Online Help System

USN Search

This Criteria Search tab allows you to search for buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts throughout New York State, which are identified in CRIS by SHPO’s Unique Site Number (USN). The term USN is used by SHPO to refer to these cultural resources.

USN records include searchable information about cultural resources and often have additional documentation, such as digital photographs and scanned inventory forms, which may contain maps, narrative histories, and photographs.

On the Search page, the USN tab provides basic search fields as shown below. You do not need to fill all of them. If you enter search terms in multiple fields, only results that exactly match all of your search terms will be returned. Letters can be in upper or lower case. In text fields, partial search terms are acceptable; for example, searching the partial USN Name king will return USNs with names like King’s Dam and Albany Parking Garage.

Click the Search button in the lower left corner to apply your search terms. The Results tab will display your search results. Click the View (magnifying glass) button to open the USN Details module.

If you wish to search USNs by more fields, click the Advanced button to the right of the Search button to open the Advanced USN Search module. To reset the fields to their default values in this tab only, click the Reset button to the right of the Advanced button.

• USN Type: The main class of the USN. Individual resources are broadly divided into Building, Archaeology, and Archaeology Submerged USNs, while districts are divided into Building District and Archaeology District USNs. You may select one of these choices or leave the default, Any USN Type.
• USN Number: SHPO’s identifying number for USN records. This number is in the format 08943.000271, where 089 is a 3-digit county code (St. Lawrence in this example), 43 is a 2-digit minor civil division code (the Village of Potsdam in this example), and 000271 is a 6-digit sequence number within the minor civil division.
• USN Name / Property Name / Site Name / District Name (varies by USN Type): The name of the USN. Since spelling or naming conventions may differ, you may wish to enter only part of the name to increase the chance of finding a match.
• House Number: The house number in a building USN’s address. This field is matched to the USN’s main address or its alternate address. If a building’s house number has changed over time, its USN record may still use the former number.
• Street Name: The street or road name in a building USN’s address. This field is matched to the USN’s main address or its alternate address. The search results will only include USN records that have the street name you provide. If a street has multiple names or its name has changed over time, USN records for buildings on that street may not include these variations.
• Status: The USN’s current eligibility for the New York State Register and National Register of Historic Places. Select from the following choices:
  • Any Status: The default value. All status types will be returned.
  • Listed: The USN is listed on the State and/or National Register of Historic Places.
  • Eligible: SHPO has determined that the USN is eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places, either individually or as part of a proposed historic district. USNs that are currently eligible may be reevaluated as not eligible based on new information or substantial loss of historic integrity.
  • Not Eligible: SHPO has determined that the USN is not eligible for the State or National Register of Historic Places. USNs that are currently not eligible may later be determined to be eligible based on criteria such as new information, additional research, or the passage of time.
  • Undetermined: SHPO has not evaluated the USN’s eligibility.
  • Not Eligible - Demolished: The USN has been demolished and is thus not eligible for the State or National Register of Historic Places.
• County: The county that contains the USN. Select the county name or leave the default, All Counties. If a USN is located in multiple counties (such as a bridge or a district), a search for any one of its counties will retrieve it.
• Municipality: The minor civil division (MCD) that contains the USN. MCDs may be cities, towns, villages, reservations, or boroughs. You must select a county before you can select an MCD from the list. If a USN is located in multiple MCDs (such as a bridge or a district), a search for any one of its MCDs will retrieve it.