What is a historic preservation restriction?
A preservation restriction is a legal agreement between you, the owner of a historic house, and a qualified preservation organization. In this document, which has the effect of a permanent deed restriction, you agree to protect the historic nature of your house by giving up the right to develop or alter its historic elements. Why should I worry about what happens to my house when I no longer own it? As Michael May, executive director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, puts it, “there are only 800 pre-Civil War structures on the island. Each year eight or ten of them are being completely gutted, and something important is being lost forever — kind of like tearing pages from a novel, where you lose part of the story.” A preservation restriction will help to save a piece of Nantucket’s history. Do I have to restrict the entire house? The extent of the restriction is up to you. It can be broad and protect all parts of the house. Or it can apply only to the interior or to the exterior of
