Historic District could take shape if idea gains enough support
HARTINGTON — If enough people are interested, Hartington’s downtown district could be on the National Register of Historic Places by this time next year, area residents were told Wednesday.
About two dozen area residents came to the Historic Hartington Hotel Wednesday for an hour-long informational meeting.
Current proposals call for a historic district stretching from the corner of Elm and Broadway to the north, and down past the city auditorium on the south.
The district would also go to North Madison Street on the east, but just to the alley between Broadway and Summit on the west.
The district could also possibly include the southeast side of Broadway all the way down to the railroad depot, said David L. Calease, National Register Coordinator with the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office.
Calease and several other staffers were in town early Wednesday looking over several of Hartington’s downtown buildings.
Any property that looks as it did, or can be made to look like it did in the time period encompassing 1900-69 could be eligible to be part of the Historic District, he said.
“If a building doesn’t at least look like it would have looked in 1969 or prior, it would not be eligible for this District,” he said.
The Hartington City Auditorium, Hartington Hotel and Cedar County Courthouse are already listed on the National Register.
Calease said before anything can move forward, a majority of the property owners inside the proposed district would first have to all approve to seek the designation.
“If you don’t want a historic district you don’t have to have one,” he said. “You have the right to object.”
A historic district is not a mandate to force property owners to make enhancements to their buildings, Calease, said.
There are several misperceptions about being on the National Register, he said.
“There are fears about the National Register that you can’t do some stuff,” Calease said. “That’s not true. It’s private property so you can do what you want with your own property. You don’t have to open it to the public — you can, but you don’t have to. It’s your property, you can sell it, demolish it, or do what ever you want as long as you don’t use federal money in the project.”
Calease said his job is to oversee federal programs such as this. His office works with History Nebraska, and the National Park Service to see if property or a specific district should be put on the National Register. He then helps guide the application through the process.
“This is a process. It takes a long time to compile and list the information on the buildings,” he said.
Calease said communities have many reasons for going after a Historic District designation.
“It’s not just a piece of paper you put on a shelf,” he said. “It really is all about showing people that this place matters. It encourages appreciation for Hartington’s development and it can encourage tourism.”
“I can’t see it as a destination for a week-long vacation, but it would be great for a day trip type tourism,” he said.
There are three preservation tax incentives available to property owners interested in rehabilitating their property to better show off its history, said Ryan Reed, Tax Incentive Coordinator with History Nebraska.
“You can potentially use these tax incentives to offset expenses of updating your building,” Reed said.
Reed said a Federal Historic Tax Credit, a Nebraska Historic Tax Credit and a Nebraska Valuation Incentive Program are all available to Nebraska property owners who want to restore their properties.
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