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Updated: December 19, 2022

Historic move: Munjoy Hill added to National Register, tax credits for rehab projects now available

apartment buildings File Photo The National Park Service certified that locally designated Munjoy Hill Historic District meets the requirements for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
By Laurie Schreiber

After years of discussion at the local level, the National Park Service certified that the locally designated Munjoy Hill Historic District meets the requirements for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. 

In addition to recognizing the merits of the local historic district, certification means owners of income-producing or landmark buildings within the district may now apply for state and federal rehabilitation tax credits, which can collectively total 45% of qualifying project expenses.

The district includes 376 contributing properties — ones that meet the criteria for age and retained historic features — representing 88% of the property in the 64-acre district. It's part of the 162-acre neighborhood on the Portland peninsula. Overall, the district comprises 49% of of Munjoy Hill’s building stock.

The process began in 2018. Certification was pursued by Portland’s Historic Preservation Program through a 50/50 match for a Historic Preservation Fund grant from Maine Historic Preservation Commission. 

The city contracted Hanson Historic Consulting and MacRostie Historic Advisors to compile and submit the certification request on behalf of the city, based on the local historic district nomination approved by the city council in 2021.

While many of Portland's earliest local historic districts are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are eligible for rehabilitation tax credits, the city's more recent designations, such as Munjoy Hill, previously only had local designations. The Planning & Urban Development Department’s Historic Preservation Program prioritized certification of the Munjoy Hill Historic District to ensure the tax credit would be widely available to support rehab projects, as it has supported other designation requests in recent years. Rehabilitation tax credits have already been utilized across the city, including for the former Mercy Hospital on State Street.

There are over 96,000 properties included in the National Register, representing a list of places considered most worthy of preservation in the United States. 

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