About the Kentucky Historic Preservation Review Board

​​​The Kentucky Historic Preservation Review Board is charged with considering whether proposed National Register nominations meet National Park Service National Register criteria. By commenting on the quality of a nomination's argument, review board members assist the Park Service in determining a property's eligibility.

The review board comprises 11 members appointed by the Governor, as required by federal law for participation in the national historic preservation program. Review board members are chosen based upon their professional expertise in the fields of history, archaeology, architectural history, architecture and historic preservation. Individuals who do not meet this professional criteria may also be appointed to the board based upon their interest and involvement in historic preservation.

The review board meets three times a year to review National Register nominations. Approved nominations are then forwarded for consideration by the National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which usually requires 60 to 90 days for a final determination of eligibility. Following this review, nominations are either listed or returned to the preparer for further revision.

If a site proposed for listing is located within a city or county that is a designated a Certified Local Government (CLG), the nomination can only be considered by the Kentucky Historic Preservation Review Board after the CLG community's local preservation commission has approved the nomination for state review. Heritage Council staff are available to provide a courtesy review of draft nominations before the local review occurs, but state review can only be scheduled at the request of the CLG's city/county authorities.

Nomination authors are encouraged to contact CLG and local preservation ordinance administrators as soon as a plan to nominate the property is underway. 

Review Board Members