The U.S. Department of the Interior has developed uniform standards for all National Register Historic Districts. In order to preserve Galena’s architectural heritage, these standards have been adopted as law into the Galena Code of City Ordinances. All exterior work on any home within the Historic District requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit can be issued. For minor modifications, a Certificate of Appropriateness can usually be approved at the time of application for a building permit. For more extensive or major modifications, you will likely be required to present your plan to the Historic Preservation Commission for review prior to the issuance of any permits. Exterior painting, which does not require a building permit, does require a Certificate of Appropriateness for the colors.
If my property is in the Historic District, are there any special requirements for performing work on my home or building?
