National Register of Historic Places

What is the National Register of Historic Places?

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources. We like to refer to it as an “honor roll” of historic buildings and places. Almost all houses in Wedgwood are 50 years or older, which makes them eligible for historic status.

Please see the video of our lecture on this topic here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=952931112278941&ref=sharing

Residential Restrictions

THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON OWNERS OF A PROPERTY LISTED IN THE NRHP! Further, the nomination must be voted on by property owners. Under Federal Law, the listing of a property in the National Register places no restrictions on what a non-federal owner may do with their property up to and including destruction, unless the property is involved in a project that receives federal assistance, usually funding or licensing/permitting.

Benefits

Higher property values, stability for the neighborhood, availability of federal funds for certain improvements, and protection against federal projects.

Learn More

At this website maintained by the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm

WHA'S NOMINATION OF WEDGWOOD

Process

WHA will survey all of the houses in the potential district, write a detailed history and justification for the nomination, then submit all of that to the Texas Historical Commission (THC). THC is already advising us on the process. THC will approve/recommend the nomination and forward it to the National Park Service for their approval. Even in the unlikely event that the nomination is not accepted, Wedgwood will be acknowledged as "eligible" for inclusion in the NRHP, which can provide some protections against federally-funded projects.

Survey

WHA has already surveyed more than 1000 Wedgwood houses. We have collaborated with students and professors from the UTA College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA), hired local experts, and hope to engage more volunteers in the work. Each house in the potential district must be photographed, described, and deemed "contributing" or "noncontributing" based on its state of originality (exterior, not interior). We also must provide build dates.

Note: We use only publicly available data and photographs in the survey.

Boundaries

See map below. The boundaries closely reflect those of a 1955 plat map and take into consideration what was actually built versus the plan. For this initial nomination, we have not included homes: in Wedgwood Square south of Wedgworth Road South, in Wedgwood East that list South Hills on their deeds, in the area west of Hulen Street, or in Wedgwood South. These areas can be added to the district at a later date or become separate historic districts.