What is a Historic District?  -  A historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects, and sites are usually catagorized as either contributing or non-contributing. A historic district can be designated by one of several entities on different levels, such as federal, state, or local. Federal historic districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but offer little protection to the buildings. Ordinances over state historic districts vary, but local historic districts offer the most protection because most land use decisions are made at a local level.

What is a BHAR?  -  BHAR (or HARB) stands for Board of Historical and Architectural Review. In Michigan, these are known as HDCs, or Historic District Commissions. The Board is primarily responsible for reviewing Certificates of Appropriateness regarding proposed architectural work in a designated historic district. According to the Historic District Act of 1961, a Board will consist of no less than five people – one registered architect, one licensed real estate agent, one building inspector, and those remaining with the knowledge and interest in the preservation of historic districts.

*Often, when a historic district ordinance is proposed, there is a lot of controversy, usually because of misinformation. Those opposed usually think or spread lies that all residents in the district will suddenly have to replace their vinyl windows with wood windows or automatically have to restore their homes. That is not true. Nor does a historic district ordinance have any say on the interior of your home. Most of the time, it does not dictate the color of your home, either. Generally, the ordinances put in place are there to help increase the value and longevity of your home and the rest of the neighborhood by maintaining its character. Every local historic district ordinance is different, but most are inevasive and quite helpful.

Historic Districts Located in Western Pennsylvania
Allegheny
     Homestead Historic District  -  Homestead Borough
     Mooncrest Historic District   -  Moon Township
     Homestead Historic District  -  Munhall Borough
     Sewickley Historic District     -  Sewickley Borough
     Sewickley Heights Historic District  -  Sewickley Heights Borough
     Homestead Historic District  -  West Homestead Historic District
CITY OF PITTSBURGH
     Allegheny West Historic District
     Alpha Terrace Historic District
     Deutschtown Historic District
     East Carson Street Historic District
     Manchester Historic District
     Market Square Historic District
     Murray Hill Avenue Historic District
     Oakland Civic Center Historic District
     Penn-Liberty Historic District
     Schenley Farms Historic District
     Mexican War Streets
     Oakland Square Historic District
Beaver   
     Ambridge Historic District  -  Ambridge Borough
Butler
     Harmony  -  Harmony Borough
McKean
     Historic Bradford Historic District  -  City of Bradford
Mercer
     Mercer  -  Mercer Borough
Venango
     Franklin Historic District  -  City of Franklin

* I really thought there would be more historic districts in Western Pennsylvania. I haven’t even traveled very far in the area, but I just assumed that maybe Erie would have one, or Greenville, Newcastle, New Wilmington, or Beaver. Where else might be a good place for a historic district?