The Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs is the state agency responsible for implementing the national preservation program in Georgia. The division works in partnership with federal and state agencies, local governments, preservation organizations, community groups, and individuals to achieve a greater appreciation and use of historic buildings, districts, and archaeological sites in the context of everyday life.
Working at the state level, the division is able to bring together national, regional, and local preservation interests to support community and economic development goals throughout Georgia. The division particularly encourages regional and local planning, neighborhood conservation, downtown revitalization, economic development, African American preservation, heritage tourism, and archaeological site protection.
Each state’s historic preservation office receives financial assistance through the Historic Preservation Fund of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and provides matching state funds to carry out the nation’s preservation partnership. The National Park Service establishes broad policies, programs, and standards for state and local participation in the national program. Such preservation incentives as the National Register of Historic Places, tax credits, and grants, as well as compliance requirements, established through the Historic Preservation Act and other federal legislation, encourage preservation activity. States enact programs and services that complement the national program and address the special character and needs of their state. In Georgia the state legislature mandates a number of specific preservation programs, such as a state property-tax freeze, rehabilitation grants, archaeology protection, and stewardship of state-owned buildings that provide additional services and incentives for the preservation of historic properties throughout Georgia.
