Assistance to Local Government Programs

The legal power to protect historic properties rests primarily with local governments, not state or federal governments.  Thus, the decisions and actions of local governments and individuals often decide the fate of the irreplaceable historic and prehistoric properties that give South Carolina communities their special character and make them better places to live and visit. The SHPO assists local governments with the design and implementation of preservation programs to safeguard these irreplaceable historic and prehistoric properties. 

Preservation Hotlines Applicable to Local Government programs: *

• National Register Listing/Local Designation
• Is there a highway project in your future?
• Preparing the historic resources element of the comprehensive plan
• Frequently asked questions about local historic districts

For an overview of local historic districts, visit the National Park Service website "Working on the Past in Local Historic Districts." 

*These documents are in Acrobat PDF format.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you must download it before viewing the file. There is no charge for the program. If you have questions or comments about the Acrobat file, please send an email to  webmaster@scdah.state.sc.us