historic district
A geographically defined area with a concentration of historic buildings, structures, or old sites that share a common historical, architectural, or cultural significance and are often protected by preservation guidelines or regulations. 2. A definable geographical area that contains a number of related historic sites, buildings, structures, features, or objects united by past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development, and that has been designated on a local, state, or national register of historic places; may encompass a neighborhood or all of a small town; some districts may comprise individual elements separated geographically but linked by association or history; the oldest in the U.S. is located in Charleston, South Carolina. Also known in Canada as heritage area or Heritage Conservation District. See also architectural review board. Photo from Bath, Maine, 2021. (Bucher, 1996)