The recycling of an old building for use other than for what it was originally constructed. This can involve a sensitive rehabilitation that retains much of a building’s original character, or it can involve extensive remodeling.

A prominent or significant part or element of a building, structure, or site which is not a portion of the living area. Examples include cornices, awnings, eaves, etc.

Designed and built in a manner that is in harmony with their natural and man-made surroundings and environment. Forms and materials are often cited as determinants of compatibility.

Cultural heritage includes artefacts, monuments, a group of buildings and sites, museums that have a diversity of values including symbolic, historic, artistic, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological, scientific and social significance. It includes tangible heritage (movable, immobile and underwater), intangible cultural heritage embedded into cultural, and natural heritage artefacts, sites or monuments. The definition excludes intangible cultural heritage related to other cultural domains such as festivals, celebration etc. It covers industrial heritage and cave paintings.

A geographic area (including both cultural and natural resources), associated with a historic event, activity, or person or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values.

An area that contains one resource or a group of resources that are related by history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, culture or significance.

Identify a place or event as important in the past, can provide minimal information including names, dates, and a brief description.

Example: Woodland Park Historical Marker at the School House

The identification, evaluation, establishment, and protection of resources significant in history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture.

A publicly or privately-owned building, structure, site, object, feature, or open space that is significant in history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, culture of a community within this State, or of the United States.

Uses text, photographs, and graphics to share an important place, person, or event in history. Provides greater context and a fuller story than just markers.

Example: Idlewild Historical & Cultural Center Interpretive Sign

State program operated by the Department of Natural Resources. Many similarities to the National Register program, with fewer integrity requirements. Can result in a green and gold state marker.

Federal program operated by the National Parks Service, “The official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.” Sites must meet strict significance and integrity requirements. An honorific with minimal restrictions placed on listed properties.

Examples: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, D.C.; Villa Lewaro, Irvington-on-Hudson, NY; Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Site, NY

The time period during which the majority of contributing buildings in a historic district were constructed.

A process of returning a property to a state of utility through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions or features of a property, which are significant to its historical, architectural, engineering, and cultural values.

Measures aimed at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage, including the identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission, particularly through formal and non-formal education, as well as the revitalization of the various aspects of such heritage.

Buildings in indigenous (local and regional) styles constructed from locally available materials following traditional building practice and patterns and not architect designed.

The practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.