Designation of a property as a National Historic Landmark does not give ownership of the property to the Federal government in general or to the National Park Service in particular. National Historic Landmarks are owned by private individuals; by local and state governments; by tribal entities; by non-profit organizations; and by corporations. The Federal government owns fewer than 400 NHLs (17 percent). The laws that govern property rights still apply to designated landmarks.

Upon designation, the National Park Service is tasked with reporting on the condition of the landmark through periodic status updates provided by NHL owners (stewards).

photograph by hawthornephoto via Flickr United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area, CO: Created in the first decade of the Cold War, the United States Air Force Academy has provided the service with a steady supply of officers. The campus, by Skidmore Owings Merrill (SOM), ranks among the finest examples of modern movement architecture commissioned by Federal agencies during the post World War II era. It was a controversial break with the traditional architecture of West Point and Annapolis, the military academies of the Army and Navy.