Your Special Sites Resource Guide

While protecting special sites may not be difficult, a specialist’s guidance can come in handy. Many special sites are hard to see with the untrained eye, so you may want help identifying them. Or you may want an expert’s guidance in developing the best possible plan to preserve them. 

Either way, it’s easy to find a professional willing to lend a hand. Our state contacts, national links and special sites library are a good place to start.

Special Sites State by State

Alabama  Arkansas  California  Colorado  Connecticut  Delaware  Florida  Georgia  Idaho  Illinois  Indiana  Iowa  Kansas  Kentucky  Louisiana  Maine  Maryland  Massachusetts  Michigan  Minnesota  Mississippi  Missouri  Montana  Nebraska  New Hampshire  New Jersey  New Mexico  New York  North Carolina  Ohio  Oklahoma  Oregon  Pennsylvania  Rhode Island  South Carolina  South Dakota  Tennessee  Texas  Virginia  Vermont  Washington  West Virginia  Wisconsin  Wyoming

National Special Sites Links

Natural Resources Conservation Service-Cultural Resources – provides financial and technical assistance, including guidance related to cultural resources and implementing conservation practices. The Cultural Resources Directory can be used to locate your state’s Cultural Resources Specialist or Coordinator.

National Register of Historic Places – the nation's official list of cultural resources, 50 years or older, worthy of preservation.

National Association of State Archaeologists – a directory for state archaeologists, who can answer your questions regarding laws, procedures, current research, educational programs, and protecting archaeological resources.

National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers – click on your state to find your local tribal historic preservation officers, who can inform you of any known cultural resources on or adjacent to your property or assist with identifying and protecting potential cultural resources.

If your state doesn’t have a THPO, search for local tribes in the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Leaders Directory.

Civil War Preservation Trust – an online database of Civil War battlefields, searchable by state, year, or keyword.

The Association for Gravestone Studies – a resource list providing a state-by-state list of cemetery and gravestone resources.

Your Special Sites Library

Discovering Historic Sites on Your Property (from Treasured Alabama)

Cultural Resources – a pamphlet, prepared by the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation at Washington State, discussing identifying and protecting cultural resources. 

Cultural Resource Protection for Private Landowners – the Florida Division of Historic Resources guide to protecting cultural resources and some best management practices that all landowners can follow. 

Preserving the Past for the Future: An Introduction to Site Stewardship – the Virginia Department of Historic Resources guide to archaeological sites and stewardship of cultural resources.