Historic Preservation District
Naperville
DuPage County
The City of Naperville’s Historic Preservation District protects approximately 320 historically and architecturally significant properties through a Certificate of Appropriateness process overseen by a Historic Preservation Commission, balancing preservation goals with homeowner flexibility and community engagement.
Background
In 1986, the Naperville City Council created the Naperville Local Historic District. Today, approximately 320 properties fall within the Historic District—home to many of Naperville’s historically and architecturally significant buildings—including more than 300 homes and the campus of North Central College. The creation of the Historic District was controversial; with support from only 16% of the property owners within the proposed district boundaries. City staff and elected officials, however, saw the creation of the historic district as an opportunity to begin thinking strategically about the challenges of preserving local architecture within an aging housing stock, and how to work with residents who are interested in modernizing their homes.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when significant renovation work began being undertaken on Naperville’s older housing stock and demolition activity began increasing significantly outside of the Historic District, Naperville’s approach to historic preservation started to be met with resistance from residents who were also interested in making improvements to their homes, such as putting on additions and making energy-efficiency modifications. Though residents did not want a full-scale removal of the historic designation, they wanted more flexibility regarding the building materials they could use to change the appearance and functionality of their homes.
In 2008, Naperville decided to form a steering committee made up of staff, homeowners in the Historic District, representatives of Naper Settlement, and a local historic preservation community organization to begin developing a new roadmap for historic preservation that would meet the needs of all stakeholders. After a seven-month process of community outreach and discussion, the City’s former Historic Sites Commission was revamped into a new Historic Preservation Commission in 2009 with new goals to guide future preservation decisions for the City; and an educational resource manual was created in 2010, which the Commission uses to encourage residents to maintain and renovate their homes in a manner consistent with the architectural style and character of existing historic neighborhoods. In 2011, a new ordinance was adopted, which emphasized the preservation of a building’s character and style and loosened restrictions on materials that homeowners can use to make upgrades, provided they follow style and design guidelines.
While the last property-by-property historical survey was last completed in 2008, the City has hired a consultant to update that survey in 2026.
How It Works
Since the establishment of the Historic Preservation Commission in 2009, the City has streamlined the process of making changes to a designated landmark or a property in the Historic District, reducing residents’ costs of rehabilitation. The Commission is comprised of nine members, of which at least four members shall be owners or residents of any designated landmark or any property located within the Historic Preservation District, all of whom serve three-year terms. Any party interested in making modifications or improvements to a designated landmark or a property in the Historic District must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) before beginning work. In most cases, a COA will be issued, allowing for the proposed modification.
Three COA categories dictate how an application is reviewed:
- Exempt: Certain minor improvements are exempt from any COA requirements or approval processes. These alterations to the property do not need to go through an administrative review or Historic Preservation Commission review.
- Administrative Review: Property improvements that require an administrative review may meet the requirements that would allow for it to receive expedited staff review and approval through the City’s Fast Track Approval Process. In this process, an abbreviated version of the Commission’s COA application is submitted to City staff for approval.
- Historic Preservation Commission Review: Property improvements or modifications that do not meet Fast Track Approval Process guidelines are subject to submittal of a COA application which is reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission at a public meeting.
The Historic Preservation Commission meets bi-monthly to review COA applications. The Commission follows the guidelines set forth in the Historic Preservation Ordinance adopted by the City in 2011 and uses the Historic Building Design and Resource Manual to make informed decisions on proposed improvements to ensure that the integrity and appearance of the historic homes are upheld.
Goal
To preserve the historical, cultural, and architectural heritage of Naperville.
Target
Buildings, structures, and sites that fall within the boundaries of Naperville’s Historic District.
Finance
The City of Naperville and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Success
Naperville’s historic preservation work has helped the City to foster better relationships with residents, which has encouraged residents to make smarter, more sensitive investments in their homes.
Since its creation in 1986, there have only been approximately five complete demolitions within the Historic Preservation District.
Lessons Learned
Carving out time and creating opportunities to engage stakeholders was an important step to gain public support for solutions that advance the City’s historic preservation work.
Contact Information
City of Naperville Historic Preservation Commission, www.naperville.il.us
This case study was last updated in February 2026.
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