Learning & Research Overview
Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System
The Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) includes information on historic properties and areas in the Commonwealth.
The MACRIS Maps database allows users to search for information in MACRIS by location.
Reconnaissance Survey Reports
In the late 1970s, the MHC published a groundbreaking, statewide preservation plan: Cultural Resources in Massachusetts: A Model for Management. The plan provided an interdisciplinary approach to the assessment and management of the Commonwealth's cultural resources. It measured the significance of properties and sites through broad, anthropological patterns of historical development within the state’s regions and communities. The recommendations of the Model for Management led the MHC to undertake a region-by-regions reconnaissance survey in the 1980s, resulting in both town and regional survey reports.
Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Plan
As the federally-designated State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the MHC receives federal Historic Preservation Funds through a yearly allocation process.
As part of the program, the MHC maintains and regularly updates a statewide historic preservation plan. This plan assists all preservationists and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth.
Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation In Massachusetts
View the Report (PDF)
This study examines the many substantial economic effects of historic preservation in Massachusetts. It is one of the more detailed statewide analyses of the economic impacts of historic preservation.
The study examines the total economic effects of historic preservation; these encompass both the direct and multiplier effects. The direct impact component consists of labor and material purchases made specifically for the preservation activity. The multiplier effects incorporate what are referred to as indirect and induced economic consequences. The indirect impact component consists of spending on goods and services by industries that produce the items purchased for the historic preservation activity. The induced impact component focuses on the expenditures made by the households of workers involved either directly or indirectly with the activity.
There's a Difference: Understanding National Register Districts and Local Historic Districts
There are substantial differences between a Local Historic District and a National Register District. View the brochure or visit this page to learn the differences.