What is Historic Preservation?

Lang House, Main Street	House on South Willard Street
Howard Opera House, Church Street	Old Mill, UVM Campus

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's President Richard Moe has said, "Preservation is in the business of saving irreplaceable places and the quality of life they support."

Historic preservation uses the protection of historic buildings, districts, landscapes, and other resources as a means of preserving a community's character and enhancing quality of life. Through tax incentives, grants, technical assistance, research, planning, design review, and advocacy, historic preservation helps us to maintain what is unique about our community, and keep us from becoming "Anywhere, USA."

Burlington has made a strong commitment to preserving our quality of life and the unique character of our city. An overview of this commitment can be found in the City Municipal Development Plan's chapter on Historic Preservation. (0.4 mb pdf file)

The Department of Planning and Zoning has prepared publications to help people understand what it means to have an historic building, and how to research the history of your building. (268 and 1285 kb pdf files respectively)

For more information on historic preservation, and organizations that are involved in preserving our city and region's "irreplaceable places," go to our links page.