Preservation Easement Program

Landmarks will consider accepting preservation easements for historic buildings and farm land associated with historic or architecturally significant farm structures. An historic building is an architecturally significant building, whether used for commercial, residential or farming purposes, that is listed, or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or that has been certified as historic by a local municipality or by Landmarks. All easements must be approved by Landmarks’ Easement Committee. 

Because Landmarks assumes perpetual monitoring and enforcement responsibility when it accepts a preservation easement, fees to cover costs are required, but can be endowed with a one-time gift. Fees vary based on the type of building being protected and the fair market value of the easement as determined by a third-party qualified real estate appraiser. Both the annual monitoring fee, whether endowed by a one-time gift or paid annually, and the value of the easement, may qualify as a charitable contribution for federal income tax purposes. You should consult with your tax advisor to determine the deductibility of these payments.

Types of Easements

Landmarks’ preservation easement program is designed to preserve the distinctive historic or architectural features of the historic buildings of Allegheny County, including the associated grounds and views. The exact terms of a preservation easement, as well as the extent to which those terms limit alteration of an historic building or protected land will vary depending on your wishes.

Facade Easement: Allows PHLF to control future alterations to the exterior of your historic building.

Development Rights Easement: Limits or prohibits additions to the historic building, including construction of additional stories on or additions.

Open Space Easement: limits or prevents the construction of new buildings on your protected land.


Benefits of Donating A Preservation Easement

Although granting a preservation easement to an historic property affects what you may do with that property, granting the easement provides you with several benefits including:
You will have protected your historic property.

  • You may be entitled to claim a Federal income tax charitable contribution deduction equal to the value of the preservation easement if the historic property is “to be protected in perpetuity, exclusively for conservation purposes.
  • You may benefits from reduced property taxes.
  • You may benefit from reduced PA and Federal estate and inheritance taxes.

Determining the monetary value of a preservation easement requires an appraisal of the property, paid for by you, that places a dollar value on the rights being assigned to Landmarks in the easement. You should consult with your personal legal and tax advisors regarding this matter because Landmarks does not provide legal or tax advice.
Commercial Preservation Easements
Residential Preservation Easements
Farm Preservation Easements
Eligibility
Contributions
Easement
Policy
(.pdf format)
Sample Facade Easement Agreement
(.pdf format)

For more information, contact:

Anne E. Nelson

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