State Historic Preservation Office

The State Historic Preservation Office is the official historic preservation agency of the State of Ohio. It has developed since 1967 when the Ohio History Connection was designated to manage responsibilities delegated to the state by Congress in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Enacted after the destruction of numerous buildings and sites in the years following World War II, the National Historic Preservation Act encourages Americans to identify and preserve our nation's cultural and historic resources. Visit the national Preservation50 web page to learn more about the history of the National Historic Preservation Act. Read the full text of the law here. The office also:

prepares and distributes a state historic preservation plan,
identifies historic places and archaeological sites,
nominates eligible properties to the National Register of Historic Places,
reviews rehabilitation work to income-producing National Register properties for federal investment tax credits,
consults on significance and proposed federally-assisted projects for effects on historic, architectural, and archaeological resources,
qualifies communities for the Certified Local Government program and administers matching grants to them,
consults on the conservation of buildings and sites, and
offers educational programs and publications.

Headquartered in Columbus, the office has a staff of archaeologists, historians, architectural historians, a historical architect and others with professional expertise in preservation-related fields. The office is funded in part by an annual grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Historic Preservation Fund. The Ohio History Connection, State of Ohio and other public and private sources match the federal funds.

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Each year, the State Historic Preservation Office recognizes achievements in historic preservation by presenting awards in Public Education and Awareness, and Preservation Merit.

The Public Education and Awareness Award is for increasing interest in historic preservation. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, media, newsletters, publications, interpretation, original research, educational programs, and special events which have substantially increased public understanding and awareness of historic preservation at the local, regional, or state level.

The Preservation Merit Award is for preserving Ohio's prehistory, history, architecture, or culture. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, restoring, rehabilitating, or otherwise preserving an important building or site, longtime stewardship of a property, promoting protective legislation, funding preservation projects, offering leadership, support, or service, and furthering preservation at the local, regional, or state level.

The Section 106 Essentials
The Section 106 Essentials is a two-day course designed for those who are new to Section 106 review or those who want a refresher on its basic operation.

National Preservation Institute
Seminars in Historic Preservation & Cultural Resource Management

Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology

Courses and Continuing Education

University of Victoria

Cultural Resource Management

American Institute of Architects
Associated General Contractors
Campbell Center, Mount Carroll, Illinois
Institute of Classical Architecture
Wetland Training Institute