Survey BasicsWhat is a survey?Surveying is the process of identifying and gathering data on historic resources. It includes recording basic physical and historical information about a property, photographing it, and drawing a site plan. In other words, survey is a means of documenting historic resources and does not automatically result in the listing of a property in the National Register of Historic Places or Register of Historic Kansas Places. The types of historic resources that can be surveyed include buildings, sites, structures, and objects. The Kansas SHPO has recently transitioned from a paper-based survey
form to an interactive online database, the Kansas Historic Resources
Inventory (KHRI). KHRI contains all of the SHPO’s survey records
and is fully searchable and available to the public at
kshs.org/khri. Users interested in submitting new surveys or updating
existing survey forms can become registered users and, once approved
by SHPO staff, log into KHRI. Click on KHRI's "Tutorial" tab
for additional instructions on searching and becoming a registered user. What types of historic resources can be surveyed?The types of historic resources in the built environment that can be surveyed include buildings, sites, structures, and objects. Buildings can include, but are not limited to, houses, barns, theaters, gas stations, warehouses, and factories. Sites can include designed landscapes (parks and gardens) and locations of important events (cemeteries and battlefields). Structures include windmills, water towers, bridges, dams, etc. Objects might include statues, sculptures, monuments, fountains, brick sidewalks, or brick streets. Why survey?Surveys of individual properties conducted on an informal basis by the general public are a great way to document and learn about Kansas’s historic resources. Formal survey projects—generally carried out by preservation consultants—provide a valuable service to a community. Information discovered during the survey process often provides additional insight into the community’s history and patterns of development. Results and recommendations from the survey can be incorporated into the city’s historic preservation plan, or, if no plan exists, information from the survey can provide the basis for implementation of a preservation plan. Incorporation of the information into the community’s overall planning process and/or disaster preparedness plans also has real value. Ultimately, the preservation of these historic resources can mean savings in energy, time, money, and raw materials. A survey of local historic resources also serves as an important first step in determining the potential for an area to be listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places or the Register of Historic Kansas Places. The information gathered from a survey allows the SHPO staff to evaluate the potential for a historic district, including determining appropriate boundaries, which should encompass the highest concentration of historic resources. The process of preparing a nomination for a historic district is intensive and often requires a professional consultant. For more information on historic districts, see http://www.kshs.org/resource/national_register/registerhome.htm. Who can survey?With KSHS’s new interactive online database, anyone can survey a historic property and upload the information and photographs to KHRI (kshs.org/khri). When conducting a formal survey of a commercial downtown or residential neighborhood, local communities generally hire professional preservation consultants who submit survey information to KHRI and produce a survey report. Funding for the hiring of consultants to conduct local surveys is available through the Historic Preservation Fund grant program. Please see http://www.kshs.org/resource/hpfinfo.htm for more information. Trained volunteers can also carry out these types of surveys. How do I access survey information or find out if a property has been surveyed?Search our new online database, the Kansas Historic Resources Inventory
(KHRI), available at kshs.org/khri. Click on the “Tutorial”
tab at KHRI for instructions and tips on searching. Additional information on Surveying: Kansas SHPO Survey Manual (coming soon!)
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