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Easements

Fisher House, Seattle - 1929A preservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that protects a significant historic, archaeological, or cultural resource.  An easement provides assurance to the owner of a historic or cultural property that the property's intrinsic values will be preserved through subsequent ownership.  In addition, the owner may obtain substantial tax benefits.  An entire historic structure or just the facade or interior may qualify.

Historic Preservation Easements also are used to protect a historic landscape, battlefield, traditional cultural place, or archaeological site.  Under the terms of an easement, a property owner grants a portion of, or interest in, his/her property rights to an organization whose mission includes historic preservation.   Once recorded, an easement becomes part of the property's chain of title and usually "runs with the land" in perpetuity, thus binding not only the owner who grants the easement but all future owners as well.  In Washington, several organizations will accept preservation easements. For further information contact the following:

Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation 

P.O. Box 48343 Olympia, WA 98504-8343    phone: (360) 586-3065
Geographic Area: Statewide

Easement type(s): Façade and Historic Building 
Easements only granted in perpetuity; no fee requested; currently 43 easements across the state.
Since: 1981

Jefferson Land Trust

P.O. Box 1610 
Port Townsend, WA 98368
  phone:(360) 379-9501
 fax:(360) 379-9501

saveland@olympus.net
www.olympus.net/saveland

Geographic Area: Eastern Jefferson County

Easement type(s): Archeological Site, Historic Building, Historic Garden, Landscape, Scenic View, Agricultural and Open Space; Easements only granted in perpetuity; fee requested
Since: 1986

The San Juan Preservation Trust 

Box 327
 Lopez Island, WA 98261-0327
  phone: (360) 468-3202
fax: (360) 468-3509

sjptrust@rockisland.com
Geographic Area: San Juan Islands; San Juan, Skagit & Whatcom counties.

Easement type(s): Archeological Site, Historic Building, Façade, Historic Garden, Landscape, Scenic View, Natural Areas, Productive Forest and Agricultural Land Easements only granted in perpetuity; fee requested
Since: 1979

Spokane City/County Historic Preservation Office 

808 West Spokane Falls Boulevard 
City Hall 
Spokane, WA 99201
  phone: (509) 625-6983 
fax: (509) 625-6059

mduvall@spokanecity.org
Geographic Area: Spokane County

Easement type(s): Façade Easements only granted in perpetuity; no fee requested
Since: 1981

Historic Seattle

1117 Minor Ave., 
Seattle, WA 98101
  phone: (202) 662-6952 
 jeffm@historicseattle.org
Geographic Area: King County
Easement type(s): Façade Easements only granted in perpetuity

Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

1204 Minor Ave., Seattle, WA 98101
  phone: (202) 624-9449 
Geographic Area: Statewide
Easement type(s): Easements granted in perpetuity

Easement Sample