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archaeological deposits, but also to identify the types of and conditions of archaeological materials
<br />which may be encountered.
<br />Evaluation ofHistoric Properties
<br />Historic properties, defined by the National Park Service (NPS) as "a district, site, building, structure
<br />or object significant in American history, architecture, engineering, archeology or culture at the
<br />national, State, or local level," are typically evaluated in terms of historic significance, integrity, and
<br />the general stipulation that the property be 50 years old or older (for exceptions, see 36 CFR 60.4,
<br />Criteria Considerations [a—g]).
<br />Significance
<br />NRHP Bulletin Guidelines (Little et al. 2000; Shrimpton 1990) state that in order to be eligible for
<br />listing in the NRHP, a historic property must be significant in American history, architecture,
<br />archaeology, engineering, or culture and possess integrity of location, design, materials,
<br />workmanship, feeling, and association. Additionally, to be considered eligible, a historic property
<br />must meet one or more of the four criteria:
<br />a) The property must be associated with events that have made a significant
<br />contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
<br />b) The property must be associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
<br />or
<br />c) The property must embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or
<br />method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess
<br />high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity
<br />whose components may lack individual distinction; or
<br />d) The property must have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important
<br />on prehistory or history.
<br />Most cultural resources, historic and prehistoric alike, are evaluated under Criterion (d), their
<br />potential to yield important information. This objective is accomplished by developing historic
<br />contexts. A historic context is a body of information about the past and the tangible expressions of
<br />past events organized by the elements of theme, place, and time (NPS 1986, 1991).
<br />Integrity
<br />Integrity is the ability of a historic property to convey its significance. Integrity must be evident
<br />through historic qualities that include location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and
<br />association (NPS 1991:1). Degree of integrity should be taken into consideration when evaluating
<br />resources under the NRHP criteria, for example:
<br />If eligible for its historic associations under Criterion (a), then the resource
<br />should retain substantial aspects of its overall integrity, although design and
<br />workmanship may not weigh as heavily as those aspects related directly to its
<br />historic associations.
<br />• To be eligible for its association with a prominent person under Criterion (b), the
<br />resource should retain some aspects of integrity, although design and
<br />workmanship may not be as important as the others.
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