One mission of the Litchfield Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) is to safeguard the heritage of the City of Litchfield by preserving properties that reflect elements of the City’s cultural, social, economic, political, visual, or architectural history. The HPC designates historically-significant properties as Heritage Preservation Landmarks and more than fifty local sites are now designated. As part of a continuing effort to encourage downtown building improvements, the Commission reviews substantial changes to these landmarks. More information, plus site forms, is found on the official City HPC website.
To receive designation, a property is evaluated for its integrity — whether it remains substantially intact — and for its significance — is it important to Litchfield’s story. Just being old is not enough. These are the specific criteria:
a) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City of Litchfield, State of Minnesota, or the United States.
b) Its location as a site of a significant historic event.
c) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the culture and development of the City of Litchfield.
d) Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, period, form or treatment.
e) Its identification as work of an architectural or master builder whose individual work has influenced the development of the City of Litchfield.
f) Its embodiment of elements of architectural design, detail, material, or craftsmanship which represent a significant architectural innovation.
g) Its unique location, scale, or other physical characteristics representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, a district, the community, or the City of Litchfield.