Virginia Department of Historic Preservation
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (www.dhr.virginia.gov) is Virginia’s primary historic preservation agency. DHR’s mission is to foster, encourage, and support the stewardship of Virginia’s significant historic architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources. The agency also serves as Virginia’s State Historic Preservation Office (NCSHPO | The National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers) under the federal National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the nation’s main legislation regarding historic preservation.
DHR is also the owner long-term of one historic site, Clermont Farm, whose gift to the Commonwealth (and DHR) was accepted by the General Assembly in 2005. DHR leases the site to The Clermont Foundation, which is responsible for all the costs of preserving the site and operating it for educational purposes. There is no state appropriation for Clermont’s maintenance or operation. Many other agencies of state government own historic sites (the state universities, the Dept. of Conservation & Recreation, etc.) and one of DHR’s tasks is to biannually review the stewardship by state agencies of state-owned historic sites.
DHR’s programs and staff support preservation through many activities, including but not limited to educational outreach, listing sites and districts in the state and national historic registers, guidance and technical assistance, historic rehabilitation tax credits, preservation easements, archaeology, historical highway markers, and consultation on projects that are tied to federal and state permits or federal funding.
Among these programs are:
-Archaeology Information about DHR initiatives, programs, and resources, including its collection of over 5 million archaeological artifacts covering 16,000 years of Virginia history, is available through this section of their website. The entire Clermont Farm site is considered archaeologically significant, with an artifactual history running from the early First Peoples 10,000 years ago through the last 270 years of European- and African American habitation. State Code provides penalties for any ground disturbance/digging/metal detecting not authorized by DHR on this state-owned historical site. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/archaeology/ )
-Archival Research DHR has information, including survey records, about thousands of historic sites in the Commonwealth. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/archive/ )
-Certified Local Government Program CLG establishes local, state, and federal partnerships for preservation. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/survey-planning/ )
-Easements DHR’s easement program uses public-private partnerships to protect Virginia’s historic and archaeological resources. DHR is the holder of the Elizabeth Rust Williams easement on the 360-acre Clermont Farm, contributing to the significant amount of farm, open, and forested land under protective easements in Clarke County. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/easements/ )
-Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits The preservation of historic buildings provides demonstrable economic benefits as well as enriching the quality of our lives. Through the federal and state rehabilitation tax credit programs, property owners are given substantial incentives for private investment in preservation. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/tax-credits/ )
Since Clermont Farm is owned by DHR, its Division of State Archaeology (see above, under Archaeology) as well as other appropriate program staff provide guidance and technical assistance to The Clermont Foundation, as well as pre-review and approval of all plans affecting archaeology or the historic buildings. The Department’s annual Work Plan assures appropriate stewardship of facilities held in trust for the citizens of the Commonwealth. The Liaison for DHR to the Trustees of The Clermont Foundation is the Department Director, Julie Langan, who attends Trustee meetings in person or by video link.
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (www.dhr.virginia.gov) is Virginia’s primary historic preservation agency. DHR’s mission is to foster, encourage, and support the stewardship of Virginia’s significant historic architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources. The agency also serves as Virginia’s State Historic Preservation Office (NCSHPO | The National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers) under the federal National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the nation’s main legislation regarding historic preservation.
DHR is also the owner long-term of one historic site, Clermont Farm, whose gift to the Commonwealth (and DHR) was accepted by the General Assembly in 2005. DHR leases the site to The Clermont Foundation, which is responsible for all the costs of preserving the site and operating it for educational purposes. There is no state appropriation for Clermont’s maintenance or operation. Many other agencies of state government own historic sites (the state universities, the Dept. of Conservation & Recreation, etc.) and one of DHR’s tasks is to biannually review the stewardship by state agencies of state-owned historic sites.
DHR’s programs and staff support preservation through many activities, including but not limited to educational outreach, listing sites and districts in the state and national historic registers, guidance and technical assistance, historic rehabilitation tax credits, preservation easements, archaeology, historical highway markers, and consultation on projects that are tied to federal and state permits or federal funding.
Among these programs are:
-Archaeology Information about DHR initiatives, programs, and resources, including its collection of over 5 million archaeological artifacts covering 16,000 years of Virginia history, is available through this section of their website. The entire Clermont Farm site is considered archaeologically significant, with an artifactual history running from the early First Peoples 10,000 years ago through the last 270 years of European- and African American habitation. State Code provides penalties for any ground disturbance/digging/metal detecting not authorized by DHR on this state-owned historical site. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/archaeology/ )
-Archival Research DHR has information, including survey records, about thousands of historic sites in the Commonwealth. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/archive/ )
-Certified Local Government Program CLG establishes local, state, and federal partnerships for preservation. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/survey-planning/ )
-Easements DHR’s easement program uses public-private partnerships to protect Virginia’s historic and archaeological resources. DHR is the holder of the Elizabeth Rust Williams easement on the 360-acre Clermont Farm, contributing to the significant amount of farm, open, and forested land under protective easements in Clarke County. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/easements/ )
-Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits The preservation of historic buildings provides demonstrable economic benefits as well as enriching the quality of our lives. Through the federal and state rehabilitation tax credit programs, property owners are given substantial incentives for private investment in preservation. (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/tax-credits/ )
Since Clermont Farm is owned by DHR, its Division of State Archaeology (see above, under Archaeology) as well as other appropriate program staff provide guidance and technical assistance to The Clermont Foundation, as well as pre-review and approval of all plans affecting archaeology or the historic buildings. The Department’s annual Work Plan assures appropriate stewardship of facilities held in trust for the citizens of the Commonwealth. The Liaison for DHR to the Trustees of The Clermont Foundation is the Department Director, Julie Langan, who attends Trustee meetings in person or by video link.