The database includes 286 historic buildings that may be eligible for local and national historic registers, along with the tax incentives that come with it.
Project Manager Katie Franks says a building can be considered "historic" if it is over 50 years old, and is associated with significant people or events of the past.
She says a building can also be recognized for its historic architecture, like the Mount Baker Theatre.
Fairhaven was designated a national historic district in the 1970s, and Franks says business owners there have successfully used the historic image to boost business.
Downtown property owners are encouraged to contact the city if they want to nominate their building for the city's register of historic places.
The database can be seen on the city's web site, www.cob.org
