Historic Preservation

This City of Faribault is proud of its history. The community identified our historic character, iconic institutions, and rich traditions as important community values as part of the Vision 2040.

As a community we will continue to  cultivate our rich history through the preservation of our distinctive buildings, our downtown, our institutions, and our traditions.

Mayor Frank Duncan enjoying locally made foods and drinks

Heritage Preservation Commission
The Heritage Preservation Commission was established by the Faribault City Council pursuant to Ordinance 81-12.  The HPC was established to promote the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through the protection, enhancement, and perpetuation of properties of historic, architectural and cultural significance.  The Faribault HPC was one of the first Certified Local Governments in Minnesota.

One of the primary responsibilities of the HPC is to review exterior changes to buildings and signs within the local Heritage Preservation District and the Downtown Sign District.  The Faribault City Council created the local Heritage Preservation District pursuant to Ordinance 82-5. The Heritage Preservation District is a collection of commercial and residential properties in the downtown area that represent Faribault's past from approximately the time period ranging from the 1880 - 1950s.  Changes to buildings within the district must be in accordance with Downtown Commercial District Guidelines, Chapter 13, Article 3 of the Unified Development Ordinance and the Downtown Sign Ordinance.
 
Historic Properties in Faribault
Faribault has dozens of properties on the National Register of Historic Places and hundreds more that are historically significant because of their architecture, building materials, architect/builder, location, use or associated persons.  The Community Development Department has  Historic Site Files on many of these properties.  To see if we have information on a property you are interested in, check out the Master List of Historic Site Files.

To find out more about historic properties in Faribault, take a look at the Historic Sites Self-Guided Podcast Tour and Brochure.  Lastly, to learn more about Faribault's interesting people, industries and past, visit the HPC's History Website.