Many of Washington’s most treasured historic resources are found along the shores of our coastal communities. From Main Streets to wharves to private homes, these waterfront buildings are icons of Washington’s maritime landscape. Many of these properties, however, are at risk from coastal flooding, and some are already feeling the impacts.
To help property owners—from private homeowners to city and port governments—address the need to adapt their historic resources to coastal flooding, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is proud to debut “Adaptation of Historic Properties to Flooding: A Washington State Resource Guide.” Made possible through the support of the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation and the National Park Service, this resource guide combines historic property treatments recommended by the National Park Service with Washington-specific resources on flooding risk assessment and permitting regulations. Our hope is that the resource guide can serve as a roadmap and jumping-off point for historic property owners and stewards who may not have sufficient funding to hire an architect or engineer but seek the information and strategies needed to adapt their properties to impacts from flooding. (Please note: while this resource guide primarily focuses on coastal flooding impacts, resources within it may be useful for people experiencing non-coastal influenced riparian flooding.)
The “Adaptation of Historic Properties to Flooding” guide was developed as a complement to the Washington Trust’s summer/fall 2025 “Historic Preservation & Coastal Flooding” webinar series, made possible through the generous support of Harrison Goodall. All four webinar recordings are available online here. The webinar series was a joint effort of two of the Washington Trust’s programs: the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and the Coastal Preservation & Adaptation for Rural Communities (CPARC) Program.
The Coastal Preservation & Adaptation for Rural Communities (CPARC) Program, funded by the National Park Service’s Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program, is a new grant program that supports historic buildings and districts in rural communities looking to conduct renovations to combat rural flooding along the coast and inland. The first cycle of the grant in early 2026 focused on addressing the impacts of coastal flooding. The second cycle, launched in September 2026, expands eligibility to include riparian and riverine flooding impacts to rural communities statewide. The application deadline for this second cycle of CPARC funding is Sunday, December 13, 2026. Learn more about this funding opportunity here.