Does historic preservation make sense? Are there economic, as well as cultural and aesthetic, benefits to communities that invest in their historic resources? The answer is yes. A number of states have undertaken studies that quantify the economic impacts of historic preservation.
Property Value Appreication for Historic Districts in Alabama (2002)
The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in Colorado (2002)
www.coloradohistory-oahp.org/publications/1620.htmTwo reports are available: a 40-page, full-color, illustrated summary report and a 250-page technical supplement.
Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation in Florida (2003)
www.flheritage.com/preservation/economic_impact.pdf
www.law.ufl.edu/cgr/technical-report.shtmlTwo reports are available: a 34-page, full-color, illustrated summary and a longer technical report.
Contributions of Historic Preservation to the Quality of Life of Floridians (2006)
Profiting From the Past: The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Georgia (1999)
www.preservationbooks.orgThis study may be downloaded for a nominal fee from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Historic Preservation and the Economy of the Commonwealth: Kentucky's Past at Work for Kentucky's Future (1996)
www.preservationbooks.orgThis study may be downloaded for a nominal fee from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Value of Historic Preservation in Maryland (2000)
www.preservationmaryland.org/pdf/PM_Value_scn.pdf
Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation in Massachusetts (2002)
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcpdf/Economic_Impacts_2002.pdf
Investing in Michigan's Future: The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation (2002)
www.mhpn.org/bin/site/ftp/michigan_final.pdf
Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation in Missouri (2001)
www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/taxcreditimpact.htm
www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/RutgersStudy.pdfTwo reports are available: a 16-page, illustrated summary and a longer technical report.
Partners in Prosperity: The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in New Jersey (1998)
www.njht.org/pdf/ec_impct.pdf
www.njht.org/ec_study.htmTwo reports are available: a 20-page, illustrated summary and a longer technical report.
New York: Profiting Through Preservation (2000)
www.preservenys.org/profiting.pdfA 28-page, illustrated report.
New York City’s Independent Budget Office also did a comparative study of housing values within certain residential historic districts and in comparable non-designated areas. The Impact of Historic Districts on Residential Property Values (2002) www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/HistoricDistricts03.pdf
Profiting from the Past: The Impact of Historic Preservation on the North Carolina Economy (1998)
www.preservationbooks.orgThis study may be downloaded for a nominal fee from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit (2005)
Economic Effects of Historic Preservation in Rhode Island (1996)
www.preservationbooks.orgThis study may be downloaded for a nominal fee from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Smiling Faces Historic Places: The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in South Carolina (2003)
www.state.sc.us/scdah/hpEconomicsbooklet.pdfA 15-page, illustrated report.
Historic Districts are Good for Your Pocketbook: The Impact of Local Historic Districts on House Prices in South Carolina (2003)
www.state.sc.us/scdah/propval.pdf
Historic Preservation at Work for the Texas Economy (1999)
www.thc.state.tx.us/publications/reports/EconImpact.pdfA 22-page illustrated report. For further information on the companion technical study, Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation in Texas, contact the Texas State Historic Preservation Office at: www.thc.state.tx.us.
Prosperity Through Preservation: Virginia's Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program (2008)
Virginia's Economy and Historic Preservation: The Impact of Preservation on Jobs, Business, and Community (1995).
This study may be downloaded for a nominal fee from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. www.preservationbooks.org
Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in West Virginia (1997)
www.pawv.org/econimpact.htm
www.be.wvu.edu/serve/bureau/reports/historic/historic.pdfAn executive summary has been posted, and the full 33-page report is available.
In addition to the statewide studies cited above, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has compiled links to additional online studies that address the economic impacts of historic preservation. The links to these studies fall into the following five categories:
- General Studies
- General Community Studies
- Impacts of Historic Designation
- Impacts on Property Values
- Impacts of Preservation Tax Credits
For further reading on the economic impacts of historic preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has compiled the "historic preservation economic benefits research reference list" of many publications that are not available electronically. For more information, contact the National Trust's Public Policy Department at policy@nthp.org.
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For corrections or comments on the website please contact Kristen Harbeson at harbeson@sso.org
