Lightning Protection for Historic Structures

Preservation Brief 50
The loss of historic buildings as a result of lightning strikes makes local front page news every year. Lightning strikes make no distinction between historic properties and other types of structures. Historic barns, churches, museums, homes, stores, factories,

lighthouses, schools, and other buildings, as well as structures such as tall monuments, may be at unnecessary risk of damage or loss as a result of a strike by lightning.

The insurance industry reports that 5% of all claims are lightning-related in the U.S., with annual building damage estimated as high as $1 billion according to Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. Certain types of structures are especially susceptible to damage, particularly churches where lightning accounts for nearly one-third of all church-building fires each year.

This Preservation Brief, part of the Renovation & Historic Preservation resources collection produced by the US Department of Interior, National Park Service, (Technical Preservation Services) is designed for owners, property managers, architects, contractors, and others involved in the preservation of historic structures. It includes information on the care, maintenance, and repair of historic and older lightning protection systems; discusses factors to consider in assessing the need for a lightning protection system where none exists; and includes historic preservation guidance on the design and installation of new systems.

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