The N.H. Division of Historical Resources has announced that the National Park Service has designated the Town of Hebron as a Certified Local Government, joining 21 communities in the state to have achieved this distinction.

The Certified Local Government program in New Hampshire promotes the preservation of historic buildings and districts, archaeological sites, structures, landscapes and objects by establishing a partnership between local governments, the NHDHR and the National Park Service.

A municipality wishing to become a Certified Local Government must fulfill certain requirements indicating its commitment to local preservation, including establishing either a historic district commission or a heritage commission with historic district responsibilities.

First settled in 1765 and incorporated in 1792, Hebron remains an iconic small New Hampshire town. Its Historic Village District was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985; seven of those properties were listed to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2016.

Created by the 1980 amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act, the Certified Local Government program requires the NHDHR to designate at least 10 percent of its annual federal Historic Preservation Funds to support Certified Local Governments. These grants can be used to fund community preservation activities such as historic survey and inventory of buildings and archaeological sites, nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, preservation planning, heritage education, historic structures reports and other pre-development work, and brick and mortar projects. Other benefits of the program include technical assistance from the NHDHR on local planning issues, special training opportunities, and a role in commenting on nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.

New Hampshire’s Division of Historical Resources, the “State Historic Preservation Office,” was established in 1974. The historical, archaeological, architectural and cultural resources of New Hampshire are among its most important environmental assets. Historic preservation promotes the use, understanding and conservation of such resources for the education, inspiration, pleasure and enrichment of New Hampshire’s citizens. For more information, visit nh.gov/nhdhr or call 603-271-3483.