Historic Sites Survey Starts in Daviess County Later this Month
OutdoorHub 07.18.11
The DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) is in the process of identifying historic sites and structures in Daviess County.
The surveyors, Kate McManus, Travis Olson and Kate Scott, will begin surveying at the end of July. The project will take several months to complete. The surveyors will travel every road in the county to document, photograph and map all historic resources, including bridges and cemeteries built before 1971 that meet survey criteria.
Residents can assist the surveyors by allowing them to take photographs of private property and by providing accurate historical information.
The historic sites and structures inventory has no impact on property taxes and does not result in official landmark status but can offer a level of protection for historic resources when a state- or federally funded project occurs in a particular area. The existence of the county survey also can shorten approval times for development, including road and highway improvements, and result in fewer regulatory delays.
A public meeting will be held Aug. 2, at 7 p.m., at the Carnegie Public Library in Washington, to explain more about the project. Amy Walker, architectural historian with the DHPA, will talk about the survey, explain what the surveyors are looking for, introduce the surveyors, and answer questions.
The DHPA gathers information about Indiana’s historic sites and structures on a county-by-county basis through a statewide survey program started in 1975. A similar survey was conducted in Daviess County in 1987.
The historic sites and structures survey is a helpful tool in preservation, offering resources identified in the survey additional protection when a state or federally funded project occurs in those areas. The existence of the county survey also can shorten approval times for development, including road and highway improvements, and result in fewer regulatory delays.
Additionally, cities, planning departments, and historical organizations can use the survey to identify properties and historic districts for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Teachers use the information to instruct their students on architecture and local history.
Media Contact: Amy Walker, DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology, architectural historian, (317) 232-1647.
