Historic District Could Transform Hartington

HARTINGTON — Downtown Hartington could take on a totally different look if area residents decide to pursue a Historic District designation.

A meeting to discuss the possibility of turning downtown Hartington into a Historic District will be held at 5:30 p.m., here Oct. 24. 

David L. Calease, National Register Coordinator with the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office, will conduct the public meeting at the Historic Hotel Hartington.

The Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office has identified downtown Hartington as meeting the criteria for being listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Many of the buildings in downtown Hartington were built in the early 1900s.

Representatives from the SHPO visited the community in April to look over the downtown area.

Historic Preservation Office officials will be available Oct. 24 to discuss what the National Register of Historic Place is, why the Hartington Downtown has been determined eligible, the process of preparing and presenting a National Register nomination, and what being listed in the National Register of Historic Places does and does not mean for property owners. 

The meeting will also contain information on the Historic Tax Credit programs that are available for property owners to rehabilitate a historic property. 

The meeting is expected to last approximately one hour. 

If it is determined to proceed with a Historic District designation, a nomination will be completed and it would most likely be discussed in May 2019 by the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board, said Calease.