Listing Process

Listing a property in the National Register of Historic Places consists of four steps. Before starting Step 1, we suggest checking to see if your property is already listed in the National Register. You can check by searching for your address on the Tennessee Historical Commission Viewer, or by searching our Tennessee National Register Listings spreadsheet. If you are having trouble determining if your property is listed in the National Register, please contact National Register staff who are happy to assist you

1. Property evaluation:
THC National Register staff will first evaluate whether a property appears to meet the requirements for listing. National Register listing requires properties be significant for history or design, retain their historic features, and be more than fifty-years old.

If you are interested in listing an individual property, you should complete an Information Packet. Please contact National Register staff for a copy of the Information Packet.

For farms and agricultural landscapes, please download our Evaluating Farms guidance document. 

For historic districts, please download our Historic District Information Packet. The packet linked in this section is the current version used by our staff.

Please note that review times for Information Packets may vary or be extended. Though National Register staff return eligibility determinations as quickly as possible, workloads for other state and federally mandated program reviews, in addition to the total number of packets received, may extend the time it takes for a comprehensive review. 

A complete information packet submission should include:

• A comprehensive history of the property.
• An explanation for why the property is significant and meets National Register criteria.
• Current photographs showing the entire property, including landscape, outbuildings, all exterior building elevations, and all interior spaces. 
• Completed Information Packet form. 

Information Packets that do not provide the requested information will not be evaluated until the Packet is complete. 

National Register staff will use the packets to evaluate whether the property appears to meet National Register requirements. Please contact National.Register@tn.gov with any questions on the Information Packets. THC staff can also provide the contact information for preservation planners throughout the state who may be able to assist with the packet. 

Digital submission is preferred to National.Register@tn.gov. There are two submittal options. The first is to submit the materials to National.Register@tn.gov. The state e-mail system only accepts attachments smaller than twenty-five megabytes, so please ensure materials do not exceed twenty-five megabytes per e-mail. Multiple e-mails with attachments may be submitted. Please request confirmation that materials have been received by staff. If you do not receive confirmation, please follow up with a separate e-mail.

The second option is to upload all the materials to a SharePoint folder. Please contact National Register staff for submittal instructions. 

Properties that are found to be eligible for listing can proceed to Step 2.

2. Preparation of a National Register nomination:
The next step is to prepare a formal National Register nomination. THC National Register staff will provide the current nomination form, instructions, and example nominations. Regional preservation planners may be able to assist with nomination preparation.

The completed nomination form and photographs should be returned to National Register staff. Staff will review the nomination and provide comments for revisions. Most drafts go through at least a few rounds of revision. Once complete, the nomination will be scheduled for the next possible State Review Board Meeting.

3. Review by the Tennessee State Review Board:

The Tennessee State Review Board meets three times a year to review nominations. They generally meet in January, May, and September. The board is comprised of professionals in architecture, history, and archaeology. The board will review each completed nomination and vote on whether to approve the nomination. 

4. Submission to the National Park Service:
THC National Register staff submit approved nominations to the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service has final say on whether a property is listed, rejected, or returned to THC for revisions.

When properties are successfully listed, property owners will receive a notification from the THC. Owners may choose to celebrate the listing with a plaque. The Tennessee Historical Commission does not endorse, authorize, recommend, or have any preference for one company over another. We provide the list for your convenience. You are not required to purchase a plaque.