6 dramatic before-and-after renovation photos of decaying buildings

If left without repair, our most treasured buildings can deteriorate over time.

The Federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) is the US government's most significant investment in the historic preservation of all kinds of decaying buildings, from theaters to prisons to hotels.

Since 1976 — when the HTC was permanently written into the national tax code — it has leveraged over $78 billion to restore more than 41,270 buildings across the US. When private investors choose to rehabilitate a historic structure, they receive a 20% income tax credit as an incentive.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a DC-based nonprofit that works with both the private and public sectors to protect and restore these buildings.

The organization shared photos of a few of the largest HTC projects from recent years. Here they are: