California Office of Historic Preservation

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California Office of Historic Preservation
Agency overview
Formed1975
Preceding agency
  • California History Preservation Section (1972)
JurisdictionCalifornia state government
Headquarters1725 23rd Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, California 95816
Agency executive
Parent agency
California Department of Parks and Recreation
Websiteohp.parks.ca.gov

The California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) is a California state agency within the California Department of Parks and Recreation that administers federally and state-mandated historic preservation programs throughout California. Its mission is to further the identification, evaluation, registration, and protection of California's archaeological and historical resources.[1]

OHP provides staff support for the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), who represents California in the federal historic preservation program under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. As the SHPO's office, OHP reviews proposals affecting historic properties that receive federal funding or permits, administers federal grants for preservation planning, and coordinates nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.[1]

OHP also administers the California Register of Historical Resources, the California Historical Landmarks program (more than 1,060 designated landmarks), the California Points of Historical Interest program, and the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS).[2]

History

California's formal state historic preservation function began in 1949 when the Governor created the Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee, a seven-member body charged with evaluating and designating historic sites. In 1953, a History Section was established within the Division of Beaches and Parks, the predecessor of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.[1][3]

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 required each state to designate a State Historic Preservation Officer and establish a state review commission as conditions for receiving federal preservation funding.[4] In 1972, California created the California History Preservation Section within the Department of Parks and Recreation to align with these federal requirements. In 1974, the state legislature renamed the Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee to the State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC). The Office of Historic Preservation was formally established in 1975 within the offices of the Director of California State Parks.[1][3]

The California Register of Historical Resources was established by the state legislature in 1992 under California Public Resources Code § 5024.1 as the authoritative guide to the state's historical and archaeological resources.[5]

State Historic Preservation Officer

The State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) is appointed by the Governor of California in consultation with the State Historical Resources Commission and the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. The SHPO oversees OHP, develops public information and technical assistance programs, and acts as Executive Secretary to the State Historical Resources Commission.[6]

Julianne Polanco was appointed SHPO by Governor Jerry Brown on June 12, 2015, and reappointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 23, 2023.[6][7][8] Polanco previously served on the California State Historical Resources Commission from 2005 to 2015, chairing the Commission for her last three years on it, and worked as Director of Cultural Resources for Lend Lease.[6]

State Historical Resources Commission

The State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC) is a nine-member board appointed by the Governor to advise OHP and the SHPO. The SHRC reviews nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, the California Register of Historical Resources, the California Historical Landmarks program, and the California Points of Historical Interest program.[9]

By statute, commissioners include recognized professionals in history, prehistoric archaeology, historical archaeology, architectural history, and restoration architecture, as well as members knowledgeable in ethnic history and folklife. The SHRC meets four times per year in public sessions.[9]

Programs

California Historical Landmarks

Bronze California Historical Landmark plaque mounted on a stone base
California Historical Landmark plaque at Morro Rock (No. 821), one of more than 1,060 designated landmarks

California Historical Landmarks are officially designated sites, buildings, features, and events of established statewide historical importance. To qualify, a resource must be the first, last, only, or most significant of its type in California or in a large geographic region; associated with an individual or group having profound influence on California history; or an outstanding example of an architectural period, style, or movement.[10]

White-walled adobe building, the Old Custom House in Monterey
The Old Custom House in Monterey, designated as California Historical Landmark No. 1

Landmark No. 1 is the Old Custom House in Monterey. Landmarks numbered 770 and above are automatically listed in the California Register of Historical Resources. Designated landmarks are eligible for bronze commemorative plaques and Caltrans highway directional signs.[10]

California Points of Historical Interest

California Points of Historical Interest recognize buildings, sites, features, or events of local (city or county) historical significance. Points designated after December 1997 and recommended by the SHRC are listed in the California Register of Historical Resources. Criteria parallel those for California Historical Landmarks but are applied at a local geographic scale.[11]

California Register of Historical Resources

The California Register of Historical Resources, established in 1992, is the authoritative guide to California's historical and archaeological resources. Resources are automatically listed if they are: listed in the National Register of Historic Places; California Historical Landmarks numbered 770 and above; or Points of Historical Interest designated after December 1997 and recommended by the SHRC. Private owners may also nominate resources under four criteria modeled on the National Register: association with broad historical patterns; association with historically significant persons; distinctive architectural characteristics; or potential to yield important historical information.[5][12]

Listing in the California Register triggers state-mandated review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Local lead agencies use OHP's standards to evaluate whether proposed projects, such as demolitions or significant alterations, would constitute a "substantial adverse change" to the historical resource.[13] A determination of substantial adverse change can invoke local demolition moratoriums and require investigation of preservation alternatives or mitigation measures before permits issue.[14]

National Register of Historic Places

OHP reviews all nominations from California to the National Register of Historic Places, manages the State Historical Resources Commission hearing process, and submits approved nominations to the National Park Service. California has approximately 2,990 listed properties, including 150 National Historic Landmarks, as of 2025.[15]

Section 106 federal compliance

Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, federal agencies must consult with the SHPO before undertaking projects that may affect historic properties.[16] OHP reviews several thousand such federal projects annually. When an adverse effect is identified, OHP negotiates a Memorandum of Agreement or Programmatic Agreement with the federal agency, in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the public.[17] Local preservation programs in California often follow OHP-administered standards in their own environmental review processes to ensure consistency across local, state, and federal procedures.[14]

Tribal cultural resources and AB 52

Under California Assembly Bill 52, enacted in 2014, lead agencies must consult with traditionally and culturally affiliated California Native American tribes early in the CEQA planning process. Working with the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), OHP supports compliance frameworks for tribal cultural resource consultations to avoid inadvertent discoveries of Native American burials and to establish culturally appropriate mitigation measures when resources cannot be preserved in place.[18]

Historic preservation tax incentives

OHP administers California's participation in the federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, which provides a 20 percent tax credit on qualified rehabilitation expenses for certified historic commercial and income-producing properties. Between 2009 and 2024, nearly $3 billion was spent on rehabilitation expenses through this program in California.[19]

California also operates a State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, providing a 20 to 25 percent tax credit on qualified rehabilitation expenditures for certified historic structures. The program is administered jointly by OHP and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.[20]

OHP supports local implementation of the Mills Act, a state-enabling statute under which cities and counties may grant property tax reductions to owners who agree to maintain qualifying historic properties under a 10-year contract.[21]

California Historical Resources Information System

The California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) is a statewide database of historical buildings, structures, objects, archaeological sites, landscapes, and districts maintained by OHP. The system is geographically decentralized and coordinated through a network of regional Information Centers hosted primarily at California State University and University of California campuses.[22] The Northeast Information Center at California State University, Chico alone holds more than 45,500 historical resource records and 15,000 reports.[23]

To comply with the National Historic Preservation Act and CEQA, developers and municipalities use CHRIS searches to plan construction and avoid sensitive areas. Access to much of the CHRIS database is restricted to Secretary-of-the-Interior-qualified professionals, Native American representatives, scholars, and verified landowners. The restrictions reduce exposure of exact site locations, protecting vulnerable resources from physical damage, archaeological looting, or interference with Indigenous cultural practices.[23][24]

Certified Local Government Program

OHP administers California's Certified Local Government (CLG) Program, a partnership among local governments, OHP, and the National Park Service. Certified local governments receive a share of OHP's annual federal Historic Preservation Fund allocation through a competitive grant program. Requirements include enforcing local historic preservation ordinances, maintaining a survey and inventory, and providing for public participation in preservation decisions.[25]

Public role and selected cases

OHP's work has been visible in local preservation disputes, disaster recovery, and environmental review. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the Los Angeles Times reported that OHP sought to remove downtown Santa Cruz's federal historic-district designation because many contributing buildings in the district had been demolished after the earthquake. Local planners and preservationists objected, in part because loss of the designation would end federal rehabilitation tax credits available for the district.[26]

In San Clemente, a 1992 controversy over the city's historic preservation ordinance led the city to apply for Certified Local Government status with OHP, qualifying it for grants to hire a historical expert.[27] The city was admitted to the program the following year and sought OHP grant funding to update its survey of 1920s and 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival buildings.[28]

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a $5 million federal grant was earmarked for repair of earthquake-damaged historic buildings in Southern California; about 500 buildings were identified as eligible by OHP, with $3.5 million allocated for reconstruction work and the remainder for planning and design. The program was coordinated by the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, OHP, and the Los Angeles Conservancy.[29]

In 2013, the Daily Pilot reported that OHP wrote to Costa Mesa city officials warning that planned development at Fairview Park could damage a known Native American site that may extend further south than previously thought. The Native American Heritage Commission separately advised the city in support of avoiding the area rather than relying solely on monitoring or recovery during construction.[30]

Documentation of underrepresented communities

OHP's 1988 publication Five Views: An Ethnic Historic Site Survey for California was an early state effort to identify historic places associated with ethnic and minority communities in California. A 2020 academic volume on preservation and social inclusion described the study as both a moment of insight and a missed opportunity for broadening California preservation practice.[31]

A 2012 report prepared by Donna Graves for the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, The Legacy of California's Landmarks, recommended that OHP and the National Park Service sponsor an update to Five Views covering additional underrepresented communities, that OHP add weighting in Certified Local Government grants for historic context statements, surveys, and nominations involving diverse communities, and that the office work with state cultural agencies to expand interpretive projects about underrepresented communities.[32]

Governing law

OHP's federal responsibilities derive from the National Historic Preservation Act, codified in 54 U.S.C. § 300101 et seq. Federal law provides for approved state historic preservation programs, requires participating states to designate a State Historic Preservation Officer, and identifies responsibilities such as survey and inventory work, National Register nominations, statewide preservation planning, administration of federal preservation assistance, public education, local-government certification, and consultation on federal undertakings.[4][16]

OHP's state programs are authorized primarily by California Public Resources Code §§ 5020–5029.5. Section 5024.1 establishes the California Register.[33][12] Section 5024 requires state agencies to consult with OHP when projects on state-owned land may affect resources listed in or eligible for the National Register or registered as a state historical landmark.

See also

References

  1. "About OHP". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  2. "Mission and Responsibilities". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  3. "SHRC History". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  4. "54 U.S. Code § 302301 – Regulations". Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  5. "California Register of Historical Resources". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  6. "State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  7. "Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 3.23.23". Office of the Governor of California. March 23, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  8. "California". National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  9. "State Historical Resources Commission". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  10. "California Historical Landmarks Registration". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  11. "California Points of Historical Interest". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  12. "Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 14, § 4851 – Historical Resources Eligible for Listing in the California Register of Historical Resources". Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  13. CEQA Guide: Preparation of Impact Analysis — Cultural Resources: Historical Resources (PDF) (Report). Los Angeles City Planning Department. December 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  14. "Historic Preservation FAQs". San Francisco Planning Department. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  15. "National Register of Historic Places". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  16. "54 U.S. Code § 302303 – Responsibilities of State Historic Preservation Officer". Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  17. "Section 106 — Federal Agency Compliance". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  18. Robinson, Terrie; Cypret, Samantha (2016). Tribal Consultation Under AB 52: Requirements and Best Practices (PDF) (Report). Native American Heritage Commission. Retrieved May 8, 2026 – via California Preservation Foundation.
  19. "Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  20. "State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  21. Narwold, Andrew J. (2008). "Estimating the value of the historical designation externality" (PDF). International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis. 1 (3): 288–295. doi:10.1108/17538270810895123. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  22. "North Central Information Center". California State University, Sacramento. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  23. "Northeast Information Center". California State University, Chico. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  24. "What is the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS)?". FirstCarbon Solutions. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  25. "Certified Local Government Program (CLG)". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  26. Elliott, Christopher (February 22, 1991). "Part of Town's History Tumbled in Quake: Quaint Santa Cruz shopping district may lose its designation in the National Register of Historic Places". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  27. Cekola, Anna (November 18, 1992). "San Clemente: Preservation Law Revisions on Agenda". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  28. Cekola, Anna (April 12, 1993). "San Clemente: City Seeks to Update Historical Status". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  29. Malnic, Eric (March 12, 1994). "$5-Million Grant Earmarked for Repair of Historic Buildings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  30. Dobruck, Jeremiah (October 4, 2013). "Group says park area includes burial ground". Daily Pilot. Retrieved May 9, 2026 – via Los Angeles Times.
  31. Avrami, Erica, ed. (2020). Preservation and Social Inclusion. Columbia Books on Architecture and the City. ISBN 978-1-941332-60-3. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  32. Comprehensive Cultural Survey: Executive Summary (PDF) (Report). California Cultural and Historical Endowment. November 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  33. "California Public Resources Code § 5024.1". California Legislative Information. Retrieved May 8, 2026.

Further reading

  • Wetherell, Charles; Mitchell-Wilson, Marion; Taylor, Thomas T.; Seidel, William C.; Sugaya, Hisashi B. (1987). "Managing Cultural Resource Information: The California Experience". The Public Historian. 9 (1): 31–45. doi:10.2307/3377104.
  • Mellon, Knox (1981). "Oral History, Public History, and Historic Preservation: California Birds of a Feather". The Oral History Review. 9 (1): 85–95. doi:10.1093/ohr/9.1.85.
  • California Office of Historic Preservation (1988). Five Views: An Ethnic Historic Site Survey for California. California Department of Parks and Recreation.
  • California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation (1996). California Historical Landmarks. California Department of Parks and Recreation. ISBN 978-0-941925-19-8.
  • Roberts, George; Roberts, Jan (2004). Discover Historic California: The Official Travel Guide to State Historic Landmarks and Other Historic Sites. Gem Guides Book Co. ISBN 978-1-889786-29-2.