Memphis, TN Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

The Historic Overlay District (-H) "is intended to protect and conserve the heritage and character of the community by providing for the preservation of designated areas, including individual properties that embody important elements of social, economic, political, or architectural history, and by promoting the stabilization and enhancement of property values throughout such areas" (UDC Section 8.6.1(A)(1)). Once mapped, "in a designated Historic Overlay District, no building, structure, or site shall be constructed, altered, repaired, relocated or demolished" outside the adopted Design Review Guidelines, and an owner seeking a permit for exterior work "must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Landmarks Commission for such work" (Section 8.6.1(B)-(C)).

The designation exists "in order that appropriate measures may be taken to ensure preservation of structures of historic value to the City of Memphis or Shelby County pursuant to the authority contained in Section 13-7-401 of the Tennessee Code" (Section 8.6.2(A)), so it protects landmark-worthy property in both the city and the unincorporated county, not Memphis alone. To qualify, a property must meet one of five tests: it must be "associated with events which have made a significant contribution to local, state or national history," tied to a significant person, embody "distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction," be "likely to yield archaeological information," or already be "listed in the National Register of Historic Places" (Section 8.6.2(E)).

Once an application is complete, the Landmarks Commission "shall make a decision on the appropriateness of the proposed development within 30 days" and "within ten days shall issue or deny the Certificate of Appropriateness" (Section 8.6.3(D)(1)). A denied application cannot be resubmitted in substantially the same form "for at least six months from the date of the final action" (Section 8.6.3(D)(2)).