Sacramento’s Preservation Office has completed several projects to identify and document the places of cultural, historical, and architectural importance to Sacramento’s diverse communities. These projects assist Preservation Staff and the citizens of Sacramento by providing a basis for determining if a building or site is historically significant and help the city manage these resources. These projects can also serve as the basis for other projects, such as documentary films, educational curricula, or placemaking opportunities.

Click on any of the links below to learn more about past projects:

Other past surveys

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Frequently asked questions

Is the public involved in these projects?
Public participation is the hallmark of cultural historic context statement projects. These projects included a significant amount of archival research, but allowing the people who lived this history to tell the story is critical. Through a combination of public and one-on-one meetings, oral history interviews, public document review periods, and organizational partnerships, the City ensures members of the public are able to guide these projects.

What is a historic context statement?
A historic context statement is a thematic overview of history for a particular group, type of architecture, or movement used to evaluate and identify potential historic properties.

What is a historic survey?
A survey is a planning tool used to identify potentially significant historic buildings and sites through research and gathering other information. Projects survey buildings, structures, and other key locations related to the particular theme of a project. The survey essentially creates a list of buildings that are potentially historic.

Are buildings identified in the survey automatically listed on the Sacramento Register?
No, more research typically needs to be done on individual buildings before it can be determined whether they are eligible for listing on any historic register. If they are ultimately determined to be eligible, the listing process consists of property owner outreach and several public hearings.

However, buildings identified in a historic survey are presumed to be historic unless research indicates otherwise.