Agenda - City of Santa Monica

HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW: 1318-1322 2 nd Street
ATTACHMENT B
National Register of Historic Places
Historic District Defined
In order to identify, assess and evaluate potential historic districts for local, state, or federal level
significance standard professional protocol uses, among other industry standards, the information
contained in National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation.
Published by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (1990, rev. 1997) this
document defines the term “Historic District” as the following:
HISTORIC DISTRICT
A district possesses a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or
objects united historically or aesthetically by plan or physical development.
Concentration, Linkage and Continuity of Features:
A district derives its importance from being a unified entity, even though it is often composed of
a wide variety of resources. The identity of a district results from the interrelationship of tis
resources, which can convey a visual sense of the overall historic environment or be an
arrangement of historically or functionally related properties.
Significance
A district must be significant and be an identifiable entity. It must also be important for historical,
architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural values.
Types of Features
A district can be comprised of both features that lack individual distinction and individually
distinctive features that serve as focal points. A district may be considered eligible if all of its
components lack individual distinction, provided that the grouping achieves significance as a
whole within its historic context. The majority of the components that add to the district’s historic
character, even if they are individually undistinguished, must possess historical integrity, as
must the district as a whole. A district may also contain properties that do not contribute to the
significance of the district (non-contributors). It is important that the number of non-contributors
in the district do not compromise its integrity and sense of time and place. Typically, a district
must be comprised of a majority of contributors in order for it to qualify as such.
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