Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) needed a more comprehensive statewide approach to evaluating two early named transcontinental roads that extend across the state: Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. Our team created a Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF) for each highway. Each MPDF provides a statewide historic context and guides property-specific research, describes character-defining features of associated property types, and outlines how to apply evaluation criteria for completing National Register evaluations. Work involved a reconnaissance survey of the entire route of both highways to document the roadbed and road-related resources. We also conducted an intensive survey of six segments of the Victory Highway and five segments of the Lincoln Highway to provide determinations of National Register eligibility and completed a National Register Nomination for one segment of each highway. As part of the project, we created statewide geographic information system (GIS) mapping for the highway alignments.
We provided NDOT with the two MPDFs, two National Register nominations, and eleven determinations of National Register eligibility. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) agreed with the findings. The MPDFs benefit public agencies and the public by providing an accepted process to identify and the methods to evaluate historic properties related to these highways. Public agencies can use the MPDFs to streamline Section 106 reviews for projects affecting either of the highways.
