The identification work is carried out by employees of academic institutions, state and local governments, volunteers, and consultants. The information is on file at the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office in Dover and at some local government planning offices and is available to the public as a research collection. National Register in Delaware. Qualified professionals employed by state and local governments and consultants are responsible for determining which of the identified properties are significant to Delaware's history. A property's significance is based on its association with an important person or event, its architectural qualities, or because it contains information important to the understanding of Delaware's past.
Significance can be at the local, state, or national level.
To evaluate this significance, considerable research on broad themes of Delaware's history is done to provide an historical background and context for the property. Those determined to be significant are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. By January of 2000, over 8,900 of Delaware's historic buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts were listed in the National Register. Once these properties are evaluated as significant, the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office then advocates their protection and appropriate treatment. Protection of Historic Properties.