Date of Award

5-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Legacy Department

Historic Preservation

Committee Member

Dr. Barry Stiefel, Committee Chair

Committee Member

Dr. R. Grant Gilmore III

Committee Member

Dr. Carter L. Hudgins

Committee Member

Harlan Greene

Abstract

The National Register of Historic Places recognizes properties that are significant for their: A) association with events that have made a significant contribution to broad patterns of history; B) association with people significant in the history of the United States; C) architecture or craftsmanship that embodies distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction and represents the work of a master, or that reflects a significant entity whose components lack individual distinction; and D) ability to yield information important to history or prehistory. In 2016, the National Park Service's LGBTQ Heritage Initiative revealed that only ten sites were listed on the National Register or designated as National Historic Landmarks for their association to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) historical events and people. None of these sites were located in the south. This thesis identifies and assesses the impediments to listing LGBTQ sites on the National Register of Historic Places to determine if the National Register nomination process was preventing LGBTQ related sites from being listed on the National Register. The identified challenges for listing LGBTQ sites on the National Register included: the National Park Service's instruction to only utilize verifiable factual information in the Narrative Statement of Significance; the fifty-year preference; the emphasis on architecture in the National Register nomination form; the Area of Significance Data Category section; and the assessment of historic integrity at sites. Despite the obstacles, the National Register nomination process was determined to not be preventing LGBTQ sites from being listed on the National Register, but only a few sites are recognized on the National Register.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.