I. INTRODUCTION

The National Register is the nation's inventory of historic places and the national repository of documentation on the variety of historic property types, significance, abundance, condition, ownership, needs, and other information. It is the beginning of a national census of historic properties. The National Register Criteria for Evaluation define the scope of the National Register of Historic Places; they identify the range of resources and kinds of significance that will qualify properties for listing in the National Register. The Criteria are written broadly to recognize the wide variety of historic properties associated with our prehistory and history.

Decisions concerning the significance, historic integrity, documentation, and treatment of properties can be made reliably only when the resource is evaluated within its historic context. The historic context serves as the framework within which the National Register Criteria are applied to specific properties or property types. (SeePart V for a brief discussion of historic contexts. Detailed guidance for developing and applying historic contexts is contained in National Register Bulletin How to Complete the National Register Registration Form and National Register Bulletin: How to Complete the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form)

The guidelines provided here are intended to help you understand the National Park Service's use of the Criteria for Evaluation, historic contexts, integrity, and Criteria Considerations, and how they apply to properties under consideration for listing in the National Register. Examples are provided throughout, illustrating specific circumstances in which properties are and are not eligible for the National Register. This bulletin should be used by anyone who is:

• Preparing to nominate a property to the National Register,
• Seeking a determination of a property's eligibility,
• Evaluating the comparable significance of a property to those listed in the National Register, or
• Expecting to nominate a property as a National Historic Landmark in addition to nominating it to the National Register.