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Historic Preservation Commission

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1. What is the Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission?

The Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission is a 9 member commission appointed by the Mayor of Lafayette and charged with preserving and protecting the historic and architecturally worthy buildings, structures, sites, monuments, streetscapes and neighborhoods which impart a distinct aesthetic quality to the City and serve as visible reminders of its historic heritage. The 9 members of the Historic Preservation Commission come from a variety of disciplines including contractors, architects, historians and historic building owners. The Commission was created by the City Council in April 1993 with City Ordinance 93-18 - at that time it was known as the Historic Review Board. The City Council approved City Ordinance 2010-11 to align with new State enabling legislation. 

2. Is there a difference between a National Register Historic District and a Local Historic District?

Yes, this is one of the biggest misunderstandings of historic districts - there are 2 different types.

National Register Districts are established and determined to be important to American history, culture, architecture or archaeology by the National Park Service. Inclusion in a National Register Historic District is honorary and provides historic structures with limited protection from adverse effects by State and Federally related/funded projects.

Local Historic Districts are established by local city ordinance and are overseen by the Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission. Designation as a Local Historic District does not prevent owners from making changes to their properties; it simply guides them towards the most appropriate options.

If and when a property owner wishes to make changes to the exterior of their property they are required to complete an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) and present their proposed changes to the Historic Preservation Commission.

3. What is a Conservation District?

A Conservation District is another way for a property to be designated a local historic district through a two-phased process over a 3-year window of time.  During the first phase, a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is required only for the demolition of any building; the moving of any building; and any new construction of a principle building or accessory building, or structure subject to view from the public way. At the end of the first phase (end of the 3-year period), the Conservation District shall automatically become a Local Historic District unless a majority of the property owners within the conservation district object to elevating the district to a Local Historic District. The objection must be received by the Commission, in writing, no earlier than 180 days or later than 60 days before the adoption of the Conservation District by the Common Council (which is the 3-year anniversary of the day the Conservation District was approved by the Lafayette Common Council).  

4. What is a Certificate of Appropriateness?

A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is the approval granted to a property owner who has gone through the review process for exterior work on a structure or site located within a Local Historic District. The City Engineer's Office will not approve building or demolition permits for properties located within Local Historic Districts without a COA on file.

5. If I want to make a change to my property, what is the procedure?

If a property owner within a Local Historic District wishes to make a change to their property they are required to apply for approval in the form of a Certificate of Appropriateness, known as a COA. Depending on the type of proposed change the property owner completes a COA application and submits the completed form with supporting materials (photos/drawings/description of work) to the Economic Development Department.

Once submitted, the application is reviewed by staff to determine if approval from the full Commission is required - some changes can be approved by staff without a Commission meeting. If staff determines that the application needs to be approved by the Commission, a meeting is set with the Commission's COA Committee. 

The 3-member COA Committee reviews the application and discusses the proposed changes with the property owner or their representative and ultimately makes a recommendation for approval or denial to the full Historic Preservation Commission at its regular monthly meeting. The full Commission reviews the COA application, takes comments on the proposed changes, and based on the information presented votes to approve or deny a COA. The regular monthly meetings of the Historic Preservation Commission are open to the public and allow time for public comment.

6. Are there any districts already in Lafayette?

As of April 2023, there were 10 National Register Historic Districts, 53 Local Historic Districts, and 4 Conservation Districts. Click here for a map of the Local Historic and Conservation Districts.

7. Does the Historic Preservation Commission deny many COAs?

No. Since the Historic Preservation Ordinance was approved in 1993, 95% of the COAs reviewed have been approved by the Commission either based on the information submitted or with additional comments from the Commission.

8. What about repair and maintenance - Do I have to apply to the Commission for every fix?

No, general maintenance like repairing a door or window, painting a previously painted surface, or cleaning the exterior of your building do not require a COA from the Historic Preservation Commission. Staff can provide you with a list of best practices for dealing with repair and maintenance of historic structures, but approval is not required.

9. Can the Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission tell me what color I have to paint my house?

Absolutely not. Although the Indiana State statute that provides local governments with an option to create a Historic Preservation Commission allows for the review of paint color, the Lafayette Historic Preservation Ordinance (Ordinance 2010-11) specifically states the Commission shall not govern new paint color of previously painted materials. Unpainted materials like brick, however, should remain unpainted. The Commission does have the authority to review and approve the color of permanent materials like glass, anodized aluminum and masonry.

Please review the Historic Preservation Commission Ordinance.

10. Does the Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission have the authority to tell me what landscaping I can install?

No, but if your property contains a historically significant landscape plan the commission may request time to document the plantings and locations prior to the change. Landscaping can also be used in creative manners to screen or hide modern additions to historic structures like accessibility ramps and air conditioning units.

11. Does designation as a Local Historic District prevent me from constructing an addition to my house?

No, but additions to structures located within Local Historic Districts must be reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. The Commission and its staff work with property owners and contractors who wish to enlarge structures to ensure the new addition does not detract from the architectural significance of the original historic structure.

Common design features that allow for additions to historic structures include small setbacks from the original wall line, alterations to the addition's roof line, cladding material, and repetition of fenestration (windows and doors) that complement or blend well with existing patterns.

12. Does designation as a Local Historic District prevent me from demolishing a building?

Demolition of historic structures within a Local Historic District is not prohibited, but it is highly discouraged. If the Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission denies a request to demolish a building within a Local Historic District, the property owner may appeal the decision and the request will be reviewed by a 3-member appeal board consisting of the Mayor or their designee, City Engineer or their designee, and a Board member of a local historic preservation-related organization (Wabash Valley Trust for Historic Preservation, Indiana Landmarks, Tippecanoe County Historical Association, etc.) as appointed by the Mayor. The appeal board will review the request and either uphold or overturn the Commission's original decision.

13. Does designation as a Local Historic District prevent me from building on a vacant lot?

No, but plans for new construction in a Local Historic District must be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.

It is highly recommended that if you have plans for a new building on a vacant lot in a Local Historic District you should notify the Historic Preservation Commission early on in the planning process to ensure the design is compatible with the surrounding historic fabric. Attractive new construction can be designed to complement adjacent historic structures by paying close attention to features like lot placement, building orientation, scale, roof shape, massing, and fenestration (window and door placement).

One excellent example of new residential construction in a Local Historic District in Lafayette is located at 208 South 6th Street. The house is constructed completely of modern materials, but the way the building was designed makes it fit seamlessly with neighboring homes that were built more than a century earlier.

View a photo of the South 6th Street home.

14. Does designation as a Local Historic District prevent me from installing new windows or doors?

Not necessarily. The members of the Historic Preservation Commission realize that all materials have a set life span, however, historic doors and windows were designed to allow for repair of individual components instead of full scale replacement.

The commission and its staff advocate for repair of existing historic windows and doors for a variety of reasons ranging from environmental factors, to material durability, to economic investment. In situations where historic windows and doors are deteriorated beyond repair the commission has approved installation of new windows and doors that match those being replaced in size and profile.

For information regarding what is considered environmental factors, material durability and economic investment, please visit the

Window and Door Installation Factors page.

15. What are the benefits of designating my property as part of a Local Historic District?

A Local Historic District designation is one of the most effective ways to preserve and protect the City's unique historic structures and neighborhoods. Designation protects the investments of owners and residents by ensuring the historic features that make an area attractive are preserved.

Local Historic Districts are also environmentally friendly. Retention and reuse of historic materials prevents a significant amount of old and new material from being deposited in landfills. Preserving and protecting the historic architecture of the community establishes a unique identity, stabilizes neighborhoods, and protects the investments of property owners.

16. Does designation as a Local Historic District affect my property values?

Yes! Studies have proven that property values within Local Historic Districts increase at the same rate, or faster than property values that are located outside of Local Historic Districts. There has been no evidence that shows designation as a Local Historic District reduces property values - if values within an established district do drop, they drop no faster or farther than values of property outside of the district.

17. Are there resources for those properties listed within a Local Historic District?

Yes, professional advice, information on different funding opportunities, recommendations for best practices for dealing with historic structures and access to a statewide network of historic building professionals are some of the resources offered through the Economic Development Department for properties listed as a Local Historic District.

18. If I have questions, who can I contact?

If you have any questions concerning Local Historic Districts or the Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission please contact John Collier with the Economic Development Department at (765) 807-1090 or by email.