"The primary strength of a local designation is that it can be tailored to specific community needs and provides greater protection for local resources."
City of Prescott, Arizona, Master Plan, 1997
Lafayette's historic neighborhoods are essential to our identity as a city. Passing through the 20th century relatively unscathed by "urban renewal" and demolition, Lafayette sits as an architectural treasure on the Wabash. Surprisingly, many of these very intact and historic neighborhoods remain unprotected to this day. Protection through the establishment of local protective districts is essential to preserving our city's historic character and identity.
While Lafayette's old city boasts many historic districts that have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, very few of these districts have any real protection. The National Register of Historic Places makes this very clear stating "Under federal law, owners of private property listed in the National Register are free to maintain, manage, or dispose of their property as they choose, provided that there is no Federal involvement." Essentially, Lafayette's historic city is is grossly underprotected, leaving our historic core vulnerable to demolition, defacement, and decay. Without our historic neighborhoods, Lafayette would quickly lose what makes it, well, Lafayette.
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| Left- Nationally recognized historic districts, Right- Actual protected historic districts |
