If you live or work in a historically designated building or are just curious to learn more about local preservation, the resources below provide general information about historic designation in the City of Columbia.
Historic Preservation Resources
Historic Designation
Quantifying the Impact of Preservation on Our Economy
An in-depth report completed in December 2023 helps quantify the economic impact of preservation efforts in Columbia. The City of Columbia, in partnership with Historic Columbia, engaged a consultant, Donovan Rypkema of PlaceEconomics, to do a deep dive into the economic impact of historic resources in Columbia. Mr. Rypkema, an internationally recognized analyst with over 30 years of experience, and his team looked at the role that the City’s historic resources play in generating tourism dollars, their impact on property values and affordable housing, and the influence of local historic tax incentives.
The conclusion: historic preservation activities have created quantifiable positive economic impacts in Columbia.
Maintaining Your Historic Property
Maintaining historic properties can seem like a daunting task! Below are some resources to help you tackle planning and executing maintenance projects.
MAINTENANCE PLANS
Creating a maintenance plan for your home can help you catch issues early and prevent costlier repairs down the road. Below are some tools and tips to help you develop a maintenance plan for the long-term care of your property.
HISTORIC WINDOWS
Historic windows are an incredibly important and constantly undervalued feature of any historic building. Before shopping for often costly and incompatible replacements, take a look at the resources provided below.
- Window Review Cheat Sheet (PDF)
- 13 Things You Should Know About Retrofitting Historic Windows
- Saving Windows, Saving Money: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Window Retrofit and Replacement by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Research & Policy Lab
- Window Preservation Alliance Resources
- Double Hung Historic Window Restoration Resources
IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of your historic building – in cost effective ways! Before you spend your hard earned money on expensive and sometimes ineffectual changes, take a look at the resources provided below.
Did you know?
Did you know the National Park Service provides technical preservation assistance through their preservation briefs? Covering a variety of topics, the briefs give you a detailed technical perspective on preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration. They address many of the common problems historic property owners face.
Preservation Newsletters
Historic preservation staff routinely sends e-newsletters focusing on topics of local interest. You can scroll through past newsletters below.
Videos
Preservation staff has compiled a number of videos regarding historic preservation efforts and incentives and local historic districts. Access the playlist on the City’s YouTube channel here.
Partners in Preservation
Historic preservation in Columbia is a collaborative effort that is supported by a number of local, state, and federal agencies and non-profits. Learn more about our partners in preservation below!
Questions? Visit our Historic Preservation FAQ or contact planning staff.