Survey Inclusion Guidelines

Survey Inclusion Guidelines Surveys of historic properties are necessarily selective to some degree or another. The specific criteria for what should be included in a survey will vary somewhat from project to project depending on the purpose of the survey and the area being surveyed. Nonetheless, certain general guideline will be applicable to almost all historic property surveys conducted under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Here follows a list of the kinds of properties that should normally be recorded on a Historic Resources Inventory form. Properties Predating 1817 The survey should record all identified extant buildings regardless of condition or alterations, and should record the sites, when known, of all pre-1817 buildings if there is any likelihood of archaeological remains. Properties Dating from 1817 to 1865 The survey should record all extant buildings and other structures believed to date to this period, unless so altered that the architectural character is no longer evident at all. Sites should be identified for the most important non-extant buildings (such as major plantation houses, courthouses, and other properties of special architectural or historical interest). The sites of notable Civil War military activity should also be identified. While not required, documentation regarding the appearance of non-extant antebellum buildings would be welcome, especially photographs. All Other Properties over 50 Years Old The survey should record all extant properties which have retained their architectural character, and major buildings that have been substantially altered. Sites should only be identified for the most important non-extant buildings. While not required, pictorial documentation about the most important non-extant buildings would be welcomed. All extant properties from this period which are within the boundaries of a proposed historic district should be recorded. All properties specifically associated with military activity during the Second World War should be fully recorded. Properties Less Than 50 Years Old 1. Buildings and other structures of exceptional architectural or historical significance should be fully recorded. 2. Properties located within a proposed historic district but which do not contribute to its historic significance should be photographed and very briefly described on a survey form, so that they can be accounted for in the district inventory. 3. Mississippi has a number of buildings associated with the Civil Rights Movement and with music history that are either less than 50 years old or have been substantially remodeled in the last 50 years. Oral histories and local historians are important sources to highlight buildings or districts which do not have significant architectural merit but that might have played a significant role in historic events. Any buildings associated in any way with the Civil Rights Movement or with music history, regardless of age or architectural merit, should be surveyed and sources of documentation should be cited. Objects of Artistic Interest The survey should record any freestanding object of artistic or historical interest located within the survey area. In the case of an individual object (such as a statue or fountain), a single form should be prepared for each object. In the case of a group of similar or identical objects (such as historic light posts), a single survey form should be prepared for the whole group, with an attached sketch map locating each object.