Preserving History in 1999 in the Buffalo-Niagara Region.
Historic properties connect a region s residents to their heritage.
Tangible links to the past through historically, architecturally, or culturally significant buildings, districts, objects, and sites provide current and future residents with community identity and understanding of their past. Preserving worthy historical, cultural, and architectural offerings is also important given their economic significance to a region s travel and tourism industry. This indicator monitors the capacity of Western New York jurisdictions to preserve their history as gauged by the percentage of municipalities with adopted historic preservation boards and ordinances. Although historic designation makes properties eligible for federal and state preservation benefits such as rehabilitation financing and tax credits, it does not guarantee their preservation. Privately owned properties even those on the National Historic Register, the official list of the nation s cultural resources worthy of preservation may be sold, altered, managed, or disposed of consistent with local ordinances.