North Carolina is a state with a rich historical heritage.

Official records show that as of April 8, 2011, there are 2,682 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each of the state’s 100 counties have at least one property or district on the list. In North Carolina, there are 30 National Historic Landmarks, five National Historic Landmark Districts, two National Sites, one National Military Park, one National Memorial and one National Battlefield.

In Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Martin and Tyrrell counties, there are 78 sites listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places.

Jim Gabbert, a historian with the National Register of Historic Places, commented on the work that goes into maintaining and restoring these facilities, places and structures. Gabbert said is difficult to know specifically how many buildings in eastern North Carolina have been restored.

“The federal government does not get involved in the restoration of private property unless there is a federal impact,” he said. “And because the overwhelming majority of properties that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places are owned privately, there is no way for the National Park Service to know what work has been done. The only instance in which the National Park Service becomes involved is when an eligible owner rehabilitates or restores a building in order to qualify for the Federal Investment Tax Credit, an incentive program available to owners of income-producing buildings that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In the case of tax credit rehabilitations, NPS has no role in deciding who does the work or how long it takes; the Park Service’s role is to review the proposed work to ensure that it conforms to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.”

Gabbert also noted that the National Park Service is limited in deciding which contractor is best suited to restoring a building.

“Unless the building being rehabilitated or restored is the property of the NPS, we have no role in deciding who, or how long, or how much. Permitting or registration would conform to local ordinances,” he said. “If the property is owned by the Park Service, standard government bidding practices are followed. The bids would include cost estimates and schedules, depending on the nature of the property. If the work is to be done to a historic resource, the work must then conform to the secretary of the interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.”

Gabbert said that the National Park Service also has a specific review process.

“If the NPS is involved in the rehabilitation or restoration of a property that it owns, then, yes, the NPS would expect the contractor to adhere to the contract terms. Of course, unforeseen problems might cause delays,” he said.  “But if the NPS does not own or manage the property, if it is private property, there is no oversight. That is, unless the owner pursues the tax credit. Then, NPS reviews plans for adherence to the secretary’s standards and certifies the completed project meets the standards. It is not common for an NPS official to make a site visit, though. Typically, the review is of the plans and is accomplished through communication via mail or electronically.”

North Carolina is home to a number of units of the National Park Service, including such parks as Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The parks have their own operating budgets, and within those budgets are monies dedicated to preserving, restoring or rehabilitating historic sites within the parks. The National Park Service does not fund work on properties outside of the park units.