The National Register of Historic Places was created in 1966 — only 44 years ago.

Twenty-one places on the National Register are also on Columbia’s Notable Properties list, as of May 2010.

The National Register was designed to help citizens preserve sites important to their own communities. It was created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, declared the preservation of historic properties is in the public interest to maintain and enrich the cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational, economic and energy benefits for future generations.

Today, it is sometimes its difficult to believe that the National Register of Historic Places is such a recent development because today many people take for granted the concept that preserving our past is a worthy endeavor.

Yet, there are still challenges. Some buildings are still endangered by nearby development, a lack of foresight or simple neglect.

But at least now we have a National Historic Preservation Act and the National Register of Historic Places.