Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) identifies, evaluates, registers, interprets and protects the state's historic properties. http://www.michigan.gov/shpo
The National Park Service is a part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. There are extensive resources related to history and culture on their website, including historic preservation. http://www.nps.gov/history/preservation.htm
Other National Park Service web pages related to Preservation:
Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives for income-producing historic structures: http://www.nps.gov/history/tax.htm
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, which are the standards used by the City of Ann Arbor in reviewing plans for work in historic districts may be found here. This site includes helpful information on applying the Standards to different features, such as windows, porches, storefronts, etc.: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/tax/rhb/stand.htm
Secretary of the Interior's Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/tax/rhb/stand.htm
Historic preservation easements: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/tax/easement.htm
National Register of Historic Places online database: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/research/nris.htm
Additional Resources
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a membership organization that champions preservation nationwide. http://www.nationaltrust.org
- Kempf House Museum, built in 1853, is an excellent example of the Greek Revival style. You are invited to visit the house, learn about Ann Arbor's early history and see how the Kempfs lived in the 1800s. http://kempfhousemuseum.org/
- Cobblestone Farm - 2781 Packard Road, 48104 - (734) 994-2928 - This historic farmstead is owned by the City of Ann Arbor. It was restored in 1844 and demonstrates agricultural, architectural, domestic, religious and social customs of the nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. Open weekends, May through October. http://cobblestonefarm.org
The following information is available from the Ann Arbor District Library:
The Image Gallery has hundreds of historic photos of Ann Arbor in a searchable database. http://www.aadl.org/gallery
The Making of Ann Arbor is a public website on the history and development of the Ann Arbor Commmunity. Created in collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library, the Bently Historical Library and the University of Michigan's Digital Library Production Services. http://moaa.aadl.org/