HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/19/2014 - STAFF REPORTS - 2.C. Ab
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DATE: November 19, 2014 CONSENT AGENDA
SUBJECT: APPROVE THE SUBMITTAL OF NOMINATIONS TO THE NATIONAL
REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES FOR THE WORKS OF ALBERT
FREY, TO INCLUDE THE PALM SPRINGS CITY HALL, FIRE STATION
#1, AND THE TRAMWAY GAS STATION
FROM: Department of Planning Services
SUMMARY
This action is to approve the submittal of nominations for city-owned facilities designed
by Albert Frey to the National Register of Historic Places.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Approve the submittal of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places
for the Palm Springs City Hall, Fire Station #1, and the Tramway Gas Station.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The National Register of Historic Places is the official Federal list of districts, sites,
buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture, archeology,
engineering, and culture. The register is administered by the National Park Service under
the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, and was established in 1966 under the
National Historic Preservation Act. The purpose of the program is to coordinate and
support efforts to identify, evaluate and protect historic and archeological resources.
Currently, no properties within the City of Palm Springs are listed on the National
Register.
In order to qualify for the register, a property must meet the following criteria for
evaluation as listed below:
• The property must be at least 50 years old (with certain exceptions);
• Must still look much the way it did in the past;
• Must have a quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology,
engineering or culture;
ITEM NO. 0 L
City Council Staff Report November 19,2014
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Page 2 of 5
• Must possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling,
and association; and
• Must meet one of the following:
o Associated with historical events;
o Associated with the lives of persons significant in history;
o Embody distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high
artistic values; or
o Yielded information important in history or prehistory.
The applications for the Albert Frey-designed structures are being prepared privately by
Peter Moruzzi, without the assistance of City funding. In addition to the three city-owned
structures, 11 additional structures designed by Frey are being nominated for
consideration as part of a Multiple Property Submittal to the National Register. The
structures will not be included in the nomination listing if the City of Palm Springs objects
to their listing on the National Register.
ANALYSIS
All three of the city-owned buildings proposed for nomination are currently designated as
Class 1 Historic Sites by the City of Palm Springs. General information for each of the
buildings is listed below:
Palm Springs City Hall
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Class 1 Designation Date: 10/02/96
Tramway Gas Station
2901 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Class 1 Designation Date: 01/06/99
Fire Station #1
277 N. Indian Canyon Drive
Class 1 Designation Date: 06/21/00
In addition to the publicly-owned buildings listed above, the following private structures
within the City of Palm Springs are also intended to be included with the nomination,
subject to the approval of the individual owners:
• Frey House II: 686 Palisades Drive
• Sieroty House: 695 E. Vereda Sur
• Carey House: 651 W. Via Escuela
• Loewy House: 600 Panorama Road
• Palm Springs Aerial Tramway—Valley Station: 1 Tram Way
• Kocher-Samson Building: 766 N. Palm Canyon Drive
• Clark and Frey Office Building: 879 N. Palm Canyon Drive
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City Council Staff Report November 19,2014
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Page 3 of 5
• Nichols Building: 891-899 N. Palm Canyon Drive
• First Church of Christ Scientist: 605 S. Riverside Drive
Two additional buildings located outside of the City of Palm Springs (the Cree House II in
Cathedral City and the North Shore Yacht Club in Mecca) will also be included as part of
the Multiple Property Submittal.
Benefits of National Register Listing: There are numerous benefits associated with a
listing on the register. Some of the benefits include the following:
• Eligibility for Federal and State preservation grants for planning and rehabilitation
(subject to funding availability);
• Formal recognition of the architectural significance of the structures based on
national standards;
• Listing in the National Register Archives;
• Technical assistance with rehabilitation issues; and
• Promotion of historical tourism through listing on the National Register website
and database.
Restrictions Associated with a National Register Listing- A listing on the National
Register does not place any restrictions on the use, treatment, transfer, or disposition of
the property. Listed properties do not need to be open to the public or offer public tours.
However, those properties that participate in the Federal preservation tax incentive
program or utilize any Federal funds for construction or reconstruction must follow the
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties for any
improvements or rehabilitation work to the structure. Qualifying improvements must be
reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation (ACHP), in addition to any local process that is required. Excerpts
from the Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties is included as an attachment
to this report to provide examples of the guidelines that would need to be followed in
making any Federally-funded improvements to the city-owned structures if listed.
Please note that placement on the National Register does not supersede any local
requirements or regulations associated with designation as Class 1 Historic Site by the
City of Palm Springs.
Process for Submittal: If City Council approves the submittal of the nominations, the
applications will be finalized and submitted to SHPO for processing. The applications
will then be reviewed by SHPO and the state's National Register Review Board. If
recommended for listing, the state then submits the applications to the National Park
Service for final review and listing by the Keeper of the National Register of Historic
Places. The National Park Service typically makes a listing decision within 45 days upon
receipt of the recommendation.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City directly associated with the submittal of the
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City Council Staff Report November 19,2014
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Page 4 of 5
nominations. If the nominations are awarded, the City would be responsible for the
purchase and installation of bronze plaques identifying the buildings as being listed on
the National Register of Historic Places. Should Federal funds be used in the
rehabilitation of the buildings, there may be additional costs associated with adhering to
national preservation and rehabilitation standards.
Flinn Fagg, AICP David H. Ready
Director of Planning Services City Manager
mes Thompson
City Clerk
Attachments:
1. Letter from Peter Moruzzi (dated 10/21/14)
2. Excerpts from the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of
Historic Properties
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October 21, 2014 CITY MANAGER
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David H. Ready
City Manager CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Palm Springs City Hall
3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Dear David,
As you know, Albert Frey was one of the most important architects ever to have lived
and worked in the Coachella Valley. While partnered over the years with master
architects John Porter Clark and Robson Chambers, Frey's signature style always
emerged. The life of Albert Frey, and the many buildings attributed to him, were
thoroughly documented by historian Joseph Rosa in the 1990s. It is through this
scholarly research that the concept of formally honoring Frey's work at the national level
emerged.
This year, a committee of local residents initiated and is coordinating the listing of the
best examples of the work of Albert Frey in the National Register of Historic Places. The
National Register is the highest honor the federal government can bestow on America's
architectural treasures.
As the founder of the Palm Springs Modern Committee (PS MoclCom) and an
architectural historian by profession I have been hired to write the nomination on behalf
of the local committee who believe that Frey should receive such national recognition
based upon his design achievements in Palm Springs and throughout the Coachella
Valley.
Under the umbrella of the National Register's Multiple Property Submission (MPS)
process, we are requesting the City's support for the following properties to be included
in the National Register MPS. They are:
- Palm Springs City Hall. 3200 Tahquitz Canyon Way
- Fire Station #1. 277 North Indian Canyon Drive
- Tramway Gas Station (now Palm Springs Visitors Center). 2901 North Palm
Canyon Drive
All three of these buildings are listed as City of Palm Springs Class One Historic Sites.
Albert Frey is Palm Springs' highest profile regional modernist and placing his body of
work on the National Register will invariably draw significant statewide and national
attention to our City and all of our important modern resources. Our Frey-designed
buildings deserve a place in the National Register amongst the greatest and most
significant modern buildings in the state and across the nation.
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I would be glad to fully explain the nomination process, which includes photographing
each property and documenting its history. Please contact me with any questions that
you might have.
Sincerely,
Peter Moruzzi
Architectural Historian
2018 Griffith Park Blvd. #114
Los Angeles, CA 90039
213-706-0151
cc: Flinn Fagg
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11/10/2014 The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving,Rehabilitating,Restoring,and Reconst..
-INTRODUCTION-
introduction - � Choosing Treatment
, i,R,l ;.. i Iu „ r.= �! Using the Standards +
Guidelines
The Standards are neither technical nor prescriptive, but are intended to promote -Historical Overview-
responsible preservation practices that help protect our Nation's irreplaceable cultural Exterior Materials
resources. For example, they cannot, in and of themselves, be used to make essential Masonry
decisions about which features of the historic building should be saved and which can be wood
changed. But once a treatment is selected, the Standards provide philosophical consistency Architectural Metals
to the work. Exterior Features
Roofs
The four treatment approaches are Preservation, Rehabilitation, Restoration, and windows
Reconstruction, outlined below in hierarchical order and explained: entrances + Porches
Storefronts
The first treatment, Preservation, places a high premium on the retention of all historic Interior Features
fabric through conservation, maintenance and repair. It reflects a building's continuum over structural system
time, through successive occupancies, and the respectful changes and alterations that spaces/Features/Finishes
are made. Mechanical Svscems
Rehabilitation, the second treatment, emphasizes the retention and repair of historic Site
materials, but more latitude is provided for replacement because it is assumed the setting
property is more deteriorated prior to work. (Both Preservation and Rehabilitation
standards focus attention on the preservation of those materials, features, finishes, Special Requirements
spaces, and spatial relationships that, together, give a property its historic character.) Acc255i bil I i tv Access Fity cy
Restoration, the third treatment, focuses on the retention of materials from the most Health + safety
New Additions
significant time in a property's history, while permitting the removal of materials from other
periods.
Reconstruction, the fourth treatment, establishes limited opportunities to re-create a non-
surviving site, landscape, building, structure, or object in all new materials.
Choosing the most appropriate treatment for a building requires careful decision-
making about a building's historical significance, as well taking into account a
number of other considerations:
Relative importance in history. Is the building a nationally significant resource—a rare
survivor or the work of a master architect or craftsman? Did an important event take place in
it? National Historic Landmarks, designated for their"exceptional significance in American
history," or many buildings individually listed in the National Register often warrant
Preservation or Restoration. Buildings that contribute to the significance of a historic district
but are not individually listed in the National Register more frequently undergo
Rehabilitation for a compatible new use.
Physical condition. What is the existing condition—or degree of material integrity—of the
building prior to work? Has the original form survived largely intact or has it been altered
over time?Are the alterations an important part of the building's history? Preservation may
be appropriate if distinctive materials, features, and spaces are essentially intact and convey
the building's historical significance. If the building requires more extensive repair and
replacement, or if alterations or additions are necessary for a new use, then Rehabilitation is
probably the most appropriate treatment. These key questions play major roles in
determining what treatment is selected.
Proposed use. An essential, practical question to ask is: Will the building be used as it was
historically or will it be given a new use? Many historic buildings can be adapted for new 07
uses without seriously damaging their historic character; special-use properties such as grain
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silos, forts, ice houses, or windmills may be extremely difficult to adapt to new uses without
major intervention and a resulting loss of historic character and even integrity.
Mandated code requirements. Regardless of the treatment, code requirements will need
to be taken into consideration. But if hastily or poorly designed, a series of code-required
actions may jeopardize a building's materials as well as its historic character. Thus, if a
building needs to be seismically upgraded, modifications to the historic appearance should
be minimal. Abatement of lead paint and asbestos within historic buildings requires
particular care if important historic finishes are not to be adversely affected. Finally,
alterations and new construction needed to meet accessibility requirements under the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 should be designed to minimize material loss and
visual change to a historic building.
historical overview -PRESERVING -REHABILITATING - RESTORING -RECONSTRUCTING main -credits -email
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11/10/2014 The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation
_ _ _
-GUIDELINES-
ard S fa r The Approach
re-s a r��`ati o n Exterior Materials
\/ Masonry
Wood
Architectural Metals
Exterior Features
Roofs
f. A property will be used as it was historically, or be given a new use that Windows
maximizes the retention of distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial Entrances + Porches
relationships. Where a treatment and use have not been identified, a property will be Storefronts
protected and, if necessary, stabilized until additional work may be undertaken. Interior Features
Structural System
2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The Spaces/Features/Finishes
replacement of intact or repairable historic materials or alteration of features, Mechanical Systems
spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided. Site
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Setting
Work needed to stabilize, consolidate, and conserve existing historic materials and
features will be physically and visually compatible, identifiable upon close special Requirements
Energy Efficiency
inspection, and properly documented for future research. Accessinihty
Health + Safety
4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right _
will be retained and preserved. [TW STANDARDS
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples
of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.
6. The existing condition of historic features will be evaluated to determine the
appropriate level of intervention needed. Where the severity of deterioration requires
repair or limited replacement of a distinctive feature, the new material will match the
old in composition, design, color, and texture.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the
gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not
be used.
8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such
resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
Guidelines for Preservation-->
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW -preserving - REHABILITATING -RESTORING - RECONSTRUCTING main -credits -email
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11/10/2014 Standards for Preservation and Guidelines for Preserving Historic Buildings:Choosing Preservation as a Treatment
STANDARDSIf
-GUIDELINES-
C F,VA T IC)N; I ,-_ The Approach
tieapproach Exterior Materials
Masonry
Wood
Architectural Metals
When the property's distinctive materials, features, and spaces are essentially intact and Exterior Features
thus convey the historic significance without extensive repair or replacement; when depiction roofs
at a particular period of time is not appropriate; and when a continuing or new use does not Windows
require additions or extensive alterations, Preservation may be considered as a treatment. entrances + Porches
Prior to undertaking work, a documentation plan for Preservation should be developed. Storefronts
Interior Features
Structural System
Choosing Preservation as a Treatment Spaces/Features/Finishes
Mechanical Systems
In Preservation, the options for replacement are less extensive than in the treatment, Site
Rehabilitation. This is because it is assumed at the outset that building materials and
character-defining features are essentially intact, Le, that more historic fabric has survived, Setting
unchanged over time. The expressed goal of the Standards for Preservation and Special Requirements
Guidelines for Preserving Historic Buildings is retention of the building's existing form, energy efficiency
features and detailing. This may be as simple as basic maintenance of existing materials Accessibility
and features or may involve preparing a historic structure report, undertaking laboratory Health + safety
testing such as paint and mortar analysis, and hiring conservators to perform sensitive work
such as reconstituting interior finishes. Protection, maintenance, and repair are emphasized THE STANDARDS
while replacement is minimized.
- --------------- -- MOM-
Identify, Retain, and Preserve Historic Materials and
Features
The guidance for the treatment Preservation begins with recommendations to identify the
form and detailing of those architectural materials and features that are important in
defining the building's historic character and which must be retained in order to preserve that
character. Therefore, guidance on identifying, retaining, and preserving character-
defining features is always given first. The character of a historic building may be defined by
the form and detailing of exterior materials, such as masonry, wood, and metal; exterior
features, such as roofs, porches, and windows; interior materials, such as plaster and paint;
and interior features, such as moldings and stairways, room configuration and spatial
relationships, as well as structural and mechanical systems; and the building's site and
setting.
Stabilize Deteriorated Historic Materials and Features
as a Preliminary Measure
Deteriorated portions of a historic building may need to be protected thorough preliminary
stabilization measures until additional work can be undertaken. Stabilizing may include
structural reinforcement, weatherization, or correcting unsafe conditions. Temporary
stabilization should always be carried out in such a manner that it detracts as little as 1 0
possible from the historic building's appearance. Although it may not be necessary in every
preservation project, stabilization is nonetheless an integral part of the treatment
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11/10/2014 Standards for Preservation and Guidelines for Preservirg Historic Buldirgs:Choosirg Preservation as a Treatment
Preservation; it is equally applicable, if circumstances warrant, for the other treatments.
MEN-
Protect Protect and Maintain Historic Materials and Features
Preservation of the exterior of the Hale House,Los Angeles, California, involved repainting the
exterior walls and decorative features in historically appropriate colors.In excellent example of
the Preservation treatment focused upon the ongoing maintenance of historic materials and
features. Photo:Before,NPSftles;After:Bruce Boehner.
After identifying those materials and features that are important and must be retained in the
process of Preservation work, then protecting and maintaining them are addressed.
Protection generally involves the least degree of intervention and is preparatory to other
work. For example, protection includes the maintenance of historic materials through
treatments such as rust removal, caulking, limited paint removal, and re-application of
protective coatings; the cyclical cleaning of roof gutter systems; or installation of fencing,
alarm systems and other temporary protective measures. Although a historic building will
usually require more extensive work, an overall evaluation of its physical condition should
always begin at this level.
Repair (Stabilize, Consolidate, and Conserve) Historic
Materials and Features
Next, when the physical condition of character-defining materials and features requires
additional work, repairing by stabilizing, consolidating, and conserving is
recommended. Preservation strives to retain existing materials and features while
employing as little new material as possible. Consequently, guidance for repairing a historic
material, such as masonry, again begins with the least degree of intervention possible such
as strengthening fragile materials through consolidation, when appropriate, and repointing
with mortar of an appropriate strength. Repairing masonry as well as wood and architectural
metal features may also include patching, splicing, or otherwise reinforcing them using
recognized preservation methods. Similarly, within the treatment Preservation, portions of
a historic structural system could be reinforced using contemporary materials such as steel
rods. All work should be physically and visually compatible, identifiable upon dose
inspection and documented for future research.
Limited Replacement In Kind of Extensively 11
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Deteriorated Portions of Historic Features
If repair by stabilization, consolidation, and conservation proves inadequate, the next level
of intervention involves the limited replacement in kind of extensively deteriorated or
missing parts of features when there are surviving prototypes (for example, brackets, dentils,
steps, plaster, or portions of slate or tile roofing). The replacement material needs to match
the old both physically and visually, i.e., wood with wood, etc. Thus, with the exception of
hidden structural reinforcement and new mechanical system components, substitute
materials are not appropriate in the treatment Preservation. Again, it is important that all
new material be identified and properly documented for future research. If prominent
features are missing, such as an interior staircase, exterior cornice, or a roof dormer, then a
Rehabilitation or Restoration treatment may be more appropriate.
Energy Efficiency/Accessibility Considerations/Health
and Safety Code Considerations
These sections of the Preservation guidance address work done to meet accessibility
requirements and health and safety code requirements; or limited retrofitting measures to
improve energy efficiency. Although this work is quite often an important aspect of
preservation projects, it is usually not part of the overall process of protecting, stabilizing,
conserving, or repairing character-defining features; rather, such work is assessed for its
potential negative impact on the building's historic character. For this reason, particular care
must be taken not to obscure, damage, or destroy character-defining materials or features in
the process of undertaking work to meet code and energy requirements.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW -preserving -REHABILITATING - RESTORING -RECONSTRUCTING main - cred-ts - email
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11/10/2014 The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
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pAT{ONA4 R�,pE EENMICF �'
-GUIDELINES-
The Approach
Exterior Materials
Masonry
Wood
- Architectural Metals
Exterior Features
Roofs
1. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires windows
minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial Entrances + Porches
Storefronts
relationships.
Interior Features
2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of Structural System
distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that Spaces;Fea Lures/Finishes
characterize a property will be avoided. Mechanical systems
Site
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use.
Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding Settinq
conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be
undertaken. Special Requirements
Energy Efficiency
New Additions
4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right Accessibility
will be retained and preserved. Heath I- safety
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples THE STANDARDS
of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the
severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature
will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials.
Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical
evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the
gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not
be used.
8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such
resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy
historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property.
The new work shall be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the
historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the
integrity of the property and its environment.
10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in a
such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the
historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
Guidelines for Rehabilitation-->
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW - PRESERVING - rehabilitating - RESTORING -RECONSTRUCTING main -credits -email
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11/10/2014 Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Bui Idings:Choosing Rehabilitation as an Approach
AskIONALT PARR SERVICE
OEM
-GUIDELINES-
The Approach
Exterior Materials
Masonry
r n" Wood
Architectural Metals
When repair and replacement of deteriorated features are necessary; when alterations or
additions to the property are planned for a new or continued use; and when its depiction at Roofs for Features
a particular period of time is not appropriate, Rehabilitation may be considered as a Windows
treatment. Prior to undertaking work, a documentation plan for Rehabilitation should be Entrances - Porches
developed. Storefronts
Interior Features
Structural Svstem
Spaces/Features/Finishes
Choosing Rehabilitation as a Treatment Mechanical Systems
Site
In Rehabilitation, historic building materials and character-defining features are protected and setting
maintained as they are in the treatment Preservation; however, an assumption is made prior to work Special Requirements
that existing historic fabric has become damaged or deteriorated over time and, as a result, more Enemy Efficiency
repair and replacement will be required. Thus, latitude is given in the Standards for Rehabilitation New Adcitions
and Guidelines for Rehabilitation to replace extensively deteriorated, damaged, or missing Accessibility
features using either traditional or substitute materials. Of the four treatments, only Rehabilitation Health - Safety
includes an opportunity to make possible an efficient contemporary use through alterations and
additions. THE STANDARDS
Identify, Retain, and Preserve Historic Materials and
Features
Like Preservation, guidance for the treatment Rehabilitation begins with recommendations to
identify the form and detailing of those architectural materials and features that are important in
defining the building's historic character and which must be retained in order to preserve that
character. Therefore, guidance on identifying, retaining, and preserving character-defining
features is always given first. The character of a historic building may be defined by the form and
detailing of exterior materials, such as masonry, wood, and metal; exterior features, such as roofs,
porches, and windows; interior materials, such as plaster and paint; and interior features, such as
moldings and stairways, room configuration and spatial relationships, as well as structural and
mechanical systems.
Protect and Maintain Historic Materials and Features
After identifying those materials and features that are important and must be retained in the process
of Rehabilitation work, then protecting and maintaining them are addressed. Protection generally
involves the least degree of intervention and is preparatory to other work. For example, protection
includes the maintenance of historic material through treatments such as rust removal, caulking,
limited paint removal, and re-application of protective coatings; the cyclical cleaning of roof gutter
systems; or installation of fencing, alarm systems and other temporary protective measures. Although
a historic building will usually require more extensive work, an overall evaluation of its physical
condition should always begin at this level.
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11/10/2014 Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings:Choosing Rehabilitation as an Approach
Repair Historic Materials and Features
Next, when the physical condition of character-defining materials and features warrants additional
work repairing is recommended. Rehabilitation guidance for the repair of historic materials such as
masonry, wood, and architectural metals again begins with the least degree of intervention possible
such as patching, piecing-in, splicing, consolidating, or otherwise reinforcing or upgrading them
according to recognized preservation methods. Repairing also includes the limited replacement in
kind-or with compatible substitute material—of extensively deteriorated or missing parts of features
when there are surviving prototypes (for example, brackets, dentils, steps, plaster, or portions of slate
or tile roofing). Although using the same kind of material is always the preferred option, substitute
material is acceptable if the form and design as well as the substitute material itself convey the visual
appearance of the remaining parts of the feature and finish.
!i
This two-story brick commercial building--with its corner storefront--was originally constructed ca. 1876, then
remodeled in 1916 in the Craftsman style and given anew,distinctive roofline.It served a number ofuses,including
a hotel, boarding house,saloon,restaurant,liquor store,warehouse,and ofce.furniture showroom. The red brick
walls had been painted several times over the years.Rehabilitation work included removal ofmuhiplepaint layers
using a chemical stripper and thorough water rinse;spot repainting with matching mortar, and appropriate interior
alterations. The building is now being used as a retail shop.Photos:NPSfles.
Replace Deteriorated Historic Materials and Features
Following repair in the hierarchy, Rehabilitation guidance is provided for replacing an entire
character-defining feature with new material because the level of deterioration or damage of
materials precludes repair(for example, an exterior cornice; an interior staircase; or a complete porch
or storefront). If the essential form and detailing are still evident so that the physical evidence can be
used to re-establish the feature as an integral part of the rehabilitation, then its replacement is
appropriate. Like the guidance for repair, the preferred option is always replacement of the entire
feature in kind, that is, with the same material. Because this approach may not always be technically
or economically feasible, provisions are made to consider the use of a compatible substitute material.
It should be noted that, while the National Park Service guidelines recommend the replacement of an
entire character-defining feature that is extensively deteriorated, they never recommend removal and
replacement with new material of a feature that—although damaged or deteriorated—could reasonably
be repaired and thus preserved.
Design for the Replacement of Missing Historic Features
When an entire interior or exterior feature is missing (for example, an entrance, or cast iron facade;
or a principal staircase), it no longer plays a role in physically defining the historic character of the
building unless it can be accurately recovered in form and detailing through the process of carefully
documenting the historical appearance. Although accepting the loss is one possibility, where an 15
important architectural feature is missing, its replacement is always recommended in the
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11/10/2014 Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehatdlitating Historic Buildi rigs:Choosing Rehabilitation as an Approach
Rehabilitation guidelines as the first or preferred, course of action. Thus, if adequate historical,
pictorial, and physical documentation exists so that the feature may be accurately reproduced, and if
it is desirable to re-establish the feature as part of the building's historical appearance, then designing
and constructing a new feature based on such information is appropriate. However, a second
acceptable option for the replacement feature is a new design that is compatible with the remaining
character-defining features of the historic building. The new design should always take into account
the size, scale, and material of the historic building itself and, most importantly, should be dearly
differentiated so that a false historical appearance is not created.
Alterations/Additions for the New Use
Some exterior and interior alterations to a historic building are generally needed to assure its
continued use, but it is most important that such alterations do not radically change, obscure, or
destroy character-defining spaces, materials, features, or finishes. Alterations may include providing
additional parking space on an existing historic building site; cutting new entrances or windows on
secondary elevations; inserting an additional floor; installing an entirely new mechanical system; or
creating an atrium or light well. Alteration may also include the selective removal of buildings or other
features of the environment or building site that are intrusive and therefore detract from the overall
historic character. The construction of an exterior addition to a historic building may seem to be
essential for the new use, but it is emphasized in the Rehabilitation guidelines that such new
additions should be avoided, if possible, and considered only after it is determined that those needs
cannot be met by altering secondary, i.e., non character-defining interior spaces. If, after a thorough
evaluation of interior solutions, an exterior addition is still judged to be the only viable alterative, it
should be designed and constructed to be clearly differentiated from the historic building and so that
the character-defining features are not radically changed, obscured, damaged, or destroyed.
Additions and alterations to historic buildings are referenced within specific sections of the
Rehabilitation guidelines such as Site, Roofs, Structural Systems, etc., but are addressed in detail in
New Additions to Historic Buildings (see nav bar, right).
Energy Efficiency/Accessibility Considerations/Health and
Safety Code Considerations
These sections of the guidance address work done to meet accessibility requirements and health and
safety code requirements; or retrofitting measures to improve energy efficiency. Although this work is
quite often an important aspect of Rehabilitation projects, it is usually not a part of the overall
process of protecting or repairing character-defining features; rather, such work is assessed for its
potential negative impact on the building's historic character. For this reason, particular care must be
taken not to radically change, obscure, damage, or destroy character-defining materials or features in
the process of meeting code and energy requirements.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW -PRESERVING -rehabilitating -RESTORING -RECONSTRUCTING main -Credits -email
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