DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLANNING

Community Development > Master Planning > Crozet Development Area Homepage > Crozet Historic Resources Study   Crozet Historic Resources Study The Community of Crozet Architectural Resources Study was undertaken as a joint effort of the County of Albemarle, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) and the Piedmont Environmental Council in 2007-2008 to develop a better understanding of the historic resources in the community. To perform the 3-step study, the County hired Arcadia Preservation, LLC, who started the process with a survey of approximately 300 Crozet properties, documented in the Historic Resources Survey Inventory Information report. Documentation for each property includes a physical description, a written statement of historic significance, photographs, and site sketches.  Next, the history and significance of the buildings and the community were studied as part of this project, summarized in the Preliminary Information Form (PIF). The PIF and survey work done as part of this study resulted in VDHR approving the heart of Crozet as a potential National Register Historic District. The historic buildings in downtown and the residential areas extending from downtown together illustrate the history and development of Crozet and mark it as a unique place in Virginia. The final element of the study, the Crozet Strategies Report (see below for the document's maps), is a technical document written from a historic preservationist’s perspective. As such, it recognizes that historic resources are vitally important to the character of Crozet. However, the report also acknowledges that historic resources are but one of the many components that make Crozet the place it is. The recommendations of this Strategies Report must be considered in concert with the goals and recommendations in the other planning and policy documents prepared for the community of Crozet and the County of Albemarle so that future development proceeds in an informed and balanced manner. In this way, this Strategies Report can assist in the coordination of historic preservation goals and historic district development with future master planning, the review of development proposals, and downtown development efforts. Historic Districts As a result of the completed Crozet historic resources study, the VDHR has identified part of Crozet as a potential National Register Historic District. “Potential” means that the first step in the process of becoming a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places has been completed. The majority of Albemarle's National Register Historic Districts have been listed on the registers through community initiatives.  Interested citizens have organized themselves and implemented plans for completing the nomination process. For more information on next steps, see Becoming an Official Historic District below.   Stay Informed Get Involved Contact Us Crozet Homepage Meetings/Events                                        Publications | Becoming an Official Historic District | Background Information | Project Milestones | Contact Information

Publications   Final Crozet Strategies Report (3.5 mb without maps)  Map 1   Map 2   Map 3  Map 4  Map 5   Map 6    Map 7   Map 8   Map 9  Preliminary Information Form  (summarizes the history and significance of the potential historic district) Draft Crozet Historic Resources Survey Inventory Information  (specific information on each of the buildings in the potential historic district) Crozet Potential Historic District Boundary Map Crozet Historic Context Period Map Crozet Master Plan

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Becoming an Official Historic District

To become an official historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register, the next step in the nomination process must be completed. That next step is the completion of the National Register of Historic Places nomination form. Once complete, the form must be reviewed and approved by the State Review Board and the Board of Historic Resources. The final step is listing of the district by the Keeper of the Register at the National Park Service.  The National Register of Historic Places was established in 1966 and is managed by the National Park Service. It is the official list of structures, sites, objects, and districts that embody the historical and cultural foundations of the nation. The Virginia Landmarks Register was also established in 1966 and is managed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) in Richmond. It is the state’s official list of properties that are important to Virginia’s history. Albemarle County is proud to have several historic districts listed in both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register: link to Albemarle County's Historic Districts.   Helpful Links: The Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ website provides a wealth of information about the historic district nomination process.  For general information on the historic registers, go to: www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register.htm For more specific information on the next step in the nomination process, go to: www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Nomination%20Process.pdf The National Register Historic District and the Virginia Landmarks Register District are two of the three types of historic district designations. The third type of historic district is the local historic district. Albemarle County has not adopted regulations to establish local historic districts. There are no additional local regulations associated with National or Virginia Landmarks Register districts. For more comparative information on the three types of historic districts see the chart Three Levels of Historic District Designation Compared.

Background Information

Historic Resources Fact Sheet  back to top

Project Milestones

Action Date 1.    Project start      May 3, 2007 2.       Project 25% complete; 25 property documentation forms due; Recommendation on proposed historic district boundaries due.      July 31, 2007 3.      Project 50% complete; Public meeting to have been held by this date; 25 additional property documentation forms due; Draft Crozet Historic District report due.      October 31, 2007 4.       Project 75% complete; Field survey 100% complete; Final Crozet Historic District report due; Coordination strategies report due.      January 15, 2008 5.       Present Preliminary Information Form defining potential historic district boundaries to the State Review Board and Historic Resources Board.      March 2008 6.       Crozet Historic Resources Survey Inventory and Preliminary Information Form reflecting comments from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources & Albemarle County 100% complete.      May 1, 2008 7.    Final review of the Strategies Report      Winter 2008/Spring 2009 8.    Strategies Report/Study Completed      April 2009 back to top Contact Information

The Albemarle County staff contact is Margaret Maliszewski, Design Planner.  She can be reached at (434) 296-5832 or by email at mmaliszewski@albemarle.org.  back to top