The Preservation Society has been awarding plaques since 1976.  New Bedford homeowners may apply to the society to receive a plaque.  The following criteria are used by the Plaque Committee in its decision to award markers: 

• age of property,  minimum of fifty years;


• architectural style - property must be clearly representative of its style or a combination of styles;


• property must be well-maintained and appropriately restored with a paint color scheme suitable to its style and period;


• vinyl replacement windows will disqualify a property's eligibility for the program.

The fee for a plaque ($325 plus $18 shipping fee) covers the historical research done to date the building and to establish who was responsible for its construction, the completion and filing of the Historic Building Survey Form B with the Massachusetts Historic Commission and for the manufacture of the plaque.

In 1997 the Society established the Elm Award to recognize those individuals or organizations who have done an outstanding job in either the restoration or preservation of their historic property.  As May is National Preservation Month, it is then that we schedule our Plaque and Elm Award Ceremony as a tribute to those who have accomplished much in preserving the heritage of the city for the future.

Please call the office (508-997-6425) for a printed application form or print out and complete the form on the next page.  The completed form should be returned to us with a $50 application fee, which if your property is approved, will be deducted from the full cost of the marker. 

Once we receive your completed application form and fee, we'll do a visual inspection of the exterior to assure that the house meets the marker criteria. You will be notified of the results, and if approved, we can begin the research process. The balance of the fee ($275) is due prior to the initiation of further research, photography, clerical processing, and the ordering of the marker.

Pictured above is the handsome prototype of the New Bedford Preservation Society's newly designed bronze historic marker. These plaques will replace the formerly issued green painted markers and will be customized to include the historic name and date of designated properties.  All replacement plaque applications will be subject to review by the Plaque Committee to be sure that the properties currently meet architectural integrity guidelines.