Frequently Asked Questions

When I fill in the Site Inventory Form the information I enter on the first page isn’t carried over into the fields on the following pages. Isn’t it supposed to carry over into the headers of the continuation sheet?

The information is transferred but doesn’t show up on screen in some software/hardware configurations until you print the form or click on the print preview. Once you do that the information magically appears.

What do I put in the Site Inventory No. field?

If you have received a Site Inventory number from the Inventory Coordinator put that number in the field or if you received a list of properties from the Inventory Coordinator and your property is on that list, use that number.  If not, leave the field blank and the SHPO will give your property a number when it comes in the office. (The Site Inventory number is a 7-digit number in the format XX-XXXXX. The first two digits are the county the property is in and the last five are a sequential number for all the properties recorded in that county. Example: 77-05678 is the 5,678th property recorded in Polk County.)

The house I’m recording isn’t historic, so what do I enter in the Historic Name field?

You can just enter “House” or “Commercial Building” or “Bridge” or whatever the property type is. If you know the name of the owner you can enter their name and the property type – “Bennett House”.

I don’t know the name of the related project report or multiple property study.

This is usually filled in only if the property being recorded is part of a larger survey. If this is the only property you are sending in and there is no separate report attached, leave these fields blank.

I’m confused about which side to put the counts for buildings, structures, etc. on.

If you think the property is eligible for the National Register or is a contributing resource in a National Register eligible district then put the count under the right-hand section If Eligible Property, enter number of: If you think the property is ineligible then put the count under the left-hand section If Non-Eligible Property

What do I put in the Historic Function field?

This answer applies to the Historic Function, Current Function, Architectural Classification, and Materials fields. Using the appropriate data categories from the Site Inventory Form Instructions, enter not only the code but the description. Example: For a former Italianate-styled tavern that is now a residence you would enter “02G04 – Tavern” for the Historic Function, “01A01 – Residence” for the Current Function, and “05B – Italianate” for the Architectural Classification.

The property I’m recording isn’t eligible for the National Register. What do I put in the Area of Significance field?

If you think your property isn’t eligible for the National Register you should leave the Area of Significance field blank.

 

For additional questions on the Iowa Site Inventory form, contact Berry N. Bennett, Inventory Coordinator, at berry.bennett@iowa.gov or 515.281.8742.