Document your Research and Finds with the Ohio Historical Society through the Ohio Historic Preservation Office
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVENTORY
The public, including a vocational archaeologists, artifact collectors, and property owners, plays an important role in this mission, including discovering, recording, preserving, and understanding Ohio’s history.Archaeological sites recorded with the Ohio Historic Preservation Office can sometimes be protected from construction projects which would otherwise destroy them. Often construction projects can be redesigned to avoid destroying important archaeological sites, but only if the Ohio Historic Preservation Office knows about their existence before construction begins.
Each year archaeologists in the Ohio Historic Preservation Office review thousands of federal and some state projects for their effects on archaeological sites. We maintain paper and computerized maps and other records of all known sites in Ohio, and coordinate archaeology programs including grants for archaeological survey and excavation, and permits to collect artifacts or conduct archaeological investigations on state lands
Prior to conducting archaeological investigations on state property in Ohio, it is necessary to seek permission from the relevant state agency and to obtain a permit from the Ohio Historical Society. Likewise, it is illegal to collect artifacts from any federal property without first obtaining a permit from the federal government. Collecting artifacts from private property without permission from the property owner is also illegal. Theft of artifacts from private property and transporting them across state lines may also be a violation of the Archeological Resources Protection Act, a federal law. The criminal and civil penalties associated with violations of this law can be severe. To discourage such activities and to punish the guilty, the federal government is actively pursuing cases of this nature.
With the goal of increased cooperation between the Ohio Historic Preservation Office and the public in mind, in 1986 the Ohio Historic Preservation Office developed a Preliminary Documentation Form for Archaeological Sites. Over 2000 sites have been reported to the Ohio Historic Preservation Office by the public using the Preliminary Documentation Form. This cooperation has helped the Ohio Historic Preservation Office in its work with federal, state, and local agencies and others in our goal to identify, evaluate, and protect important archaeological sites. The information provided on the Preliminary Documentation Form also is of great research value, and the site numbers assigned to each site are often used by artifact collectors and a vocational archaeologists to catalog and keep accurate records of their collections.
Site location information is only shared with federal, state, and local agencies and other responsible people who need to know or who are working with the Ohio Historic Preservation Office to identify, evaluate, and protect important archaeological sites. This includes government agencies, archaeologists, planners, and developers. The public can also participate in this information sharing. The first step is to record basic site information on the Preliminary Documentation Form.
Recording archaeological sites with the Ohio Historic Preservation Office does not affect property owners’ rights to develop their property or to continue current land use practices, such as agriculture. Nor does it mean that archaeologists from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office or another agency are going to confiscate artifacts in collections from such sites or attempt to take control over the property through eminent domain. If property owners are interested in protecting important archaeological sites on their property from future development and destruction the Ohio Historic Preservation Office will work with them to do so.
For further information concerning the Preliminary Documentation Form or the Ohio Historic Preservation Office’s archaeology programs, please contact the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
Archaeology Guidelines
This publication outlines standards for submission of reports conducted under the review authority of the Ohio Historic Preservation Office. Click here to purchase.
Instruction Manual for Completing the Ohio Archaeological Inventory Form (2 MB)
This manual provides a detailed understanding of the Ohio Archaeological Inventory, as well as complete instructions for the preparation and submission of site forms to the Ohio Historic Preservation Office. It is an essential guide for the preparation of both electronic I-Form, and paper form submissions.
I-Form
I-Form is an Internet-based application that allows for electronic completion and submission of Ohio Archaeological Inventory forms. I-Form use is expected by professionals submitting inventory forms for most Section 106 compliance projects and surveys funded with Certified Local Government grants.
OHIO HISTORIC INVENTORY
What Is the Ohio Historic Inventory?
The inventory program was developed to serve as an accurate and continuing record of the architectural and historic properties currently existing in the state. The Ohio Historic Inventory is used to record basic information on historic properties in Ohio. Since 1974, over 90,000 historic properties have been entered into the records of the Ohio Historic Inventory.
Who Uses the Ohio Historic Inventory Form and What Is It Used For?
The Ohio Historic Inventory is used by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office staff, by various state, local, and federal agencies, and by the general public for making land-use planning, urban development, and road-improvement decisions. In addition, the inventory serves as an official archive and body of information for researchers and property owners.
How Is the Form Set Up?
The Ohio Historic Inventory Form consists of a single page, two-sided questionnaire that gives a complete but succinct description and history of a building, site, structure, or object. The form is divided into six basic categories: Identification, Location, Background, Architectural Data, Additional Information, and Photographic Documentation. The form is printed on archival paper.
Where Can I Get the Form?
Ohio Historic Inventory forms can be obtained by contacting the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
New! Click here to learn about IForm, the Internet-based application developed by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio Historical Society to facilitate the completion and submission of Ohio Historic Inventory and Ohio Archaeological Inventory forms online.
What Does the Form Do?
- The Ohio Historic Inventory form provides a brief description of the location, background,and architecture of a building, site, structure, or object of architectural or historical significance.
- The Ohio Historic Inventory form is an important reference for organizing community preservation efforts and can be used as a guide for safeguarding the historical and architectural resources of Ohio.
- The Ohio Historic Inventory form serves as an important data base for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office's computerization efforts.
- The Ohio Historic Inventory form does not automatically nominate or indicate acceptance of a property to the National Register of Historic Places, though it may serve to bring an eligible property to the attention of local and state governing bodies.
- The Ohio Historic Inventory is not intended to be the complete story on a given property; it is an inventory. The pertinent information should be necessarily brief and condensed, hence the need for accurate and informative documentation.
- The Ohio Historic Inventory is not a form of protection for a historic resource, nor does it provide property owners with a list of do's and don'ts.
This link provides field by field instructions for completing an inventory form. If you are planning on filling out an Ohio Historic Inventory Form or thinking of conducting a survey, you may first want to consult the Ohio Historic Preservation Office Survey and National Register Manager.
How to Complete the Ohio Historic Inventory, a publication of the Ohio Historical Society features illustrated chapters on identifying Ohio archtectural styles and building types, a visual glossary of architectural and structural terms and instructions for recording properties on Ohio Historic Inventory forms. Click here to order this publication.
The following additional publications may also be helpful:
Blumenson, John J.-G., Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms, 1600-1945 . Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1977.
Gordon, Stephen C., How to Complete the Ohio Historic Inventory. Columbus: The Ohio Historical Society, 1992.
McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004.
Noble, Allen G., Wood, Brick and Stone: The North American Settlement Landscape, 2 vols., Amherst, MA. The University of Massachusetts Press, 1984.
Poppeliers, John, and S. Allen Chambert, Jr., What Style Is It? A Guide to American Architecture, Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley and Son, Inc., 2003.
Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780: A Guide to the Styles, Cambridge: The M.I.T. Press, 1969; rev. ed. 1992.For more information about the Ohio Historic Inventory contact the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
