Services
Historic Tax Credit Applications
State and Federal Historic Tax Credits are a critical tool for historic building rehabilitation and economic development throughout the United States. The federal government offers a 20% tax credit on qualified expenses for historic building rehabilitation nationwide, and many states, including Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont, offer an additional, stackable state historic tax credit—providing up to a 40% total tax credit for historic building rehabilitations. (Some projects in specific states can qualify for even further credits.)
Successful tax credit projects range widely in scale and building typology, from historic mills, houses, offices, schools, libraries, and beyond. Jackson Preservation can help identify historic properties that are viable candidates for tax credits; conduct historical research and building documentation to determine which features may be altered or removed during the rehabilitation to facilitate a new function; generate complete state and federal tax credit applications; and work with developers and architects throughout the project ensure that the finished building rehabilitation meets the required “Standards” to receive tax credits. Our own extensive knowledge of the complicated, three-part tax credit application process ensures that each project is allocated the maximum credit amount possible.
More information on Historic Tax Credits can be found on the National Park Service's website.
National Register Nominations
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Listing on the National Register is not only an honor, it also enables properties to qualify for an array of preservation grants, as well as rehabilitation tax credits. To be eligible for listing, properties must generally be at least 50 years old, retain historic architectural integrity, and meet at least one of the following criteria:
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Criterion A: associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history
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Criterion B: associated with the lives of persons significant in our past
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Criterion C: embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master
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Criterion D: have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history
Jackson Preservation generates complete National Register nominations for individual buildings and historic districts. Before beginning the National Register Nomination process, we provide a brief preliminary evaluation of the property to help determine its eligibility.
Historic Resource Surveys
Historic Resource Surveys identify the historic properties in a community or campus setting and create a plan for their preservation. Our surveys involve archival research, fieldwork analysis, and evaluations of specific resources to determine their historical, architectural, and cultural significance. Surveys typically result in a detailed report, which explains the properties that are historically significant in an area and why, provides recommendations on how these resources should protected, and offers suggestions on how they should be incorporated into community planning and development efforts.
In addition to aiding community planning, surveys are often commissioned to increase public awareness for properties of local, state, or national significance; identify properties that are eligible for rehabilitation grants and tax credits; and meet local, state, and federal environmental review requirements.
Documentation Studies
Documentation studies are permanent records of historic properties, and they serve as a means of mitigation in the event that a building is altered or demolished. We provide building documentation that meets the requirements set forth by the National Park Service’s Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)—the nation’s federal building documentation standard since 1933, whose collections are held in the Library of Congress. HABS documentation includes measured drawings, an historical narrative, and photographs of existing building conditions.