Delaware County Planning Department Historic Preservation

Historical Commissions

The core of all preservation activities within a municipality should be the citizens -- residents who have an interest in and knowledge of local history and preservation. They can provide the expertise needed by officials to make the most knowledgeable decisions on preservation techniques best suited to their communities. To use this local know-how, we recommend that each municipality create an historical commission.

An historical commission is an advisory board to the elected officials and is created by an ordinance or resolution that describes its functions. These may vary widely from municipality to municipality. Some of these may be to:

Create, maintain, and update local historic resourcesurveys.
Advise on historical matters within the municipality.
Research and help guide officials on the best tools for preservation and help them develop expertise in using these tools.
Educate the residents about local history and the community’s historic resources, working in tandem with the historical society.
Recommend and develop walking tours, local history narratives, and commemorative markers.
Act as a review body for any historic overlay ordinance or demolition delay ordinance other than those in an historic district.
Review subdivision/land development plans with regard to their effect on historic resources.

An historical commission is different from an historical society. The commission members work closely with an historical society, but they are concerned not only with the history of a community but also with the architecture, the “built form.” They use the historical knowledge and information generated by the society to create a context for the community’s historic resources and to help local officials develop strategies for preserving the most significant resources.

The historical commission should not be confused with another local historic advisory group, the Historical and Architectural Review Board or HARB. Although both are appointed by the elected officials and have a similar mix of expertise among its members, they have different functions.

An historical commission can oversee all aspects of preservation in the municipality, from conducting surveys, writing histories, applying for National Register status, seeking grants, developing ordinances to educating the residents.
Its responsibilities are municipal-wide.
Historical commissions are being formed in more and more communities. Aldan, Concord, Darby Borough, Glenolden, Nether Providence, Ridley Park, Sharon Hill, Swarthmore, Thornbury, Upper Chichester, andUpper Darby have had commissions for several years. Recently, Marcus Hook, Marple, and Parkside have adopted ordinances forming historical commissions. Other municipalities, such as Edgmont, Newtown, and Yeadon, have task forces acting as historical commissions.They all have slightly different functions but all serve as advisors to the elected officials on local heritage and historic resources and their protection.
A HARB is mandated by an historic district ordinance under PA Act 167 with regulations to review changes within a district and recommend (or not) a certificate of appropriateness to elected officials.
Its responsibilities are only district-wide.
There are only three municipalities in Delaware County with Act 167 local historic districts and HARBs: Chadds Ford, Media, and Ridley Park.

DCPD’s Historic Preservation section has examples of both historical commission ordinances and Act 167 historic district ordinances. We would be happy to assist any municipality with an interest in forming a commission or in using any other tool in our preservation toolbox.