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                                                                    Exhibit 31.1


                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


In connection with the Quarterly Report of Historic Preservation Properties 1989
Limited Partnership (the registrant) on Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended
September 30, 2003 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the
date hereof (the "Report") the undersigned, in the capacities and on the date
indicated below, hereby certifies pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, that to the best of his knowledge:

I, Terrence P. Sullivan, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB of Historic
     Preservation Properties 1989 Limited Partnership;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
     make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
     statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this quarterly report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
     material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
     flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
     quarterly report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying person and I are responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

     (a)  designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
          disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
          supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
          registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries and investee
          entity, is made known to us by others within those entities,
          particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being
          prepared;

     (b)  [Paragraph omitted in accordance with SEC transmission instructions
          contained in SEC Release 34-47986]

     (c)  evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
          and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
          effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
          of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

     (d)  disclosed in the report any change in the registrant's internal
          control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
          most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is
          reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
          control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying person and I have disclosed, based on our
     most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
     registrant's auditors:

     (a)  all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
          operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
          reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
          record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     (b)  any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
          employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
          control over financial reporting.


Date:  November 7, 2003                    /s/ Terrence P. Sullivan
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Terrence P. Sullivan
                                           General Partner
                                           (Performing similar functions of
                                           Chief Executive Officer and Chief
                                           Financial Officer)