How do I get a plaque?*
- How do I get a copy of the file you have on a property?
- How can I update information for a property that is already listed? *
- I am pretty sure that a property is listed, but cannot find it in your database. Why is that?
- How old does a property have to be to qualify for listing?
- I want to know if a property is listed, how can I do that?
- I am a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. What can you do for me?
- I want to use the photographs in your files. Are they copyrighted?
- What are the definitions of some of the terms and acronyms you use?
- What is the preferred method for citation for the National Register of Historic Places nomination file?
- What is the difference between a National Park, a National Monument, a National Memorial, a National Historical Park, etc.?
PROPERTY SEARCH TOOLS
Properties are continuously added to the National Register. Explore the resources below to find and learn more about current listings.
Explore this interactive map to find information about specific properties, view property attributes, and select layers and filters to refine your search by county, city, property type, and more.
Listed
Beavertown Historic District, Jefferson County (6/30/2022)
Black Montana's Heritage Places MPD
Butte-Anaconda Historic District (Updated), Butte-Silverbow County (11/22/2022)
Como School, Ravalli County (11/22/2022)
Driver's Saloon, Deer Lodge County (2/7/2023)
Edwards & McLellan Block, Malta (3/14/2022)
Everson Creek Archaeological District, Beaverhead County (4/25/2022)
Ford Schoolhouse, Flathead County (8/23/2022)
Hillcrest Cemetery, Powell County (4/2023)
James F. Battin Federal Building, Yellowstone County, Billings (1/2023)
Montana National Bank, Billings (3/14/2022)
Monture Guard Station, Powell County (1/2023)
Morelli Bridge, Lewis and Clark County (12/15/2022)
Poker Jim Butte Fire Lookout, Rosebud County (9/1/2022)
River View Dairy Barn, Glacier County (7/7/2022)
Shenango Work Center, Gallatin County (9/1/2022)
Swanson Homestead, Mineral County (11/22/2022)
Thompson Falls Historic District (Updated), Sanders County (7/6/2022)
Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association Camp, Carbon County (12/15/2022)
Nominated in 2022
Dell Flight Strip- Airway Beacon System, 1934-1979 (Multiple Counties)
- African American Heritage Places in Helena (Lewis and Clark Co)
- Alberton MPD (Missoula Co)
- Anaconda MPD (Deer Lodge Co)
- Archaeology in Sheridan County MPD (Sheridan Co)
- Black Montana's Heritage Places (Multiple Counties)
- Bozeman MPD (Gallatin Co)
- Bridger MPD (Carbon Co)
- Bridges, Historic Steel Stringer and Steel Girder 1901-1961 (Multiple Counties)
- Bridges, Historic Steel Truss MPD (Multiple Counties)
- Bridges, Historic Timber Stringer MPD (Multiple Counties)
- Bridges, Reinforced Concrete MPD (Multiple Counties)
- Fire Lookouts, USFS Northern Region 1 1932-1967 MPD (Multiple Counties)
- Forsyth MPD (Rosebud Co)
- Fort Peck Townsite and Dam MPD (Valley Co)
- Fromberg MPD (Carbon Co)
- Glacier National Park Amendment MPL
- Glacier National Park Architecture MRA
- Glacier National Park MPD (Glacier Co)
- Glacier National Park MRA (Glacier Co)
- Glacier National Park, Settlement on North Fork Flathead River MPD (Flathead Co)
- Glendive MPD (Dawson Co)
- Hamilton MPD (Ravalli Co)
- Hamilton MRA (Ravalli Co)
- Hardin MPD (Big Horn Co)
- Joliet MPD (Carbon Co)
- Kalispell 1 MPD (Flathead Co)
- Kalispell 2 MPD (Flathead Co)
- Korpivarra MPD (Cascade Co)
- Lake McDonald Recreation Camps MPD (Flathead Co)
- Lewistown MPD (Fergus Co)
- Lewistown, Stone Buildings MPD (Fergus Co)
- Livingston Commercial District (Park Co)
- Lodge Grass MPD (Big Horn Co)
- Mission 66 MPD
- Missoula MPD (Missoula Co)
- Montana Modern: Post World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory
- Pony MPD (Madison Co)
- Post Offices in Montana 1900-1941 MPD (Multiple Counties)
- Roadside Architecture, US Highway 2 MPD (Multiple Counties)
- Schools, One Room in Gallatin County MPD (Gallatin Co)
- Schools, Suburban in Butte (Silverbow Co)
- Stevensville MPD (Ravalli Co)
- Thompson Falls MPD (Sanders Co)
- Upper Missouri River Corridor, Archeological Resources (Lewis and Clark Co)
- West Yellowstone MRA (Gallatin Co)
- Whoop-Up Trail (Multiple Counties)
- Willow Creek MPD (Gallatin Co)
The Historic Montana website and companion app offers the historical text for Montana’s National Register of Historic Places interpretive signs and includes hundreds of "then and now" photographs and links to further reading.
Visit the National Park Service's National Archives page for tips and resources on researching properties on the National Register.
- National Historic Landmarks (NHL) are properties that have received the special distinction for being exceptionally significant in our national history.
- National Register Historic Properties (NRHP) are individual locations that have been listed on the National Register.
- National Register Historic Districts are groups of properties that share a common history or theme and work together to convey their shared history.
- Restricted Sites: Some properties listed on the NRHP or NHL are address restricted meaning that their location is not publicly available. However, some basic information about the properties is publicly provided. Please contact the SHPO for more information or follow the link for list of restricted properties.