Using SHPO's Files

October 6, 2025: The State Historic Preservation Office is issuing new guidance on using our files since the launch of the Minnesota Statewide Historic Inventory Portal (MnSHIP) in Fall 2023 and the re-launch of the Office of the State Archaeologist Portal in Summer 2025.

Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office Guidance for Literature Review / Background Research

SHPO has developed a guide for conducting a literature review or background research using our files and it is available on our Survey Manuals and Guidelines webpage.

We have also developed a guide for conducting general research: Historic Property Research for Everyone.

Research Appointments

The Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (50 Sherburne Ave, Ste. 203, St. Paul, MN 55155) is open for researchers. Current office hours are 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, by appointment only.

To schedule an appointment please request a preferred and second choice date and time by emailing DataRequestSHPO@state.mn.us. You will then receive a return email verifying your appointment. When you arrive at 50 Sherburne Avenue in Saint Paul at the assigned time, enter the building lobby and tell Capitol Security you are visiting SHPO and show a photo ID. The guard will then give you a temporary badge to access our office on the second floor, Suite 203.

Where to Find Things in the Inventory

Architecture-History Inventoried Properties

Inventory forms, National Register nominations, and eligibility information for architecture-history properties, including buildings, structures, and historic districts, are available in the Minnesota Statewide Historic Inventory Portal (MnSHIP) application. Architecture-history reports are discussed under Reports, below.

Archaeological Sites

Minnesota’s Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) Portal hosts the archaeology inventory and now includes SHPO’s archaeological site data. Please review the Guidance for Literature Review and Background Research to learn how to obtain the information that was previously shared in the “Archaeology” spreadsheet via the DataRequestSHPO@state.mn.us email.

Email DataRequestSHPO@state.mn.us with any questions or to request information that does not appear in the OSA Portal. Archaeological and interdisciplinary National Register of Historic Places nomination forms and most survey reports are not in the OSA Portal or MnSHIP.

National Register Nomination Forms

SHPO’s National Register nomination forms and files for buildings, structures, and historic districts are in MnSHIP, and the National Register forms and files for individually listed archaeological sites are in the OSA portal.

To obtain a copy of the official National Park Service National Register nomination form for a listed property, please visit the National Register Digital Archive. If you know the property’s National Register Information System (NRIS) number, you can also search for the National Register nomination form at the National Archives.

National Register forms and files for archaeological districts can be requested by emailing DataRequestSHPO@state.mn.us. To request these files, please look up the inventory number for the archaeological district first in either MnSHIP using a credentialed user account, or the OSA Portal using the MnSHIP Restricted Districts layer and include the following in your request:

• Archaeological district name,
• Archaeological district inventory number,
• Proof of qualifications as an archaeologist (either your most recent Minnesota State Archaeology license, or your resume/CV or the resume/CV of the supervising archaeologist, and please copy them on your email).

Architecture-History Survey Reports

SHPO’s architecture-history reports have been digitized. A list of these reports is maintained on the SHPO's Architecture and History Reports page. This list is updated a few times a year. To request a copy of an architecture-history report, please email the report title and report number to DataRequestSHPO@state.mn.us. A copy will be provided via email or the ShareFile file transfer website, depending on file size.

Archaeology Survey Reports

A subset of archaeology reports will be available in the OSA Portal for the following counties: Anoka, Blue Earth, Benton, Big Stone, Brown, Clearwater, Chisago, Carlton, Cottonwood, Chippewa, Clay, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Fillmore, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Kanabec, and some multiple-county reports. All new archaeology reports will be submitted and accessible through the OSA Portal. To request a list of archaeology reports, please email DataRequestSHPO@state.mn.us with the name of the county you are interested in.

To request a copy of an archaeology report, or schedule an appointment to view a report at the SHPO, please and include the following in your request:

• Report title,
• Report number,
• Proof of qualifications as an archaeologist (either your most recent Minnesota State Archaeology license, or your resume/CV or the resume/CV of the supervising archaeologist, and please copy them on your email).

If a report requested is already digitized, a copy will be provided via email or the ShareFile file transfer website, depending on file size. If the report is only available in hardcopy, an appointment can be made to view the report at the SHPO. Please see above for scheduling a research appointment.

Interdisciplinary Survey Reports

Interdisciplinary reports contain information on architecture-history properties and archaeological sites. Because information on archaeological sites is protected, nonpublic data under state and federal law, SHPO discourages the preparation of interdisciplinary reports while acknowledging that in some circumstances it may be necessary. To request a copy of an interdisciplinary report, please email DataRequestSHPO@state.mn.us the following information:

• Report title,
• Report number,
• Proof of qualifications as an archaeologist (either your most recent Minnesota State Archaeology license, or your resume/CV or the resume/CV of the supervising archaeologist, and please copy them on your email).

If you need access to the report but do not have archaeological qualifications, a redacted version of the report may be provided to you. Additional time may be needed to fulfill the request.

Multiple Property Documentation Forms (MPDFs)

In addition to the above-mentioned reports, SHPO maintains a list of Multiple Property Documentation Forms (MPDFs). An MPDF is a cover document that serves as the basis for evaluating the National Register-eligibility of related properties. It provides historic context and registration requirements, and a framework in which to evaluate those properties. A list of MPDFs pertaining to Minnesota, with links to download the documents, is available on the SHPO's Minnesota Multiple Property Documentation Forms page.