New River Gorge Bridge added to historic register

[cpzilliacus]

New River Gorge Bridge added to historic register

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) - The New River Gorge Bridge has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced Saturday that the National Park Service has recognized the bridge as a significant historic resource by including it on the list.

[SP Cook]

So a bridge that was openned in 1977 is now "historic".

What is next? 

Maybe the first Hampton Inn?

[seicer]

More uninformed state bashing from SP Cook.

From http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb16a/index.htm,

"Properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places possess historic significance and integrity. Significance may be found in four aspects of American history recognized by the National Register Criteria:

* Association with historic events or activities,
* Association with important persons,
* Distinctive design or physical characteristics, or
* Potential to provide important information about prehistory or history.

A property must meet at least one of the criteria for listing. Integrity must also be evident through historic qualities including location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

Generally properties must be fifty years of age or more to be considered historic places. They must also be significant when evaluated in relationship to major trends of history in their community, State, or the nation. Information about historic properties and trends is organized, by theme, place, and time, into historic contexts that can be used to weigh the historic significance and integrity of a property."

And,

"Events and activities occurring within the past 50 years must be exceptionally important to be recognized as "historic" and to justify extending a period of significance beyond the limit of 50 years ago."

Obviously, the bridge met one or more of the criteria for being nominated - it is obviously distinctive in design and physical appearance and is associated with the evolution of the New River gorge - from an industrial center to national park. I have not yet gathered a copy of the form but I can tell you that its listing is warranted.

[SP Cook]

The New River Gorge is not a national park. 

[Alps]

The New River Gorge is not a national park. 

But it is the following:

* Distinctive design or physical characteristics

Not every signature bridge will be historic, especially from day 1, but this bridge is already 10 years older than what passes for "classic" rock now, and it has a major annual festival associated with it, and very distinctive characteristics given its height.

[Scott5114]

NRHP means nothing for infrastructure. The old Missouri River bridge in Rulo, NE is on NRHP and it is still being demolished later this year.

[NE2]

The New River Gorge is not a national park. 

It's a National River, operated by the National Park Service. It may not be a National Park, but it's a national park.

[oscar]

NRHP means nothing for infrastructure. The old Missouri River bridge in Rulo, NE is on NRHP and it is still being demolished later this year.

OTOH, local activists successfully sought NRHP designation for two highways in Hawaii, specifically to prevent them (and especially their historic one-lane bridges) from being improved.  In one instance, a one-lane bridge in east Maui (13.2 feet wide, with one travel lane carrying both directions of traffic) was replaced after fatal damage from a 2006 earthquake, but the replacement was built to exactly the same width, rather than being widened to two lanes (or even to add a pair of two-foot shoulders, as originally proposed). 

[seicer]

The New River Gorge is not a national park. 

Tells me how much you know about West Virginia, the one state you bash with every post. It is called the New River Gorge National River, a unit of the United States National Park, and is operated by the National Park Service. It is under the U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Park System consists of National Parks, National Monuments, National Preserves, National Historical Parks, National Historic Sites, International Historic Site, National Battlefield Parks, National Battlefields, National Battlefield Site, National Memorials, National Recreation Areas, National Seashores, National Lakeshores, National Rivers, National Reserves, National Parkways, National Historic and Scenic Trails, National Cemeteries and National Heritage Areas, among several other specially designated units.

And a National Register of Historic Places does not prevent demolition, but it does make it significantly more difficult to. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act states,

"The head of any Federal agency having direct or indirect jurisdiction over a proposed Federal or federally assisted undertaking in any State and the head of any Federal department or independent agency having authority to license any undertaking shall, prior to the approval of the expenditure of any Federal funds on the undertaking or prior to the issuance of any license, as the case may be, take into account the effect of the undertaking on any district, site, building, structure, or object that is included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register. The head of any such Federal agency shall afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation established under Title II of this Act a reasonable opportunity to comment with regard to such undertaking.

Section 106 requires each Federal agency to do two things prior to carrying out, approving financial assistance to, or issuing a permit for a project that may affect properties listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. First, the agency must consider the impact of the project on historic properties. Second, the agency must seek the Council's comments on the project. Section 106 originally applied only to properties actually listed in the National Register; however, in 1976, Congress extended its provisions to properties not yet listed but still meeting the criteria."

The ACHP has a great guide on Section 106 review (http://www.achp.gov/citizensguide.pdf), which I've had to use in several cases to help prevent or delay demolition of some historic structures that used federal funds.

Anything else I can be of assistance with?

[dave19]

He lives here and used to work for the DOH. (Hersh used to call him a "paid shill" in m.t.r.)

No disrespect intended, Sherman, just sayin'...

[seicer]

I knew that, but his absolute hatred for pretty much everything West Virginia, environmentalists or those whom he disagrees with is borderline comical at times. I've done plenty of work in the state, and in other states, that is pretty much everything he stands against.

[Alps]

I knew that, but his absolute hatred for pretty much everything West Virginia, environmentalists or those whom he disagrees with is borderline comical at times. I've done plenty of work in the state, and in other states, that is pretty much everything he stands against.

ENOUGH. Take your beef off the forum. You don't see me on here bashing you every time you post.

[SP Cook]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks_of_the_United_States

[seicer]

I hope you are not trolling (which I suspect) that you don't realize that those national parks fall under the National Park Service, which operates...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service

If you haven't noticed, I didn't capitalize national park, indicating that it was not a National Park, a unit of the National Park Service, but a generalized park that indicated it was a federally managed park, which is an interchangeable term that is used to recognize a park operated by the National Park Service. A National River is a national park because it is a unit of the National Park Service.

[Alps]

It's a National River, not a National Park. We're done with this line of discussion. Deletions and warnings if you'd like to continue!

[wphiii]

So a bridge that was openned in 1977 is now "historic".

The Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, AR, was built in 1980 and added to the NRHP in 2000. It's rare to put something less than 50 years old on the register, but it does happen.