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Historic Inventory Project

Preserving our American heritage became a national policy with the passage of the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Historic neighborhoods, such as Naglee Park, can now be designated historic districts. Several neighborhoods in San Jose now carry this distinction, including the Hensley Historic District and the Downtown Historic District.

The Historic Inventory project's goal is to support the designation of Naglee Park as a historic district by collecting historic information about the houses and owners of each structure in historic Naglee Park and in the adjacent Naglee Terrace and Orvis Street neighborhoods.

The project includes structures within the historic boundaries of the Naglee Park subdivision, as well as the neighborhood just south of this area. The boundaries of Naglee Park are 11th Street, Santa Clara Street, Coyote Creek and William Street. The areas south of Naglee Park include the area bounded by William Street, Coyote Creek, Highway 280 and 11th Street.

The guidelines and documents used for the project were created by the Federal National Register of Historic Places. San Jose and other local and state governments use the federal forms and the review processes of the National Register because they offer uniform standards for evaluation.

Here are some of the very basic rules.

  1. It has to be at least 50 years old.
     
  2. It has to be in its original location.
     
  3. It should retain its original integrity. (In other words, it's identity should be easily recognizable. If it's an old gas station, it should look like a gas station.)
     
  4. The building or other structure must be associated with an individual or event that has made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. Local landmarks must be significant on a local level; state and national landmarks must be significant on a higher level.
     
  5. The evidence must be documented.
     

Once the structure has been nominated, the application is reviewed and evaluated by a team of architects and historians.

Resources

Use these resources to find out more about your home's history and the benefits of receiving a historic designation.