Many of us are drawn to the history and culture of certain communities. We want to experience the lifeblood of a locale, both its past and present. The architecture, the events that influenced its development, its legendary characters and heroes, local activities, antiques and shopping – these are interests that can determine one’s vacation planning. Communities with a story to tell and an asset in their tourism potential would be wise to consider how that potential is developed and protected. Here at Capital StreetScapes, we couldn’t agree more.

The primary reason for establishing local historic districts is to manage how change occurs in a designated area. The local entity charged with the creation or ongoing management of a historic district must ensure that as much of the original character as possible remains intact. Local historic district designation provides communities with the legal tools to protect their local landmarks and architectural character. Development that enhances a historic district is important to the city's evolution since it ties past, present and future together.

Reasons for a vibrant, well-run local historic district? Here are a few:

• Local districts protect the investments of owners and residents. Real estate agents in many cities use historic district status as a marketing tool to sell properties.
• A local district can result in a positive economic impact from tourism. The retention of historic areas as a way to attract tourist dollars makes good economic sense.
• The protection of local historic districts can enhance business recruitment potential. Companies search for communities that offer their workers a higher quality of life, which is enhanced by stable, well-managed historic districts.
• Local districts encourage future high-quality, architectural design.
• As with any historic preservation effort, there are educational benefits in creating local districts. They are a record of us and our communities.

Attractive, stylish, well-designed signage is indispensable when creating or refreshing a community’s historic district. At Capital StreetScapes, we offer a wide variety of components that can complement and enhance the unique beauty of your district’s buildings, shops, historic homes and local dining. From vintage-styled street signs and traffic signs to wayfinding and directional signage, we can help you customize a signage system that’s tasteful, high quality and well-suited to your setting. Like you, we believe that your community is special - let’s make sure you show off everything that you and your visitors value!