Across Indiana, communities are growing, infrastructure is evolving, and new development continues to reshape the landscape. At the same time, many projects intersect with buildings, bridges, and landmarks that carry decades of history. Preserving those places requires a thoughtful balance of experience, planning, and respect for the past.
At DCCM, our historic preservation team helps communities maintain that balance every day. We support federally funded projects through historic resource evaluations and guide local governments through surveys, documentation, and Section 106 compliance. Our specialists ensure progress moves forward while protecting the character and heritage that make each community unique.
Through detailed research, GIS mapping, and nationally recognized preservation standards, our team works to revive historic structures, preserve cultural landscapes, and safeguard the stories that define Indiana’s towns and cities. Whether restoring a century‑old bridge, preserving mid‑century architecture, or helping communities better understand their historic assets, our work connects the past to safe, forward‑thinking development.
In this Q&A, DCCM Indiana historical preservation experts Kyle Boot, MSHP, and Hannah Hall, MSHP, discuss the importance of integrating historical preservation into modern development.
What are some specific ways DCCM promotes the importance of historic preservation and balancing progress with preservation?
The historic preservation team at DCCM evaluates historic resources that could be affected by any federally funded projects, as well as providing historic preservation commissions, communities, and city governments with resource surveys, advisory roles, and resource data organization and management.
For federally funded projects, our experts, Kyle Boot, MSHP and Hannah Hall, MSHP consider which resources are adjacent to the specific project area, the level of work being performed, and the potential impacts on the historic resources. They assist local preservation communities in surveying their resources and organizing their existing data into a more navigable format to aid their future preservation endeavors. Kyle and Hannah’s work includes mapping historic resources in GIS, surveying historic properties adjacent to a project, conducting research on properties, determining National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligible resources, and guiding local preservation groups through the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Their additional work includes Section 106 compliance under the National Environmental Protection Act (NHPA) and aiding local communities in their preservation efforts.
This work is incredibly important because it evaluates the impacts of projects on historic properties, helps the public protect their existing resources, and preserves the physical history of many towns, cities, and communities.
What are some specifics about the historic preservation project process that many may not know about?
Historic preservation has various procedures based on project type and clientele. A prominent example of this would be how Section 106 projects follow regulations provided by the federal agency overseeing the project, in adherence with the NHPA guidelines. This typically includes coordination with local residents and government agencies, preparing historic property reports, and assessing the overall effects of the project.
Local projects vary per need; for advisory roles, our team offers guidance on best practices for preserving historic properties and districts. Survey roles include comprehensive surveys that include GIS mapping, photographs, and detailed documentation of each resource.
How does DCCM prioritize projects related to historic preservation?
DCCM’s primary objective when completing projects related to historic preservation include thoroughly following Section 106 regulations for clients. Our team is committed to protecting historic resources and supporting local preservation efforts, regardless of how complex the process can be.
Whenever a project requires removing historic resources, DCCM mitigates any potential issues through a documentation process; this preserves the record for future generations even if the physical record is lost. An example of this was the documentation of a historic limestone drainage structure and brick and iron steam tunnel that were buried under an existing roadway. Our preservationists photographed, drew, and mapped these features to be placed in the state archives.
What are your thoughts regarding the future of historic preservation, the obstacles you are currently encountering in your work, and the challenges you anticipate in the coming years?
Historic preservation holds the key to honoring the past while the world continues to modernize and change; however, various obstacles threaten these incredibly important services and the valuable lessons our team fights to preserve. A few examples include:
- Lack of necessary funding.
- Lengthy Section 106 work and reviews, such as ongoing coordination, multi-document preparation, and various agency reviews. These efforts can take an extensive amount of time based on the project type and number of historic resources. These longer timeframes can cause delays in the overall environmental clearance process.
- Evaluating historic resources and determining the best treatment can be subjective.
- Trade and skilled labor experienced in historic materials or technology can be difficult to secure, as well as costly.
- Guidance is relatively new and starting to be explored for mid-century era properties and districts. This can create discrepancies when determining best preservation practices and what is considered eligible for the National Register.
