Overview
Federally-owned historic buildings that are no longer needed by the Federal government are declared surplus by the General Services Administration. States, counties, municipalities, and other governmental entities are eligible to acquire a surplus property at no cost if the property is listed in, or eligible for listing in, the National Register of Historic Places. Custom houses, office, military and other buildings have all been transferred under this program.
Transferred properties may be used for a wide variety of public facilities or revenue-producing activities. Private and not-for-profit organizations cannot acquire property under this program, but they may enter into long-term leases with recipients of historic surplus properties. Private developers with a long-term lease may be eligible to take advantage of Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives.
The national program lead is the Technical Preservation Services (TPS) office of the National Park Service, while program coordinators in the National Park Services’s Regional Offices oversee the program in their respective regions
More information on the Federal Historic Surplus Property Program
What you’ll find
- Historic Surplus Property Program information and profiles of properties that have been reused in communities
- National Park Service regional coordinators
- Surplus historic lighthouses and surplus Federal land for park uses