Kentucky Heritage Council

What Kentucky Heritage Council does

The Kentucky Heritage Council is a state government agency of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, established in 1966 and operating as the designated State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) under the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. The agency is responsible for the identification, protection, and preservation of prehistoric resources, historic buildings, sites, and cultural resources throughout Kentucky, and is headquartered at the Barstow House, a historic property at 410 High Street in Frankfort, KY, with 11-50 employees. KHC administers a portfolio of preservation services including Section 106 compliance review for federally-assisted projects, National Register of Historic Places nominations, state and federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs offering 20-40% credits, the Kentucky Main Street Program for downtown revitalization, the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program, and the Kentucky Archaeology Program with its annual archaeology conference (running since 1983), 12-volume Current Archaeological Research in Kentucky (CARK) journal series, and Project Archaeology teacher training (over 175 participants since 2000). Six affiliated commissions operate under the agency, including the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission (established 1995, second state-supported commission of its kind nationally at the time), Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission (1996), Kentucky Military Heritage Commission, Perryville Battlefield Commission, Historic Preservation Review Board, and Martin Luther King Jr. State Commission.

KHC's product surface is a portfolio of regulatory advisory, grant administration, compliance review, and educational services rather than any commercial technology offering. Delivery channels include the Frankfort office, the heritage.ky.gov website, a Section 106 Consulting Party Portal developed in partnership with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and an electronic Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit application portal. The agency reaches constituents via social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube under KYSHPO branding), email newsletters, the annual Historic Preservation Conference, archaeology conferences, Project Archaeology workshops, and participation in heritage festivals such as Renfro Valley and the Kentucky State Fair.

As a public government entity, KHC generates no commercial revenue; it is funded through annual state budget appropriations and federal grants from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund. Most services are provided at no direct cost to the public, with limited review fees associated with certain tax credit applications as mandated by regulation. The agency's "customer" base spans Kentucky property owners, local governments, federal agencies (Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Highway Administration), professional archaeologists and consultants seeking SOI qualification, educators, and the general public, all served under a horizontal segmentation approach across a single statewide geography.

Name

Kentucky Heritage Council

Legal name

Kentucky Heritage Council (State Historic Preservation Office)

Website

https://heritage.ky.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Kentucky Heritage Council is Kentucky's State Historic Preservation Office, a state agency under the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet providing Section 106 review, National Register listing, historic rehabilitation tax credit administration, archaeology research, and preservation grant programs statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (71212), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC), Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Historic preservation services
• State historic preservation office
• Cultural resource management
• Rehabilitation tax credits
• Archaeological research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: As an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Heritage Council is funded through state government appropriations. Services are provided at no direct cost to the public.
2. Federal Grant Pass-Through Programs: The agency administers federal preservation funds including Historic Preservation Fund grants, National Park Service programs, and coordinates with federal agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Highway Administration on Section 106 reviews.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Kentucky Heritage Council is Kentucky's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. It provides historic preservation services including Section 106 federal compliance reviews, administration of state and federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs (20-40% of project expenses), National Register of Historic Places nominations, the Kentucky Main Street Program for downtown revitalization, Certified Local Government (CLG) grants, archaeological research and education, and administration of heritage commissions for African American, Native American, and military heritage.

Product overview

Kentucky Heritage Council is Kentucky's State Historic Preservation Office, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. It operates as a coordinated portfolio of preservation services rather than a single unified technology product. The core offerings include: Historic Preservation Office Services (identification, protection, and preservation of historic resources), Section 106 Review compliance services, Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits (State and Federal programs offering 20-40% credits), Kentucky Main Street Program, National Register of Historic Places administration, KY Historic Resources Survey, Certified Local Government Program, Kentucky Archaeology Program (including CARK journals, the two-volume Archaeology State Plan, educational booklets, and video series), Heritage Farms Program, Cemetery Assistance, Historic Preservation Awards, Grant Programs, and heritage commissions for African American and Native American communities. The Kentucky Project Archaeology education initiative provides teacher training workshops. This is a government agency providing regulatory, educational, and grant services—not a technology product in the conventional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Historic Preservation Office Services
• Section 106 Review
• Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
• Kentucky Main Street Program
• National Register of Historic Places
• KY Historic Resources Survey
• Certified Local Government (CLG) Program
• Current Archaeological Research in Kentucky (CARK) Journals
• Kentucky Project Archaeology
• Heritage Farms Program
• Cemetery Assistance Program
• African American Heritage Programs
• Native American Heritage Programs
• Archaeology State Plan
• Kentucky Archaeology Video Series
• Grant Programs
• Historic Preservation Awards
• Educational Booklets Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 19,000 archaeological sites recorded in Kentucky
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create an online portal allowing users to browse federally funded KYTC projects with Section 106 components and request consulting party status. The collaboration makes the Section 106 review process more transparent and accessible.
• National Park Service (NPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program review for Kentucky projects. NPS reviews Federal Tax Credit applications after KHC review.
• Kentucky Archaeological SurveycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint coordination on archaeology education, Section 106 archaeological reviews, and Project Archaeology program delivery.
• Wickliffe Mounds Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Project Archaeology Intrigue of the Past workshops and archaeology education programs.
• Western Kentucky Educational CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Project Archaeology workshops for educators.
• University of Kentucky, College of AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Project Archaeology workshops.
• Kentucky Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Project Archaeology workshop hosting and education initiatives.
• U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Daniel Boone National ForestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for archaeology education and research in national forest areas.
• Riverside, The Farnsley-Morenman LandingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for annual Project Archaeology workshops; co-sponsor of education programs.
• Kentucky Transportation CabinetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Louisville Bridges Project archaeological documentation and Davis Bottom History Preservation Project.
• Federal Highway AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner for historic preservation compliance on transportation projects.
• Kentucky Organization of Professional ArchaeologistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for archaeology education and professional development.
• William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, University of KentuckyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Project Archaeology workshops and archaeology education.
• Kentucky Organization of Professional Archaeologists (KyOPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishing partner for the 30 Days of Kentucky Archaeology blog and archaeology education materials.
• Voyageur Media Group, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for Kentucky Archaeology Video Series documentaries.
• Kentucky Educational Television (KET)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner for Historic Archaeology documentary and education content distribution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kentucky Department of Tourism: A sibling agency under the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet that markets Kentucky's heritage destinations, overlapping with KHC's heritage tourism and Main Street programming.
• Kentucky Historical Society: A fellow Kentucky state agency and KHC partner that operates the state history museum, archives, and educational programming — overlapping with KHC's public education and outreach mission within the same Commonwealth.

Direct peers

• Virginia Department of Historic Resources: Virginia's SHPO executes the same federal preservation compliance and grant programs as KHC and is one of the most active state preservation offices in the Southeast/Mid-Atlantic.
• Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology: Indiana's combined historic preservation and archaeology division mirrors KHC's integrated mandate, administering National Register listings, Section 106 review, archaeology programs, and tax credit certifications within a neighboring Midwestern state.
• Ohio History Connection: Ohio's designated SHPO and statewide history organization, providing Section 106 review, National Register administration, and preservation grants — directly comparable in scope to Kentucky Heritage Council.
• Tennessee Historical Commission: Tennessee's State Historic Preservation Office performs the same SHPO functions — Section 106 review, National Register administration, and federal tax credit certification — for its state, making it the closest structural peer to Kentucky Heritage Council.
• Kentucky Archaeological Survey: A core KHC partner organization that conducts archaeological research, Section 106 archaeological reviews, and Project Archaeology delivery across Kentucky — closely aligned in technical mission and frequently co-publishing with KHC.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: A national nonprofit preservation advocacy and grant-making organization that complements KHC's work through private fundraising, technical assistance, and designation programs such as National Treasures and 11 Most Endangered.
• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation: The independent federal agency that oversees the Section 106 process KHC implements, sets national preservation policy, and coordinates interagency historic preservation consultation.
• National Park Service: The federal partner that funds KHC through the Historic Preservation Fund, conducts the second-stage federal tax credit review, and sets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards that govern KHC's rehabilitation tax credit decisions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KYSHPO
• Facebookfacebook.com/KYSHPO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-heritage-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/kyshpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky Heritage Council