What Defines an Historic Home?
If you own an historic home in the United States and you agree to preserve it using materials and stylistic features that maintain its original form and context, you may be eligible for tax credits and other funding to help with renovations and upkeep. First, you have to prove that your home qualifies.
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Age
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In general, an historic home must have been built more than fifty years earlier. It also has to stand on its original location. The Bolduc House, for example, is the only 18th century French Colonial home still in its original location in the mid-Mississippi valley.
Architecture
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For the home to qualify officially as an historic home, it must be representative of its period or showcase a specific type or construction style. The Bolduc House mentioned above, for example, typifies French Creole architecture by blending the Norman truss roof construction with a veranda that fully surrounds the house.
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Identification
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Another way for an historic house to qualify is if it is associated with specific historical events or famous individuals. The Ulysses S. Grant home in St. Louis, or George Washington's home in Mount Vernon, are examples of houses that are historical because of their association with U.S. presidents.
Qualifications
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To qualify as an historic house, the structure should be listed on the National Register of Historic Homes. Another way to qualify is for the house to be located in either an urban or rural historical district. You can discover whether your home is already either listed in the register or is in an historical district by contacting your state's Historic Preservation Office. The web addresses for those are available at the National Historic Trust website (see the link below).
Expert Insight
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Organizations such as the National Historic Trust, a part of the National Parks Service, provide great resources about historic homes. If you are interested in buying or selling an historic home, there is a listing service available on the Preservation Directory.
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