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Historic Preservation
The Southeast Tennessee Development District (SETDD) region features a diverse cultural history and scenic views, which is evident in its built environment and landscape. From the Tennessee Overhill Region and Cherokee National Forest in the east to Walden’s Ridge, the Sequatchie Valley, and Cumberland Plateau to the west a rich history and heritage is plentiful and prevalent in this southern Appalachia region. Buildings, dwellings, monuments, and historic roads and trails serve as physical reminders and links to the past, where Native Americans, European explorers, white settlers, African Americans, and Civil War soldiers once lived, visited, worked, and walked, creating a very unique history. Log dwellings, antebellum homes, churches, schools, Victorian Style homes, and Main Street communities give us a sense of time and place, which makes East Tennesseans and visitors alike appreciate what the area has to offer. Southeast Tennessee, with its many rural towns and counties, continues to grow, which makes preservation planning a necessity in order to promote smart growth. Remembering, honoring, and respecting historic landmarks of the past will make for a better future in the region’s communities. Deeply imbedded in the mountains, valleys, and hills of Southeast Tennessee are memories and physical artifacts that remind us of the Trail of Tears, the Civil War, railroad development, the mining and textile mill communities, religion, education, and the changes brought upon Appalachia by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s and 1940s. Preservation in the Southeast Tennessee region can protect these significant cultural resources for future generations while helping to promote heritage tourism and economic revitalization. The position of Historic Preservation Planner is funded in part by the Tennessee Historical Commission, which receives funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Federal grant funds for historic preservation activities are made available to states under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act. Through this grant contract, SETDD is able to provide information regarding historic preservation programs and practices, assist with the completion of a statewide cultural resource survey, facilitate the nomination of properties to the National Register of Historic Places, provide protection for significant cultural resources through involvement in the project review procedures established under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and to further the goals of the historic preservation grants-in-aid programs by assisting in the preparation of grant applications. Below is a brief description of some of the program areas: Survey and Planning County surveys produce a comprehensive written and photographic record of local historic resources fifty years old or older for posterity. In addition to the files created for every surveyed property, every National Register eligible property is recorded. Thus surveys form a firm foundation for future preservation planning and research efforts, which allows for the simplification of the environmental review process required for all federally funded projects. As a mandated program area of the Tennessee Historical Commission, county survey projects are typically funded with Historic Preservation Fund grants, though non-traditional funding sources may also be utilized (i.e. National Trust for Historic Preservation Fund Grants). County surveys in the State of Tennessee are available at the Tennessee Historical Commission and the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Some county surveys are now listed on the internet. SETDD’s preservation planner is available to provide funding procurement assistance, training in historic resources survey techniques and methodologies, and supervision of county survey projects. In addition, the preservation planner provides assistance to cities and counties that are interested in the establishment of local historic zoning ordinances and historic preservation commissions. Tennessee Historic Sites Survey National Register of Historic Places The National Register is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the National Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in America’s history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. Its primary goals are to foster a national preservation ethic, promote a greater understanding of America’s heritage and increase and broaden the public’s understanding and appreciation of historic places. National Register of Historic Places Website State of Tennessee Preliminary National Register Nomination Form Section 106 Review Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their actions on historic properties and provide the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment on federal projects prior to implementation. Section 106 Review encourages, but does not mandate preservation. Section 106 Review does ensure that preservation values are factored into federal agency planning and decisions. Section 106 Review Information Historic Preservation Grants SETDD staff prepares several grants each year on behalf of cities, counties, and non-profit organizations for preservation-related activities. Past grants include rehabilitation of historic structures, surveys of historic and cultural resources, and planning grants for historic preservation initiatives. For more information on the Historic Preservation Fund Grant provided by the National Park Service and administered by the Tennessee Historical Commission, and for other preservation grants available through the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, please select below. National Trust for Historic Preservation Fund Grants You may contact Paul Archambault with any historic preservation related questions at (423) 424-4266 or by e-mail at parchamb@sedev.org. |