Historic Preservation

3D Massing Model

The City of Portsmouth has been proud to offer our 3D-massing modelling feature. These 3D maps are available for the public to explore and review the buildings in the Portsmouth Historic Downtown area. To view all the areas in 3D please click here.

Portsmouth Downtown National Historic District

In June 2017, the Portsmouth Downtown Historic District was listed to the National Register.  For more information about the district and the nomination process click here.

Historic District Commission Design Guidelines

These Guidelines are intended to be a design review tool to help manage change and protect the City's architectural and historic resources.

Historic Tax Credit (HTC)

The HTC is a federal credit and amounts to 20% of the qualified rehabilitation expenses in a project.  If a building is listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and will have an income-producing use, it may qualify for the HTC if the rehabilitation work is substantial and retains the historic character of the building.  For more information on the HTC, click here.  For more information about using the HTC for Affordable Housing projects, click here.