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Research and technical assistance

Here’s a collection of resources for people who want to research historic buildings or get technical guidance.

CULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY

Since 1977, the BLC has inventoried properties throughout Boston, but not all buildings and resources have been surveyed. Our inventory is continually being updated. Most BLC survey forms are available online through the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) database and are a good source of building history.

RESEARCH

We created a guide to help with researching your property. While BLC staff cannot perform research for constituents, we are happy to assist you in how to use research tools to uncover sources of information about historic significance.

SUSTAINABILITY

We worked closely with Environment Department colleagues to create the Resilient Historic Buildings Design Guide about retrofitting historic buildings to address climate change. Check more of our resources about energy efficiency and repairing wood windows. 

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