Historic or Not? 

Is it associated with someone important in history?  Is it an outstanding example of a style of architecture?  If so, your property may qualify as a City of Monrovia Landmark and help preserve our legacy. Owners of Historic Landmarks are eligible for property tax relief via a “Mills Act” contract.

Stop by and speak with a planner if you are interested in nominating your property as a Landmark.  You must be the property owner to nominate a property for designation. 

Criteria for Evaluation to Qualify for a Historic Landmark

Age is NOT the sole criterion for qualifying as a Historic Landmark.  The Historic Preservation Commission (Commission) and the City Council (Council) determine whether a property qualifies as a Historic Landmark. The applicant must prove that at least one of the below criterion is met by researching and documenting the qualifying information on the Historic Landmark Application Form.

1. It is identified with persons or events significant in local, regional, state or national history.
2. It is representative of the work of a notable builder, designer, or architect.
3. It contributes to the significance of an historic area, being a geographically definable area possessing a concentration of not less than 50% of historic or architecturally related grouping of properties which contribute to each other and are unified aesthetically by physical layout or development.
4. It embodies one or more distinctive characteristics of style, type, period, design, materials, or craftsmanship.  Note: in order for a property to be considered solely on this criterion, the structure must be fully restored from public view and must be an excellent example of an architectural style.
5. It has a unique location or physical characteristics or represents an established and familiar visual feature of neighborhood, community, or the City of Monrovia.
6. It incorporates elements that help preserve and protect an historic place or area of historic interest in the City.
7. It has yielded, or may be likely to yield information important in prehistory or history.

Completing the Application

The owner must conduct research to determine if the property has any historic significance.  If you still need more help, we recommend contacting outside organizations, such as the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group (MOHPG).

Once you've finished your research, you can fill out the application form. The most care should be taken with the “Description” and the “Statement of Significance”.  Submit the completed application to Planning, along with the payment and other required items (i.e., photos, copy of property tax bill and deed of trust, etc.).  The Planner will check the application and set up a time to visit your property.

The application will be presented to the Commission at a regularly scheduled public meeting. They will take testimony, deliberate the nomination’s merit and recommend approval, recommend approval with corrections, or recommend denial to the Council. After the Commission reviews the application, the Council will also hold a public hearing, take testimony, and deliberate the merits of the Nomination Statement.  They will approve, approve with corrections, or deny the nomination.  It is recommended that you attend both the Commission and Council meetings.

Landmark Examples

Click here to view a map that pinpoints the Historic Landmarks in the City of Monrovia.

Forms

• Research Guide for Historic Landmarks
• Monrovia Library House Research Guide
• Potential Landmarks List
• Historic Landmark Application
• Mills Act Application