Tacoma's Historic Districts
Tacoma has five historic districts, including three that are listed on the local Tacoma Register
(TR), four that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NR), and
four that are listed on the Washington Heritage Register (WR).
Click below for a summary document of Tacoma's historic districts.
Historic
Districts Overview (PDF)
Please click below for the individual web pages for each of Tacoma's Historic Districts:
Wedge Neighborhood Historic District
(TR)
North Slope Historic District (TR, WR, NR)
Old City Hall Historic District (TR, WR, NR)
Union Depot/Warehouse Historic District (TR, WR, NR)
Stadium/Seminary Historic District (NR)
Salmon Beach Historic District (WR)
About Historic Districts
Historic districts are areas of the City that have been determined to
possess special character, related development patterns, and that convey
the environment of certain areas during specific periods of time.
Tacoma Register Historic Districts
Locally, historic districts are listed on the Tacoma Register of
Historic Places through a nomination process. If the Landmarks
Preservation Commission approves the nomination, the recommendation for
district establishment if referred to the Planning Commission, which may
recommend to City Council creation of a new overlay historic zoning
district. This overlay introduces certain protections for historic
districts by implementing a design review process (see
Chapter
13.07 of the municipal code).
Washington State Heritage and National Register Historic Districts
Areas that are listed on the Washington State Heritage Register must
be nominated and approved by the Governor's Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation.
For districts to be nominated to the National Register of Historic
Places, the nomination is reviewed both by the State Historic
Preservation Officer, Governor's Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation. If the nomination is successful at the state level,
a recommendation is forwarded to the federal Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation for review.
Generally, neither state or federal listing carries restrictions on
private property owners. Exceptions to this include projects
subject to environmental review, shorelines permits, or other state or
federal permits, as well as projects owned or funded by the State of
Washington or federal government.
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