Forms are available on Millwood's website or can be picked up at Millwood City Hall during regular office hours. 

It may seem intimidating to fill them out, but city staff and the Millwood Historic Preservation Commission are availabel to walk home owners through the process. There are also privage contractors who can research and submit nominations for a fee. 

The fee for filing the application is $50.00. Once submitted, the nomination will go through the review process which could take 2-3 months.

Properties placed on the Millwood Register of Historic Places may qualify for special tax valuation. Simply put, a percentage of any money spent on work to preserve the historical integrity of the home could be recouped in property tax relief if completed within a certain amount of time. Besides monetary benefits, properties on the local register also receive city recognition, and property owners know they are contributing to the preservation of our city's unique heritage.

Homeowners can still make changes and upgrades to properties listed on the local register. There is the expectation that improvements follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards of Rehabilitiation for work made to the exterior of the home or to interior featers that led to the property's inclusion on the register. Also, if tax valutation is claimed for restoration work, it must follow the standards and be approved beforehand by the MHPC.

Property owners can find historical information about their homes from several local sources. Year of construction and a legal description from the Spokane County Assessor's office.

Many homes in Millwood have been researched and their history recorded in local publications which may be available at City Hall. If located within the historic district recognized by the National and State Registers of Historic PLaces, history may be found in those proposals at the following website: https://npgallery.nps.gov?GetAsset/8780bfd5-1bb2-4ba9-9466-c5be4dd043be. Lastly, members of the Millwood History Enthusiasts are very familiar with most properties in the city and are great resources. Contact information for this organization can be found at Millwood City Hall or on the city's website.

Millwood's Historic District has already been recognized by being listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.  A National Register listing is primarily an honorary distinction.  The hope is that an owner of a building nationally recognized as being “worthy of preservation” will want to respectfully maintain it.  There are a few income tax incentives offered but most of these apply to rental apartments and commercial properties. (nps.org, 9/16/2021).  

The Washington Heritage Register identifies and documents significant historic and prehistoric resources throughout Washington at the state level.  Like a national listing, a state listing offers no real protection against alteration or demolition.  Private owners using private funds may alter or demolish these properties within local building regulations. (dahp.wa.gov, 9/16/2021).

Individual properties that are placed on Millwood’s Local Register of Historic Properties qualify for special tax evaluation. In addition, owners must abide by certain guidelines that are in place to protect the historical nature of the property as long as it remains on the register. Other advantages of local listing include: placing a record of the history of your property and any of its noteworthy occupants into the city’s official documents, and being eligible to display a local register plaque celebrating your building’s place in Millwood’s history.

A number of Millwood properties are listed on the National Register as “contributing resources” to the Millwood Historic District.  When making alterations to the exterior of any listed resource, we encourage you to follow The Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation in order to maintain its listing integrity.  Most maintenance is not alteration.  When repairing, homeowners are encouraged to replace materials with those most like the original or as close to original as possible.  Ultimately, however, private owners using private funds may alter or demolish these properties within local building regulations.

For properties listed on Millwood’s local register, approval of alteration or demolition must be reviewed by the MHPC and exterior rehabilitation work must follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.

Absolutely!  Any property that meets one of the several criteria listed for inclusion can be included on the local register.  Once listed, all benefits and restrictions would apply as long as it remained on the register.

Millwood’s historic buildings are what make our community so special. Protecting them and providing resources, financially and otherwise, to homeowners is the reason the Millwood Historic Preservation Commission was created.