A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest significance and worthy of preservation. NHLDs are National Historic Landmarks that are also historic districts in the United States.
Characteristics The boundaries of an NHLD typically include contributing properties that may themselves be listed distinctly as a National Historic Landmark or on the National Register of Historic Places but may also include non-contributing properties. The U.S. federal government designates historic districts through the National Park Service, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Once designated an NHL District, districts often become cultural destinations and generate economic benefits for the communities from history-related tourism. NHLDs often qualify for preservation grant monies but dramatic or negative change to them can impact their integrity and create cause for concern over the loss of NHLD designation. These threats can come from development or climate change as evidenced most recently with the catastrophic damage to the Lahaina NHLD from wildfires.
One of the largest NHLDs is the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, at over 30,000 acres; some are much smaller, including the Cobblestone Historic District in New York state, which is under one acre in size.
Distribution by state There are just over 100 National Historic Landmark Districts in the U.S., including:
Alabama Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Alaska Seal Island Historic District Skagway Historic District and White Pass
Arizona Tombstone Historic District in Tombstone, Arizona Jerome Historic District
Arkansas Bathhouse Row Fort Smith National Historic Site
California Monterey Old Town Historic District Coloma in El Dorado County, California Columbia Historic District in Columbia, California Locke Historic District in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta Mission Santa Inés Old Sacramento State Historic Park in Sacramento, California Presidio of San Francisco in San Francisco, California San Juan Bautista State Historic Park in San Juan Bautista, California
Colorado Denver Civic Center in Denver Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District Telluride Historic District Silverton, Colorado Trujillo Homesteads Leadville Historic District Cripple Creek Historic District Central City/Black Hawk Historic District
Connecticut Cheney Brothers Historic District in Manchester, Connecticut Litchfield Historic District
Delaware New Castle Historic District Eleutherian Mills
Florida Ybor City Historic District in Tampa St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District Pensacola Naval Air Station Historic District in Pensacola, Florida
Georgia Juliette Gordon Low Historic District, itself part of another NHLD, the Savannah Historic District Savannah Historic District in Savannah, Georgia Sweet Auburn
Hawaii Lahaina Historic District in Maui Large parts of this district were damaged in the 2023 Hawai'i wildfires.
Idaho
Illinois
Riverside Historic District (Riverside, Illinois)
Indiana Madison Historic District in Madison, Indiana
Iowa Amana Colonies Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E. B. Lyons Nature Center
Kansas Lyceum–The Circle Historic District
Kentucky Camp Nelson National Monument Pleasant Hill, Kentucky
Louisiana Garden District, New Orleans Natchitoches Historic District in Natchitoches, Louisiana
Maine Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
Maryland Colonial Annapolis Historic District in Annapolis, Maryland Chestertown Historic District (Chestertown, Maryland) in Chestertown, Maryland St. Mary's City, Maryland
Massachusetts Boston Common Boston Navy Yard Boston Public Garden Nantucket Historic District New Bedford Historic District
Michigan Mackinac Island Marshall Historic District Calumet Historic District Quincy Mine
Minnesota Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Mississippi Lyceum–The Circle Historic District
Missouri Harry S. Truman Historic District Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park
Montana Butte–Anaconda Historic District Virginia City Historic District
Nebraska Boys Town, Nebraska
Nevada Virginia City Historic District in Virginia City, Nevada
New Hampshire Harrisville Historic District (Harrisville, New Hampshire)
New Jersey Cape May Historic District Abbott Farm Historic District Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District Great Falls of the Passaic in Paterson, New Jersey Ringwood Manor
New Mexico Acoma Pueblo Fort Bayard Historic District Barrio de Analco Historic District Zuni-Cibola Complex
New York Boston Post Road Historic District in Rye, New York Includes 5 properties: The Jay Estate, The Jay Cemetery, Rye Golf Club, Lounsbury, and Marshlands Conservancy Brooklyn Heights Historic District Central Park Chautauqua Historic District in Chautauqua, New York Cobblestone Historic District in Gaines, New York Colonial Niagara Historic District in Niagara, New York Geneseo National Historic Landmark District in Geneseo, New York Governors Island Hudson River Historic District Huguenot Street Historic District in New Paltz, New York Hurley Historic District in Hurley, New York Mohawk Upper Castle Historic District Sailors' Snug Harbor SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District
North Carolina Bethabara Historic District Bethania Historic District Old Salem
North Dakota
Ohio Mariemont Historic District
Oklahoma Guthrie Historic District (Guthrie, Oklahoma)
Oregon Jacksonville Historic District (Jacksonville, Oregon)
Pennsylvania Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Colonial Germantown Historic District Bryn Athyn Historic District Old Economy Village Harmony Historic District Kennywood
Rhode Island Newport Historic District in Newport, Rhode Island Bellevue Avenue Historic District Ocean Drive Historic District College Hill Historic District (Providence, Rhode Island)
South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina Beaufort Historic District in Beaufort, South Carolina Penn Center (Saint Helena Island, South Carolina)
South Dakota Deadwood, South Dakota
Tennessee Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites
Texas Dealey Plaza East End Historic District (Galveston, Texas) Strand Historic District
Utah Brigham Young Complex
Vermont Coolidge Homestead Plymouth Historic District (Plymouth, Vermont)
Virginia Alexandria Historic District Colonial Williamsburg Green Springs National Historic Landmark District Waterford Historic District in Waterford, Virginia
Washington Mount Rainier National Park Port Townsend Historic District
West Virginia Matewan Historic District Davis and Elkins Historic District
Wisconsin Greendale Historic District Milwaukee Soldiers Home (Old Main) Northwestern Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Historic District
Wyoming Fort Yellowstone J. C. Penney Historic District Murie Ranch Historic District
District of Columbia Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)
References
External links Search the NPS database