Historic Districts

Types of Districts
Essentially, there are three types of historic districts:

• Conservation districts
• Local historic districts
• National Register of Historic Places districts / designations

Districts can be single-site designations or a group of sites / structures of historic or archaeological importance to the community, state, or nation.

Local Historic District
A local historic district is established through an ordinance passed by the City Council. Local historic districts provide the best tool for preserving historic structures. The establishment of a local district requires the Historic Preservation Commission to review and approve changes to the outside of structures visible from a public way. This could include windows, building materials, fencing, paint color, etc. Valparaiso currently has one single-site historic district - the McCallum House in downtown Valparaiso.

Benefits
Local historic districts can provide stability through guidelines established in regards to changes in the district. The uniqueness of each district is protected through these guidelines, which are created by the commission and property owners. It has been proven that over time, the property values of sites in a local historic district increase.

Conservation District
A conservation district provides limited protection to a district. In Valparaiso, a conservation district requires the commission to review and approve the moving, demolition, or new construction of a building that is visible from a public way. The purpose of local historic districts and conservation districts is to protect the integrity and character of Valparaiso's historic buildings and its older neighborhoods.