Programs – DHR
Programs
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ programs are essential for the preservation of our nation’s collective history and culture. By identifying and protecting historic places across the commonwealth, the agency helps to maintain our connection to the past and ensure that future generations can learn from it.
If you have any questions, please visit our
FAQs Page
Grants & Funding Opportunities
DHR administers several grant opportunities that provide financial and technical assistance to support the preservation and protection of historic resources in Virginia. In addition to grant programs managed by DHR, there are several additional grant programs available for preservation projects through other federal, state, and private entities that are linked.
DHR currently does not have any grant programs available for rehabilitation or construction on private property.
Key Pages
Certified Local Government
Cost Share Grant Program
Threatened Sites Program
Point of Contact
Caitlin Sylvester
Grant Coordinator
grants@dhr.virginia.gov
Highway Markers
The Highway Marker Program identifies and documents Virginia's significant historical persons, events, and places.  Our focus is on educating the public and providing accurate historical information, rather than on honoring, memorializing, or commemorating individuals or events. These markers, placed along state highways and roads, serve as a valuable resource for residents and visitors alike, providing a deeper understanding of the state's rich history and cultural heritage.
Key Pages
Searchable Marker Database
Marker Application Process
Markers at Lynching Sites
Retirement & Adoption Policies
Local Marker Programs
Historical Marker Audio Tours
Marker Program Policies
Point of Contact
Jennifer Loux
Highway Marker Program Manager
jennifer.loux@dhr.virginia.gov
Preservation Easements
DHR's Preservation Easement program allows property owners to voluntarily protect the historical, architectural and archaeological integrity of their property by placing a permanent preservation easement on the property. The easement restricts future development of the property, prohibits certain activities and requires prior approval of others. Except for rights specifically relinquished, the landowner continues to own, use and control the land.
Key Pages
Information Packet
Easement Stewardship
Easement Policies
Financial Benefits
Process for Donating an Easement
Easement Application Form
Project Review Form
Point of Contact
Karri Richardson
Easement Program Specialist
karri.richardson@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6094
Megan Melinat
Director, Preservation Incentives
804-482-6455
Survey Program
DHR's Survey Program coordinates identification and documentation of buildings, districts, sites, and other types of historic resources throughout Virginia. Through this program, we provide guidance for conducting historic resource surveys, identify statewide priorities, and work with localities and communities to support historic resource survey activity.
Key Pages
Certified Local Government (CLG)
Cost Share Grant Program
Guidelines for Conducting Historic Resources Survey in Virginia (Survey Manual)
DHR’s Survey Photograph Policy (2016)
Guidelines for Conducting Historic Resources Survey in Virginia (Survey Manual)
2023-2024 Survey and Planning Cost Share Grant Program Application
How to Apply for CLG Designation
Survey and VCRIS Basics
VCRIS Quick Guide
Historic District vs. Complex Guidance
Building Component Selections
Resource and Category Types
Guidelines for Recording Attached and Semi-Attached Buildings
Demolished Resource Data Entry Guidance
Point of Contact
Mae Tilley
Architectural Survey Data
mae.tilley@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6086
Federal & State Review
DHR's Review and Compliance Division reviews federal and state projects that may impact historic and cultural resources, and provides recommendations for protecting and preserving these resources.
Key Pages
ePIX
Federal Project Review
State Project Review
Technical Assistance Reviews
Cell Tower & Other FCC Projects
Permits
Stewardship
State and Federal Laws & Regulations​
Guidelines for Conducting Historic Resources Survey in Virginia (Survey Manual)
Point of Contact
Samantha Henderson
Director, Review and Compliance Division
Samantha.Henderson@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6088
Archaeological Collections
The Archaeological Collections programs of Curation and Conservation aim to ensure the proper management and preservation of archaeological collections. They provide for the curation, care, and treatment of artifacts and associated documentation while providing access for researchers, students, and educators.
NAGPRA and DHR
Point of Contact
Allison Mueller
Senior Curator
Allison.Mueller@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6441
Katherine Ridgway
State Archaeological Conservator
Katherine.Ridgway@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6442
Serena Soterakopoulos
Collections Manager
Serena.Soterakopoulos@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6100
State Archaeology
Division of State Archaeology (DSA) staff provide a variety of services to record and explore archaeological sites both on land and underwater, manage and conserve the millions of objects in our archaeological collections, and provide technical expertise to public and professional communities while promoting stewardship and preservation of these valuable resources. DSA staff provide dozens of presentations and training events each year and provide access to educational materials for teachers correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning.
Key Pages
Virginia Archaeology Month
Virginia Archaeology Network
Threatened Sites Program
NAGPRA and DHR
Underwater
What do Archaeologists do?
Archaeological Reports
Archaeological Collections
Regional Archeologists
Archaeology Guidelines
Native American Ceramics
Lithics & Projectiles
Points
Archaeology Items: Musketeer and Pike Man
Guidelines for Conducting Historic Resources Survey in Virginia (Survey Manual)
The Historical Archaeology of Virginia from Initial Settlement to Present: Overview and New Directions
References Cited
What's so bad about collecting artifacts?
Point of Contact
Dr. Elizabeth Moore
State Archaeologist
elizabeth.moore@dhr.virginia.gov
804 482-6084
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
DHR's Tax Credit program provides state tax credits to property owners who undertake the rehabilitation of historic buildings in compliance with the Secretary of Interior's
Standards for Rehabilitation
. Through the federal and state rehabilitation tax credit programs, property owners are given substantial incentives for private investment in preservation, resulting in enormous advantages to the public. The preservation of these structures encourages a connection to the past, enhances the identity of a community, and stimulates private investment.
Key Pages
Select Maps for Register-Listed Historic Districts
Rehabilitation Tax Credits Forms
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
Virginia Rehabilitation Tax Credit Regulations
Point of Contact
Chris Novelli
Tax Credit Specialist
Chris.Novelli@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6097
Certified Local Government
Communities strengthen and expand their local preservation programs through Certified Local Government (CLG) designation. The CLG program was created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended in 1980). It establishes a partnership between local governments, the
federal historic preservation program(National Park Service)
, and each state’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which in the case of Virginia is the Department of Historic Resources (DHR).
Key Pages
How to Apply for CLG Designation
State Historic Preservation Office
Point of Contact
Aubrey Von Lindern
Northern Region Architectural Historian, CLG Program Manager
aubrey.vonlindern@dhr.virginia.gov
540-868-7029
Regional Archaeology Programs
Most of the department’s archaeological survey, field, and technical assistance activities are conducted from our three regional offices. If you have questions pertaining to local archaeology, need help identifying or managing an archaeological site, or require educational information or speakers about area archaeology, contact the archaeologist who serves your region. Please consult the map below to identify the regional archaeologist in your area.
Point of Contact
Dr. Elizabeth Moore
State Archaeologist
elizabeth.moore@dhr.virginia.gov
804 482-6084
Dr. Elizabeth Moore
Eastern Region Archaeologist
elizabeth.moore@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6084
Robert Jolley
Western Region Archaeologist
Bob.Jolley@dhr.virginia.gov
540-868-7032
Robert Jolley
Northern Region Archaeologist
Bob.Jolley@dhr.virginia.gov
540-868-7032
Tribal Outreach
DHR's Tribal Outreach Coordination efforts are intended to increase recordation of historic sites and artifact conservation associated with Native American communities through outreach, collaboration, partnership, research, and transparency with the multitude of Native American communities who's ancestral lands are within the external boundaries of what is today the Commonwealth of Virginia, the indigenous lands of Virginia's Native American communities and their ancestors. Through these efforts, DHR is working towards the development and implementation of collaborative preservation agendas to aid in identifying, evaluating and protecting historic and cultural resources associated with the resident and nonresident Tribes of Virginia.
Key Pages
Chickahominy Tribe
Chickahominy Indian Tribe - Eastern Division
Monacan Indian Nation
Nansemond Indian Nation
Pamunkey Indian Tribe
Rappahannock Tribe
Upper Mattaponi Tribe
Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe
Mattaponi Indian Tribe
Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia
Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia
NAGPRA and DHR
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)
U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
National Park Service (NPS), Office of Native American Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
General Services Administration (GSA)
Point of Contact
Jess Hendrix
Tribal Outreach Coordinator
jess.hendrix@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6446
Community Outreach
DHR Community Outreach seeks to meaningfully engage communities throughout the state to enrich Virginia Cultural Resource Information System documentation on historic architecture, archaeological sites, districts, and landscapes especially associated with African American history. The program provides funding for historic resources identification and documentation, paid internships for students enrolled in Virginia-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and technical assistance to communities to foster, encourage, and support the stewardship of their historic cultural resources.
Key Pages
Historic African American Sites in Virginia
The Green Book Project
Rosenwald Schools in Virginia
DHR Events
DHR News and Press Releases
Point of Contact
LaToya Gray-Sparks
Community Outreach Coordinator
latoya.gray@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6444
Cemetery Preservation
DHR's Cemetery Preservation program provides information and resources to help preserve and protect the state's historic cemeteries and burial grounds. We also provide technical assistance with issues involving human skeletal remains, including issuing legal permits for the archaeological recovery of buried  remains.
Key Pages
Citizens Cemetery Recordation Form AND DHR’s Report a Cemetery
Permit for the Archaeological Removal of Human Remains
Code of Virginia Section 10.1-2305
Virginia Historical African American Cemetery and Graves Fund 2025-2026 Program Manual
Virginia Historical African American Cemetery and Graves Fund Complete Application Form
Point of Contact
Joanna Wilson Green
Archaeologist – Cemetery Preservation
joanna.green@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6098
Joanna Wilson Green
Archaeologist for Cemetery Preservation
804-482-6098
Underwater Archaeology
DHR is tasked with the preservation and protection of underwater historic property, as defined in
§10.1-2214
of the Code of Virginia. As a part of DHR's Division of State Archaeology, the Underwater Archaeology Program is tasked with the stewardship of submerged and maritime archaeological resources throughout the Commonwealth. While a specific focus is placed on archaeological resources within the waters of the Commonwealth, the Underwater Archaeology Program often works with private individuals and organizations to assist with the identification and preservation of maritime archaeological sites and artifacts.
The program also works with other state agencies to assist with management of public cultural resources. Additionally, the program serves as an outreach arm of DHR to educate Virginians and visitors
about the rich maritime past of our state.
Key Pages
Underwater Exploration Permit
Point of Contact
Brendan Burke
State Underwater Archaeologist
brendan.burke@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-8088
DHR Archives
DHR's Archives houses the agency’s collection of records of the historic resources documented in Virginia.  These records can include descriptions of the resources; historical research; photographs, plans and other materials that document the history of Virginia and its people. The archives are open to the public by appointment Tuesdays through Thursdays, and it provides a great resource for anyone interested in a rich and diverse view of the state's past and the people who have shaped it.
Key Pages
Archives Search Service
Archives Visitors Guide
Permission to Use Public Images Form
Special Collections
Public Tool: Places Explorer
Search Information Sheet
Reports and Publications
Point of Contact
Quatro Hubbard
Archivist
quatro.hubbard@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6102
VCRIS
The Virginia Cultural Resources Information System (VCRIS) is an online database that contains the inventory of buildings, districts, archaeological sites, and other types of properties. VCRIS allows researchers, cultural resource professionals, land managers, and other qualified users record sites and properties, as well as to conduct background research to support cultural resources management activities.
Key Pages
Public Viewer
Register for VCRIS
VCRIS Help
VCRIS login
VCRIS Accounts
Searching for Information
Data Entry: Archaeology
Data Entry: Architecture
Architecture Data Entry Basics
Point of Contact
Sean Tennant
VCRIS Accounts Manager
sean.tennant@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-8095
Historic Registers
DHR manages the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register programs in Virginia. Both Registers are lists of historically and culturally significant properties in Virginia, including buildings, sites, structures, districts, and objects, that have been recognized for their significance in Virginia’s history, architecture, archaeology, and culture. Nominations for historic properties in Virginia have been digitized and are available through DHR’s
VLR Online portal
. Through VLR Online, members of the public can read nominations and learn about the rich history and heritage of their community and Virginia’s historic places
Click to see your regional DHR office contact information
Key Pages
VLR Online
Historic African American Sites
2024 DHR’s Quarterly Review Schedule
Register Forms for Downloading
Preliminary Evaluation and Nomination Processes
Historic Registers Guidance and Training Materials
New Dominion Virginia Initiative
Guidelines for Conducting Historic Resources Survey in Virginia (Survey Manual)
Plaques for Register-Listed Properties
Point of Contact
Austin Walker
Division of Resource Information and Register
austin.walker@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6439
450+ Students
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
3,317 Registered Resources
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
2,532 Markers
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia