The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink Aboutagenda.hpc.19941123AGENDA L. , ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE November 23, 1994 REGULAR MEETING SECOND FLOOR CITY HALL 5:00 I. Committee and Staff Comments II. Public Comments III. NEW BUSINESS GO 5:15 A. 205 W. Main Street- Minordic-~ ll' 14) 6),<0~ 5:25 Et 316 E. Hopkins Avenue, Howling Wolf- Minortxs-L 2 nk _09 006, i 5:40 C, 315 E. Hyman, Benjamin's Deli- Minort,4,-4,Â· 267,1,0â„¢â€¢, /Pey/,1-Ghy-' 6< c â‚¬43 ./P rn Â«fl k 9 3 6 f. 'N 5:50 B, City Hall- approval of roofing material /3<401 ,0.1, - 44 f V I i i IV. NEW BUSINESS :4 5,6. t7 0 1214 1, 4....AA) i n R b, . A. None 4 / '174'P, 3 V. COMMITTEE TRAINING 6:00 A. Video- Americans with Disabilities Act 6:30 B. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation- slides 6:50 VI. Project Monitoring 7:00 VII.Adjourn A NUMBER OF ARTICLES ARE ATTACHED AS PART OF COMMITTEE TRAINING. - (Ar ~l -(4 Ui% 1 r ' /1 *-5 - HPC PROJECT MONITORING HPC Member Name Project/Committee Joe Krabacher 801 E. Hyman AHS Ski Museum Aspen Historic Trust-Vice Chairman 612 W. Main 309 E. Hopkins (Lily Reid) 617 W. Main 312 S. Galena - MD (Planet Hollywood) Highway Entrance Design Committee Donnelley Erdman The Meadows (Chair-Sub Comm) 442 W. Bleeker (Pioneer Park) Collins Block/Alley Wheeler-Stallard House 624 E. Hopkins 304 E. Hopkins 234 W. Francis 204 S. Mill - Collins Block 220 W. Main - European Flower 930 King Street Leslie Holst Holden/Marolt Museum (alt.) In-Town School Sites Committee Aspen Historic Trust-Chairman 824 E. Cooper 210 S. Mill 303 E. .Main Alt 312 S. Galena - MD (Planet Hollywood) City Shop - 1080 Power Plant Road 506 E. Main - elevator 930 King Street Jake Vickery The Meadows (alternate) In-Town School Sites Committee 205 S. Mill Larry Yaw 716 W. Francis 442 W. Bleeker (Pioneer-alt.) 204 S. Galena (Sportstalker) City Hall 627 W. Main (residential-Jim Kempner) 232 E. Hallam ACES City Shop 1080 Power Plant Road St. Mary's Church windows Roger Moyer CCLC Liaison 334 W. Hallam Aspen Historical Society 409 E. Hopkins 303 E. Main 311 W. North Farfalla lights outside 210 Lake Avenue (alternate) Marolt Museum Karen Day Cottage Infill Program 134 E. Bleeker 435 W. Main Swiss Chalet 311 W. North 304 E. Hopkins 121 S. Galena Martha Madsen 620 W. Hallam (alternate) 100 Park Ave. (alternate) 214 W. Bleeker (alternate) 132 W. Main 520 E. Cooper Unit 406 715 W. Smuggler Linda Smisek 134 E. Bleeker 210 Lake Avenue 305 Mill St. Su Casa Tom Williams 130 S. Galena - City Hall 300 W. Main - fence McDonalds 323 W. Main St. Aspen Medical Center 702 W. Main - Stape - Conceptual Development approved Sept 8, 1993 220 W. Main - European FLower Market Final April 20, 1994 A MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen Historic Preservation Committee From: Amy Amidon, Historic Preservation Officer Re: 205 W. Main Street- Minor Date: November 23, 1994 SUMMARY: The applicant has constructed a 120 sq.ft. storage shed on the property without HPC approval. They were told by the Building Department that no permit was needed for a storage shed, however approval is needed from HPC for any construction within the historic districts. This site is listed on the Inventory and is located in the Main Street Historic District. APPLICANT: Edie Chisolm, represented by Gerd Zeller. LOCATION: Lots H and I and the east 15' of Lot G, Block 52, City and Townsite of Aspen. PROJECT SUMMARY AND REVIEW PROCESS: All development in an "H, " Historic Overlay District must meet all four Development Review Standards found in Section 24-7-601 of the Aspen Land Use Code in order for HPC to grant approval. 1. Standard: The proposed development is compatible in character with designated historic structures located on the parcel and with development on adjacent parcels when the subject site is in a "H, " Historic Overlay District or is adjacent to an Historic Landmark... Response: The shed will not be easily visible from the street and has been placed as far back on the lot as possible. 2. Standard: The proposed development reflects and is consistent with the character of the neighborhood of the parcel proposed for development. Response: There will be no impact on the historic character of Main Street. 3. Standard: The proposed development enhances or does not detract from the cultural value of designated historic structures located on the parcel proposed for development or on adjacent parcels. Response: The shed does not detract from the cultural value of the historic resource. 4. Standard: The proposed development enhances or does not diminish from the architectural integrity of a designated historic structure or part thereof. Response: NO demolition is involved, SO the architectural integrity of the historic house is not affected. ALTERNATIVES: The HPC may consider any of the following alternatives: 1) Approve the minor development application as submitted. 2) Approve the minor development application with conditions to be met prior to issuance of a building permit. 3) Table action to allow the applicant further time for restudy. (specific recommendations should be offered) 4) Deny the minor development approval, finding that the application does not meet the Development Review Standards. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that HPC approve the shed as submitted. *'*r,4,Â¢44 .. fil L > 4- 9 7-*i~~~7~~M- ~-0 " 4 A. 71 , >(*12..2*4;*FFE~f~*râ‚¬i~.3~ Â·i>Â¢i{4{4 44:9<1~'kiâ‚¬,- , , '51 2.2 4 le- B W/- 19+Â» 69~ 21~k-//7 I . 4 Ch i<*27 ; 21.t:1:ti:*3 :)f:~.f ff:, Â·4'5 2, '.c ,--1 1: A '*46'L:. .: 2 4 2 -11'-, . .2. ' v TA. 447: . ..V .1 :*49Â£*0044#9Â·W... s.k' 11 1.04-2~ -'; Â· . ~ID'.f .tial/*5 , - *Â· -A 494*Â·Â¢4?214344*-4247;lt:.IN).iffis ' 73-35.-Â·, Â· 2 n/fff<ft~-4, -f. - - RtÂ»Qi 91/f#R UE,:tlâ€¢Â· -35.- T. kt.> t., 6 . A $ .,..6.49413;23-1.9-10 - .4.4"....C -1 . r. *3..... -42/, Â·3- Ei~:Â«..- I B. 2 --t . -. -T..1 . 44&, 1, =/ - . r Â·*iÂ· h. CURB AND GUTTER 0 STREET WITNE99 g,ORNER SET 3/8"STEEL ROD WITH SET 5/8"STEEL ROD 9 75009 11 E- ~LASTIC CAP MARKED PLASTIC CAP MARKE 2.56' 'Â¥ BUETTNE~ 13166 WC", N 750 09' 1 Av 75.00' I ' 'BUETTNER 13166 WI (30') (30') Cx~~BM...J (/5') ~100.03 ,WOOD FENCE /< LWITNE S750( CONCRETE DRIVEWAY W 0 CENCROACHMENT 0 Z 0 EAST 15' L OT G LOT H LOT I . b 100.13 STEP ] PORCH 99.89 WATER-, I I. METER + E--- (15.09') 24.6' . ----- 1 1 PROPOSED-* e WINDOW WELL Â· ' | WEST 15' OF N - I z LOT G . . N 0 li 0 2 STORY d Â· HOUSE WITH O Â· BASEMENT 1.1 15.02' th" 6 1 1 N---7 1 99 78_ 4' -- I I ---1 5. 1 25.6' ===1 2 H 1 916.051 U GAS ~99.52 ELECTRIC METER U----- TELEPHONE TV DECK . 12' D , 5 f 9 I T 00 ~WOOD F 1 4\ M A-,12" J â€¢-<SPRUCE g LWOOD FENCf--~--') 1\4 16" D _10/7 10" 0 ~ . t)SPRUCE 5.' 3 SPRUCE 7/~d 100.34 (15') ,}/ I (30') I .i (30') . .Â® 99.85 S 750 09'll"E 75.00' FOUND PLASTIC CAP 1222/--~rELE PHONE SET 5/8"STEEL RC PROP. CORNER MON PEDESTAL PLASTIC CAP MAR MARKED "LINES IN SPACE "BUETTNER 13166" 14111'; N 69*45'06"E, O.13' OF PROP. CORNER BLOCK 52 ALLEY 21.01' ALLEY, RECORD RIGHT-OF-WAY FOUND PLASTIC CAP PROP. CORNER MON. MARKED "PESMAN 2376" gIO 0 LOT I (,69 -82) (â€¢59â€¢) (,4 0 2 9) 113 M MO 113M '00.001 3â€ž64,05 0*I N 0350dOWd S 140 50'49"W 1 I -312 B I MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen Historic Preservation Committee From: Amy Amidon, Historic Preservation Officer Re: 316 E. Hopkins Avenue, Howling Wolf- Minor Date: November 23, 1994 SUMMARY: HPC granted approval for a small addition with access for the handicapped on November 2, 1994. The applicants had also intended to place a walk-in refrigerator behind the historic building but did not present that to the committee on November 2nd. The refrigerator also requires a Planning Director approval for increase in floor area which is not net leasable space. APPLICANT: Two Schmucks Inc., represented by Paul Levine and Steve Levitt. LOCATION: 316 E. Hopkins, Lot O, Block 80, City and Townsite of Aspen. STAFF EVALUATION: The refrigerator will not directly impact the historic structure since it is freestanding, and it will not be visible from the street. Staff's only concern is with the placement of this unit, because it seems to obstruct access to the new entrance. (The sidewalk diverts around the refrigerator.) In addition, the door of the walk-in and the back door of the house could swing into each other. ALTERNATIVES: The HPC may consider any of the following alternatives: 1) Approve the Minor application as submitted. 2) Approve the Amendment to the Final Development application with conditions to be met prior to issuance of a building permit. 3) Table action to allow the applicant further time for restudy. (specific recommendations should be offered) 4) Deny the Amendment finding that the application does not meet the Development Review Standards. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends HPC approve the request to place a walk-in refridgerator on the site with further discussion about the best location for the unit. -- -51 88 1 4./ 18-i/14 /.fel- +Zwl#' i 04 1 A /0 ft.J 9 v , 1 2 a fey/ rralr~ , + f 1, 4 < 411 1,\ 13-0 j 1 1 ....4 f uL COr-Ch) '4 (-) \1 1 <3 i + - 76-& 1 -- JCIO 1 04 Of'.0, -1 /11 L.- ~ ta 29 le- Nk, it 1\ Uj< '82-1 0 7.Fb '0 4. 0 -1. ..24.._ 9-42 - f il .7-1 U - ---Ill------I-- --~8* Â» 423 1 11 1Gal .1 Zi lcD IZI 1 - 11 1-1 1 - -- 1 1 5 izi i- i, 1-6-M 1 \ 1 1 J 1 Â£ 1 ''E*= wo 1 1 i 1 i 1 1 1 1 44 0-6- 1 1 1 4 1 1 / l I 5(.1 1 14*1 i f CT) 5 - b m n n r' 1 ~ 4 - 1 Ita l 1 A- 4 1 1 wi 1- 60 9 1 Ba I 1 \f Â¢ .1. 1 -----------------3 21 T 1 1 3 -U 2â‚¬,M, .r 4.4 bl '1, C 'll-.- 81\ 4.r< 244 1 j 1 -f 1 9 1 L:,4- 61 lu LL -T L , 0 . \ A , 1 ., 1-19 -4 ..0 n -T' I yk 1 - 1--3-~-K~ 1. ...1, . ....1 '1,1 1 \ \ 1 ~ D-Â·-'j?: Â·UN~"ikgA. 1 ,<, i.i , .. 4.-- -.. El M I N 10 <Aa77Â¥ JVQIONVH ./5.Â·4?Â·1142 -â€¢>e/'â€¢4 -8-2 . 316 East Hopkins Avenue Lot 0, Blk. 80, City of Aspen Pitkin County, Colorado .11. JO. 16* Rebar & Jellow Plastic Cop Lot N Lot 0 Lot P 3,016 sq. ft. 8 0.069 Acs.+/- o W e. 1 Story Wood. Frorne House 0..3 - . '7 Scribed - Brick in Concrete . Wo/k Rebor & Yellow Plastic Cop 4" 4444, P * in Concrete '7 Scribed Ugid end Notic - 3 D,doof- found menum,nt 0, d.,creed - ~ *-00,9 - monumâ€¢of rebor and c* LS 157,a - 1,vI Or/Inecition 8-d on Nund monument, 00 *hown. - Eo,Imenb Ih-n ovi hm 77#, Com~~-nt O- MA FCT-5889 (3 1-ued 8-27-91 by GRAPHIC SCALE ~ PRWn Counly â„¢14 Ina 0 10 20 40 2/19/1, a.rallimodiÂ· LKâ€¢nne#*It Im,0,&8â€¢*FoR*,Wâ€¢ndÂ£-,aknâ€¢W,bmi Stote of Co~o,odo. do h-by c-64, that IN, JrrÂ¥rowm,nt ,un,y wo, mod, under ng oifi,4-n ond h hi end co-ct fo (he b- d my bew ond kno** 1 furthâ€¢r ce,409 thot thi kilwowmonb on #te obow diâ€¢cdbod po./ on 0. dole, loipt u*Ng conneotion, ore ,nIWI ** the boundarl- of , ",0/1 *-'0. im O po,cate-,f , *..,* mof 6- ar. no,ncroachm,nÂ¢,Lpon g *II mI *d p,â€¢n-â€¢â€¢ 4, hwo-nâ€¢neâ€¢ on .v **Bm= H U mm except oâ€¢ Adectâ€¢d, and that Virâ€¢ h.40 oppor,nt ov#dine, 0Â£ p,0,4 -cept ce not#. \( 1AJLF K.indh il Illion LS. 15710 w *Faiv"#41 RAT U'OtlED BY FlaD NSPECTION 28 JOB / 91 144 Kin,~th R. Â»hon' LS. 15716 File kroimp2 #64 ~ SCHMUESER GORDON MEYER, INC. 8\5#JEms SG~,*" = 1001 GRAND AVE., SUITE 2-E - ------- GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO. 81601 (303) 945-1004 : n=- -- 1 SCHMUESER ~ GORDON MEYER ' 'v'J /..J CD SIt 4. *59-\ 36 - CD iii CO L.-7 th : 1 R .074,00 12*90 triÂ· 1 . i I '19-1-1\ . S 14*50'49* W 0 . 'Concuta Walk S 14*50'49" 1 AL' D MEMORANDUM To: Aspen Historic Preservation Committee From: Amy Amidon, Historic Preservation Officer Re: 315 E. Hyman, Benjamin's Deli- Minor Date: November 23, 1994 SUMMARY: The applicant requests HPC approval for the installation of a temporary airlock at Benjamin's Deli. This building is not historic, but it lies within the Commercial Core Historic District. APPLICANT: Eric Casper. LOCATION: 315 E. Hyman Avenue, Lots E-G, Block 82, City and Townsite of Aspen. PROJECT SUMMARY AND REVIEW PROCESS: All development in an "H, " Historic Overlay District must meet all four Development Review Standards found in Section 7-601 of the Aspen Land Use Code in order for HPC to grant approval. 1. Standard: The proposed development is compatible in character with designated historic structures located on the parcel and with development on adjacent parcels when the subject site is in a "H, " Historic Overlay District or is adjacent to an Historic Landmark... Response: The airlock is designed to match the size and shape of the existing entrance opening. It will be constructed of an aluminum frame and clear plexiglass panels, with clear weather curtain on the front. 2. Standard: The proposed development reflects and is consistent with the character of the neighborhood of the parcel proposed for development. Response: The proposal entrance is temporary and will not have a long-term impact on the character of the Commercial Core Historic District. 3. Standard: The proposed development enhances or does not detract from the cultural value of designated historic structures located on the parcel proposed for development or on adjacent parcels. Response: This proposal has no impact on the cultural value of any adjacent historic structures. 4. Standard: The proposed development enhances or does not diminish from the architectural integrity of a designated historic structure or part thereof. Response: The proposal has no impact on the architectural integrity of any historic structure. ALTERNATIVES: The HPC may consider any of the following alternatives: 1) Approve the Minor Development application as submitted. 2) Approve the Minor Development application with conditions to be met prior to issuance of a building permit. 3) Table action to allow the applicant further time for restudy. (specific recommendations should be offered) 4) Deny Minor Development approval finding that the application does not meet the Development Review Standards. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that HPC approve the Minor Development application as submitted, with the condition that the airlock may only be in place between November 1 and April 15. Additional Comments: ATTACHMENT 1 LAND USE APPLIC:A:IE[CN FORM 13~t - I 71 's fi>ef 1- - 01 01 4/i''' Ch'sit 6 J {-a 1) Project Name 4 Project T,xatic.1 45 1 5 F, k\-,g Uu/1.-cs>L/1 1,we l~-PÂ« 6 ,/6 , 12>\Do.Li an (il,diÂ£:ate street ~iresst lot & block Immi,er, 1~a~~I= +Ce 9-6 769/1 aWropriate) 3) * Present Zoning ~~M' 4) Iat Size 9 ;000 31 + /-1 5) 14;plicant's Name, Address & Ihone # ~~81/1 , Ai.An 1 01 <R .k,/1, 1 ,-J 6) Representativie's Name, A,Mress & Ihone # tzE+, i <> r /9-63044/ 7) :Iypd of *plication (please check all that giply): . 4 Ocniiticral Use - Ocnceptial SPA Conoeptinl Historic Dev. Special IWiew Final SEA Final Hi =trn-ic Dev. 4 8040 Greenline Ocnceptual FOD 2~_ Mixior Histacic Dev. Stream mrgin Â· Â·- Final EUD Nigtaric D=11 il-irip M,mtain Uiew Plane ___ Slibdivisicn _ Historic Designaticn Ocnicininiinization Â· _ Text/MÂ® Amer,hent . - ags Allotment. Iot Split/Lot line ~ GUS Ebomption Mjustment 8) Description of Existing Uses Â· (number arxlf type of existing structures; appcodmate sq. ft.; nmber of bedroans; amr previous appravals granted to tha property). -14.E10&14* istL-uctuve Z \-ats * i4-L - Â·.- 4 JA-\re 0 5.6 9) Description of Develgment Awlication 4Â·-a,uAr o vt.917 CIM v 1 OOL 10) Have you attached the following? Ihesponse to Attadmart 2, Mininun SUâ„¢is=ic,1 Contents - Respeonse to Attadment 3, Specific Suknission Contents - Response to AttadmErt 4, Review Standards far Your Applicatian 1111111 ---- Â·1~ 1 ~ 1~ 1~ 1~ 1 ~1111111111 - 1 1 1 f - .Ube 6 t f Ill 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i l i l l 1 1- --' 1-1 111111 _Lili lilli|qill 0dTI-IT- n_.Cb64/r' 0'Â·Ludlil 1 VL--1 T i F IÂ· t , -1- - 1 / <SD1106UL.~~~ 9-9 I :(1, yj--- ' i - 4 :A It - .. 1 Â·7' i Â£ 1 %- 1 1 - 1 /3- / If 11 :1 i/, 4 1 ~Â¢El , 0 5 1 / i Â« 11 - 0 4. 2 . .I /fl 1 1 1 1 1 -.. }lit] ulfee ve*fl ed.6 1 ,#gler. m Le. 4 LIEU didlee VEer eu Le. rget *64Â«Lod z 614& 0DEX/Â»~IOJ I j --- f 1 1 - -J -1 - r=*1 il /p-- ---Afc - 11 - -- NX: \/\ 1 1 1 i~ ~ 1 Â»1 1 /- / '. f C ' 547.31 3901 7 11 -1 \~ I \X 4 11 :' /4- - & -- 1 / 4 114 11 11 -CIN 7- / 1. -- i EQI . 1 - t h - . r : (PÂ°OF .fc#A }D*'1'-fe'g, - rz# ST c d,E,rl[ ) El/15-v...PLA.1 4 - ... ... - - 9. 1,0 w *J did-rE>t VE+p w.5 40 55 Al ruffo ot '1 fid#lidul re'le> It/abbe d#J- 4-el g 1! FÂ»<iA,Â¥6 7/6216'64 1.r W 1 NA .DE" er,441 9.,P ,[0 WA-L 1 noud e velue â€ž01,Â¢ 4649 7 fâ€ž-IT WI/1915 ev - 1 08Â«lcd Al Id,rECID/. , 41,8,0 WE,/'Â·f-1-~6gÂ· r# 97 7.-*5/ 11+1/1 Ul 6 +PUT 04 4"T'04 I _02 84 -1 2 r[ i N '41 __2661,+Al-JEE_vfâ‚¬CI_w-%6 -2 -I-- ele * 914 Â»,E,-1 1.180â€¢ ~ Â»6,~9 i 2,Â£:tÂ«Â» co Â°T' "' 4 '11+ 1.Ull lilli AMATEUR S GUIDE TO TERMS COMMONLY USED IN DESCRIBING HISTORIC BUILDINGS FOLLOWING THE ORDER USED BY THE - HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY. First edition prepared for The Landmark Society of Western New York, August, 1967, by Harley J. McKee, under the technical assistance program of the New York State Councll on the Arts. Thls enlarged and revised edition printed for the 23rd Annual Semi- nars on American Culture. June 28-July 11, 1970, New York State Hlstorlcal Association, Cooperstown, New York. Reproduced by klnd permission of The Landmark Society, Rochester, New York, which holds the copyright to this material. , AMATEURS' GUIDE TC TEHM 3 COMMONLY USED IN DESCRIBING HISTORIC BUILDINGS, FOLLOWING THE. ORDER USED BY THE HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY, ARCHITECT'S WORK SHEET FOR PHOTO-DATA BOOKS Prepared for the Society for Preservation of Landmarks ln Wes- tern New York, August, 1967, by Harley J. McKee. Enlarged and revised, June, 1970. one bay Z- church Counting baysl 3 (divisions): 3 EXTERIOR 1.f...: F ik- one bay - house Stories: 1/h\ 20Â»,4, Irt UR- f 1 1 Â· 1 1 r-- =ta.. -2 1' 9 F--Â· th-3 ~ L E' r'- i il i -1 L- ---~ One story .-' One-and-a-half stories / 612.3 - /2-ticÂ«A 5[ R 3 j, 2 ' 1 - --- : . r-,-1 -â‚¬ c i 2 Z E Rjnj ! n 1 2 2 4 L 11 _.U k Two-and-a-half D .6 13- Two stories -J stories m--â‚¬El_ N=:-r= 4 /J Â£ iall 40 gu 071 & I Two by three bays r 0 222,2 1 N 1-1 Â¥,' 6_- TTI i / ~/i rn UE-/ f ij/A Wt,i/' //A Two stories plus Two stories with Tower \1-U i ; 14-1-D -1, E- mansard r,91 Izzl Layout--shape: 9,--1 dreek El latin F,4,1 Cross I /1 Cross li ' 5 53 ,, 77-1 /7/f/-7 -592 577 Square Rectangular L-shape L-shape T-shape 4--4 2 1 1 1 &9--4 1 i L' Central block wlth Central block U-shape symmetrical wings with one wing 1 I 9/'Ml Foundatlons: - Water Tables '41) moulded 41 brlck ~-40 1 4, THHRI - =al -= 1 3< ly-" -6 1 . plal Low (stone) foundation Hlgh (brlck) foundation beveled[ , Walls - flnlsh materials board; ,<batten f 1/L 1 Chain- fered Novelty EA batten -/i '1 c intrdâ‚¬/Rl - duced M /1 1 rl Bevel Sldlng late 141 LE , Moulded (exposed about 19th c.) W . 1 !1 batten 411) . Clapboards Weather- are similar but boarding - U ~ 41 + 11 - only 4 ft. long. Vertical boards Plaln and battens batten Shlngle Slding (uncommon until about 1880) P-Illl- *19- 414 - Imbricated Undulant or Alternate rows VI It , pattern wavy pattern laid wlth stag- gered butts Stone bonds r-luSIDE*2-3 [ -JL--}CSUL--Je=:s k-zz=f t=L Ml_-1 CULJLJL--1 Uncoursed Fleldstone Coursed Rubble Random Ashlar or Rubble 2 ston Stone, contlnued Regular Ashlar -- Quoins 1 L . k- 2 -__ 1- 111 1 Pr. - 6--F_ r- smooth or plain rustlcated rustlcated plaln surface F of FTF ,4:ilf blqhkAL'~di ET,xmaall Stones 4 - v +1 9 1 ,;t -3-44(4 [ ;24 RD, 14, f n A 6/.fil.i/ThsÂ« I-tr% smooth rock-faced rock-faced vermlculated with margins Wall Treatments buttress figÂ© 11 T Trf fENLEL 41 IL I Â£ 1 --Â·4 11 1 R I G Pllastered and Pllasters at corners Buttressed Arcaded 280/ spandrel ETI- belt 73--Il_* - ~ 0 1 TmEE 0 0 Arn 0 0 ' courser Arcaded Central Pavillon wlth Wings 3 Brlck bonds: stretcher header ~ i i T-|, T| 11-header course (bond course) 1-~. stretcher courses (3 to 7) =--71==Â«=--m- 1 1, . 1 ,/24 - / r / /2 -Â£ , 4 , 1 -header course \ 1 Flemlsh bond Common or American bond Porches: pedlment.~~ Â·ID 31 .... Tr[itt- E-0 4 e -1 -11 -1 EM ... 11 =Clha. ' -=Le==-2 LI_-122 -- one-bay entrance three-bay end porch, porch one story Tall or Full-height Portico, pedlmented ur- deck /97<~: /.*i 'try[Qu,tia ,~ ~ E-r u -1.J==dE, r 1.11 1 j.*---t~ -qu-*C -- 1 - Stoop (Dutch STOEP) Bulkhead; cellar entrance two-tlered or two-story porch Chimneys: ~ central chlmney 1nslde end chlmneys outside end 91 chlmney wlth a interior chimneys~ chlmney corbeled cap 4 Entrance doorways: Transom Transom ---7 bar - 6441 1137.1 0 -4Eril 100 00 . El !31 ~ 50 Col 17 N: I -3 E r 61 _,lm U J i -1*il j u_ '1.2.8 i Rectangular Arched opening; Double doors Door wlth rectan- 6-panel door 8-paneled dou- wlth slngle gular transom and wlth cornlce ble doors wlth vertical panel sldellghts fanllght "Frontispiece" entrances: 4935 - =f 1 ,4Â·'1 Al ' E ?t--1. ir 11 1 l il li 11 11 l Ar.- r. F 1 11 ' ..t~L.M... -WE~itu_ - -6 wit: h a br ' Do#rway witd ken pedlme elilptical fanlight and sldellghts Hoods: 9--1 _lts:ER j#*64,3 nk - 10-bracket }1111 1 console I ~~ i hood on brackets hoods on consoles Forms of arches: UEIE r semi-elliptical pemicircular I segmental or 3-centered or "round" 1 1"Tudor" or 4- centered 2-gentered \ I ogee 1 or I"polntecir r 1 5 Wlndows: Double-hung sash ransom EB~Transom 6-- -===-- "Gothic" t-lkMullion 6/6 (six 12/12 2/2 sash 1-1-X Â£ UE lights over Triple- iung ='4 =<210 slx 11ghts) sash 8/8/8 Mullion window (wlth transom) 'f30~_Paneled shutter 11:Ab 341 .-1 4% -I--- 1 - 41 41 1---65& Venetlan or ,d-, Palladlan - ~Ett42 9 e window 11 1 1 ld~=*=.1 - , (swlnglng in or out) louvere Uk Exterlor trim on shutte~~ 2U windows: ILL - i- wlth a cornlce wlth a tri- wlth a segmen- - angular pedlment tal pediment plain trim - hoodmould i--,1 Cl~i ~TAEstone ~~~;2~â‚¬31llf-label (or la- ~' bel moulding) architrave trlm RY AAil Oblel win- *th or ~ LURR:w J 'Â·0 ---4*4--- dow Tracery window 1 INg 6 Roofs: gable /ridge gambrel\ -..=,_- cridge Gable roof Gambrel rfof LHip i roof P ent +Sw~1#ka= irle 14~1 roof-*AA,%= Stepped or~ r 77 7 1 crowsteppe gables -Â»ypt - Shed roof -- *,-_,Â·railing 1 1 HI (parapet n |Hir 3 -42Â» Blia 21 L To- 0 5 4 0 - p r g i 51 In h f=:9 1 9 2 U L Flat roof Mansard roof Hip roof with Deck i finial-~k Verge boar*/ 111 or Barge -3*115* a boardy?F l 131 1\ M 11]ill 14 Gabled dormer -- ./*ol I INk Shed dormer I./.- .- 4<\ 0 .AA Eaves rafter end 1 h Box cornices - ~offit r ~- frieze 'Dracket ~ Battlements Bracketed ---- cornice with ] paneled frleze 7 ~ Cornlces, contlnued 1'/cornlce ornamental _-_~ ~ archltrave ~l~- ~ pendant brackets) bracket wlth pendant 3-part -99 Entablature 4< u splre- (metal) roof cresting M 1 Cupolas Con houses) U JA 1111Irxal 111 11 ~52.12312, 1EE77 96- AF ef J W ' 1 MI Ar W 11 \ square ln plan - | ~ small open Church Tower with (on top of a octagonaz--Belfry on louvered Belfry hlp roof) 1n plan a church and Splre MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS: Types of Column Capltals 1 FFEEET. 2. t' A ENTABLATURE { F'=ni ~* capital ~<- 1Gree Roman 1 Dorie Dorlc Cushlon COLUMN i shaft - L tr- 1. base - Ionlc ColÂ·inthlhn Crdcke ed square Column with chamfered corners, onT a fED K 8 chamfer INTERIOR: Floor plans: F7- 1 ~Kltl f Central Hall plans 7 F ~- J * Din. ~ 1-4:_4 1- X Two rooms each Double parlor Slde Hall side one slde plan wlth a rear wing and slae porth - --r-zode Hall plans 2 rooms deep ~ ~Klt. 3. r 1:-1 Din. Klt. r -,- 14 1 HUI ri 1- Din. 1 Par. -Â¥- .1 U 1 ' 1 ~ < 1 Par <Veranda ~Portlco I ... Irregular Z-shaped plan Church plans: chancel~ transept 77 A-J L- r: :\ galleryl . 0 [-1- Â·, above T .... 1 . Â»t-nave 1 - e side porch 1. L _1~al sle 62.--1 4y narthex-#-4 h Central entrance Meetinghouse with Cruclform plan tower, side porch, central entrance wlth alsled nave alsleless nave and tower, vestlbule chancel and auditorium; gallery on three sldes 9 r Uluu!1111!W 1 Stalrways: Enclosed (be- Open: tween walls) 6 1 ~-landing f r ; 64 ~ ~---well two' flights 14 0 11 (with one ~ 1 ' single landlng) single open well, open well, flight flight 2 fllghts 3 flights (one- (two-run) (three-run) run) 4-9 wlnder -4 1 F' geometrical or "splral't "rounded" dog-leg stalr dog-leg stair stair stair with winders symmetrical divlded flights 11 .4 stair rall or raillng baluster.g /004 al handral]~y:5~- t newel /9-3 1~ ornamental ,,c#$~f~handrall nosing-- ~-73' <W <'-32 brackets ~i ~4--plain tread- ,/Slmple rlser 1 1' balusters brackets frun W i -~:A- C no brackets) T~~' 9-<string 1.4 Il- - - -35:0~~ string open-string stalr 11 - closed-string stair (steps hidden) 10 Wall finish: - cornice' P.T T tplastere 1 - 0 L chair chalr~ base wainscot m ;L* ~* _ faL 10 2 HOLI board,~ ---g-- .-Z - Flastefed; Flistered; wooden paneled two tlers two tlers of wooden cor- wooden walnscot walnscot of pane- paneling and nlce and cornlce, (plaln) ling fluted pllas- base board base board, ter(s) chalr rail Doors: O(jr ~ r*Â£9 I nal uu 00 ti 00 BU L-1 1 2 plain ver- board-and- 4-panel 6-panel one large tlcal panels batten (two tlers (three tiers pandl with with Tudor- of moulded of moulded enriched arched heads panels) panels) mouldlngs Door and Window trlm: Architrave Symmetrlcally moul- Fluted trlm Plaln trim trlm ded trim wlth cor- wlth corner _ - ner -- 7 l~ 1~3~* ./. 1 \ _~*24.-- 11 Door and Window trlm (contlnued): arched openlngs: U , ir- shoulderl - - -I entab- ,:/~'~~~~~~~~~Â¤~kz~ 3 It elliptical ~ ~ 11 9 .6 -%- 1_r- Â· .= lature ter-~ Tudor shouldered archi- framed by paneled trave trim (with pllasters carrying cornlce, on right) an entablature Decoratlve features and trlm: Mouldlngs: fillet =- _12 4- 1 - 1 ) cavetto ovolo echlnus cyma recta cyma reversa (quarter circles) (Greek) (reverse curves) --1 -1L~ Attic base torus bead - scotla I (half circles) Conventional ornaments: @=R- ribbon.~ fret band ' D/00/1/0 (~-9~~ â‚¬v YALA~ - w Al.- - bead-and-reel egg-and-dart leaf-and-tongue wheat-ear /1-hest (enriched ovolo) (enriched cyma reversa) drop -k~f (Partvt ~ 00 gar- land foliated scroll - anthemion acanthus leaf 12 Decoratlve features and trlm (contlnued): Flreplaces, chlmneypieces, jetri- 1 pp mantelpleces: <mantel shelf -- -- chimney 'M--==WMV-- TY '\bed AC> A breast .WL.....Â§~ moul- --,24-1--i- dings yffs,1~ 1 b - 111< 1 1 1, overmantel 1 11% iii. . 'jin 1 1 1-34 ...4-91=~ co knice Rectangular opening Rectangular opening with shouldered wlth marble surround, YIF - -~11-~-col~sole , archltrave, frleze colonettes (small co- and cornlce. lumns), frieze, bed --1 -, I i pui.//I/-4,/I/..- mouldlngs and mantel ~t| < -ar hitraÂ· shelf; paneled end blocks, paneled cen- -2 ~ tral tablet with gar- L=,1-UU 1 land in low rellef. .-W 1 -- . --hearth chlmney breast. Rectangu- Fireplace in projecting 3 lar opening with archl- trave surround, frleze, and cornlce supported on Ovenin framed by consoles, Paneled over- (flute~) pilasters plain frleze, simpie mantel with broken pe mantel shelf. cartouche ment. (Room has a co - and plain walnscot.) 123 <7- --PE G~Â¢3%*44 spandrel touche in center. Round-arched opening, plaln colonettes, pa- ~ arched ~~~ neled spandrels, car- j r=tn ' Mld-Nlneteenth Century arched types, often of marble. Door Hardware: . . lili 01-JOI . 1 .. ).. -n. I: 0,1 Iron strap hinge ME UN . I 11 H" " H-L" -~~U=~ ~4-~Box lock (with knob) (wood and iron, iron or brass) Butt (butt hinge) ~ (mostly con- 11 OLe I cealed when door tug.)1 ls closed.) 13 Llghtlng Fixtures: wall flxtpres fixture*hanging from celllng 416 U B._Â£11- 11 1- %-0 I -1 kl MA 1~ Rlng Chandeller 17nandle tin Candle Lan- Sconce, tern, 17-18th c. ~ Candle 17-18th c. Lantern Electric Flx- Gas Flxture, ture, c. 1910 n c. 1880 brass Candle Ventilating Gas _-~3Â¢ Lf ~C Branch, 18th c. Chandeller, 1880 ~&9=:9>G=:0 MISCELLANEOUS late 19th-c. Interior Elements: t , itte,;letll -1~ 214, - MOsf ~Wigh 'FA~#12203[ i '' ollcz] A ' n'Â¤1717~33f-1 11 11 *o o ulltuooN I -/:D#Ed i Ornament al 731~1 -- 1880,s - Latticework ~ in openings, 2 1-ijrric=&- Corner Nook; small square oak pan- els on wall, built-in seat; 1885. Flreplace & Overmantel with shelves, 14~0 9 - square paneled AP,K A 3-ITT Iewel crowned by ~ U_UL = i Urn; closed-striAg tae- A Â»aÂ· Stair; arcaded vt* lf:~0 1% = Railing of two ~42410 . 1-_1-Ll tiers. c. 1885. ...290 E-13[-Ir =01 -- I 1 upper Bash of win~fows:Ela b~rpli 7 I t' ftc:ELI Radiator, 1885. 14 Additional copies may be obtained from The Landmark Society of Western New York, 130 Spring Street, Rochester, New York 14608. MASONRY CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY 1 t .- -Il--.I- MICHAEL H. HARRITY - | JANET L. HANSEN < l L- 11 i edited by LEE S. TABOR Â· 1 -1 *-- FOREWORD Founded in the early 1970's, the Massachusetts Masonry Institute is a unique collaborative organization of labor and management. The Institute seeks to improve and promote masonry construction by stimulating public awareness of the intrinsic and tangible benefits of masonry construction. Toward this goal, the Massachusetts Masonry Institute provides technical assistance to designers, builders, and government officials and sponsors a variety of educational pro- grams. The Massachusetts Masonry Institute is publishing Masonry Conservation Technology at a time when the challenges of architectural preservation vividly remind us of the differences between historic and modern masonry materials. This booklet hopes to serve builders, preservationists, and design profession- als as they seek to clean, repoint, and maintain masonry structures. Rather than provide definite solutions to problems encountered in preservation work, the authors strive to present alternatives, and to identify the possible conse- quences of various conservation techniques. We hope that this effort will fos- ter a new awareness of the contemporary as well as the historical technology of masonry. The Trustees and Advisors of the Massachusetts Masonry Institute would like to thank the staffs of the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Boston Architectural Center for their cooperation in this project. We especially thank Elizabeth Gibbons and Don R. Brown for their persistence and organization which made the idea a reality. The authors and the Massachusetts Masonry Institute would particularly like to express their appreciation to Norman R. Weiss. His critical review of the text during its final stages was invaluable. Robert J. Joyce Executive Director Massachuietts Masonry Institute Charlestown, Massachusetts - 1 --- TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORICAL CONTEXT...............................................Janet L. Hansen Brick.....................................................................3 Manufacture Bonding Patterns Architectural Adaptations Mortar.............................................................--.----7 Mortar Development Mortar Joints References................................................................9 CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY.......................................Michael H. Harrity Deterioration............................................... Cleaning .................................................................14 Why Clean? Analysis and Planning Water Cleaning Chemical Cleaning Abrasive Cleaning New Developments Paint Removal Waterproofing..........................................................Â·Â·18 Repointing 19 Mortar Composition Color Techniques Repairs..........................................................Â·Â·Â·Â·Â·Â·Â·Â·23 Replacement Consolidation References ...............................................................25 GLOSSARY...................................................................Â·Â·Â·27 HISTORICAL CONTEXT tin The elements of masonry construc- and extensive railroad systems facil- F tion are the mortar, the masonry unit, litated the transport of stone. P and the mason. This text will relate the history of the physical elements as they were affected by new technolo- MANUFACTURE gies, materials, and designs. Mortars of clay, lime-sand, or cement have The nature of clay used in been used to bond a variety of masonry brickmaking varied greatly from region units: stone, both naturally occur- to region. There are four basic clay ring boulders and quarried dimensional minerals: kaolinite, montmorillonite units; baked or fired units, including illite, and chlorite, but natural brick and terra-cotta; and concrete clays contain a wide variety of im- block. While the historical place of purities. Ferric oxide is the stone and concrete block will be es- "impurity" in clay which gives red tablished, the focus of the text is on bricks their characteristic color. brick. Other impurities produce buff, black, - and even greenish bricks. Most clay used in colonial New England contained BRICK a noticeable percentage of ferric oxide. The bluish-gray glaze of some early bricks is attributable to the The American mason-builder recog- presence of saltpeter in the clay. nized certain natural advantages that The clay had to be thoroughly brickwork had over stone construction. free of moisture. Airdrying is this The readily available water, clay and process of thinly spreading the clay sand which are components of brick and allowing it to dry for several were easily transported and handled.' months. The clay was sometimes A brick factory could be established crushed, ground, and sifted. Sand, on individual building sites. A the other major ingredient in brick, single masop could lay a brick wall, exists in two main forms: rounded, wheras a larger coordinated work or angular crystals. Rounded grains force wa5 required in stone masonry were favored, because when mixed with construction. Although the local the clay, a more consistent and plas- manufacture of brick resulted in tic mixture was obtained. The sand varied brick sizes, the uniformity o< might have to be washed, especially if bricks on a single job would estab- / it had been in contact with saltwater. lish a modular regularity in a buil- , ding's proportionst Thus, the hand- 1 The second major step in brick- scaled brick monopolized masonry con- making was a thorough mixing of struction before the advent of canals/ ingredients, called tempering. The 3 &3.&39 i.Â« tel. 29% .rjr ..+-1 24 FOUNDATIONS AND CHIMNEYS OF LOCAL STONE QUARRYING TOOLS: DRILLS & JUMPERS MARBLE AND STONE PREDOMINATELY Stone (STOCKBRIDGE] QUARRIED IN NEW ENGLAND LOW FIRING TEMPERATURE OF HAND-MADE BRICKS PRODUCED SOFT, POROUS WOOD-SURNING SCOVE KILNS LOCATED ON UNITS THE CONSTRUCTION SITE ENGLISH 80ND FLEMISH BOND ' Brick (SALEM. CHELSEA, PLYMOUTH) BRICK-MAKING MACHINE PATEN1 ED LIMESTONE OR SOFT MORTAR PREVALENT PULVERIZED SHELLS USED AS EARLY SOURCE OF LiME CLAY MORTAR USED PRIMARILY Mortar FOR CHIMNEY CONSTRUCTION 1600 M700 1 most ineffectual method of tampering, pressed bricks were formed from a dry although quite common in small opera- clay and sand mixture to which great tions, was the use of a soaking pit. pressure was applied. Both the stiff- The ingredients (clay, sand, and wa- mud and the pressed brick processes ter) were soaked overnight, then resulted in a brick substantially mixed further with hand tools. The denser than the old soft-mud brick. horse--drawn ring-pit was also used for tempering. Through a system of Once formed, the brick had to cogs, a stone wheel would combine undergo a drying period. This was es- ingredients in the pit. The pug- sential, as any water remaining in the mill, a tempering machine, mixed the clay mixture could cause the brick to clay, sands and water with a battery shatter when fired. Extensive shrink? of revolving steel knives. age and some warping occurred during this process. Up until the late nineteenth 7 century, most brick was handmade in A great variety of kiln styles wooden forms. When the brick molds or existed throughout the eighteenth and forms were filled by hand, airholes' nineteenth centuries. Earlier kilns; were often inadvertently created were often temporary, built only to within the plastic clay-sand mixture. supply bricks for one structure. As This soft-mud process in conjunction brickmaking operations expanded at one , with lower firing temperatures pro- site, brickmakers realized that con- duced a characteristically soft brick.1 tinuous operation of their kilns ' proved most profitable. As the fuel s The sti ff-mudc process~ used a changed from wood to coal and finally drier clay mixture. ,With the inven- to gas, the firing temperature of_ tion of a screw press the stiffer kilns greatly increased. The hi'ghe? mixture of clay could be compacted, temperatureÂ¢ produced harder bricki; thus reducing the airholes: In the which were characteristic of the late latter part of the nineteenth century, nineteenth century. 4 POPULAR USE OF ORNAMENTAL PATENT ISSUED FOR TERRA-COTTA CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE CANAL AND RAIL SYSTEMS AROUTECTURAL BLOCK DEVELOPED FOR THE TRANS- CINDER SLOCK PORT OF GRANITE PUMICE SLOCK Block FIRE-PROOF STRUCTURES BUILT OF MASONRY AND STEEL LIVERPOOL AMERICAN BOND MANUFACTURE oF BRICK AND BLOCK MACHINE-MADE BRICKS PRODUCED FULLY AUTOMATED IN QUANTITY PANELIZED AS HACHINERY. SUCH AS PUG-MILLS, BRICK DEVELOPED, PRESS BRICK WAS MASONRY USED AS LIGHT-WEIGHT PERfECTED INFILL FOR STEEL-FRAMED STANDARDIZATION OF STRUCTURES Brick AMERICAN BRICK SIZE HIGH FIRINGS PRODUCED HIGH-RISE. LOAD-BEARING STRONGER AND MORE STRUCTURES 8UILT WITH DURABLE BRICK THIN WALLS EPOxY MORTARS DEVELOPED 1,YDRAULIC MORTARS INDUSTRY UTILIZES STEAM FROM OTHER CONSTRUCTION POWER APPLICATIONS NATURAL CEMENTS PORTLAND CE?lENT COLORED MASONRY AND MORTAR Mortar DEVELOPED AND MARKETED 11800 M900 Although pug-mills and brick- Although cargoes of brick were brought making machines had been invented by over from England, most historians the early nineteenth century, it was agree that the references are usually several decades before steam began to to brick conforming to standard power them. This was a turning point English brick sizes. The mechaniza- for brickmaking. Bricks made by any tion of brickmaking led to the of the several brickmaking machines informal adoption of standard sizes were more uniform than the handmade for bricks. In America a standard bricks. Cast iron molds produced a size (coninon: 8 1/4" x 4" x 2 1/4" brick with a harder edge than those and face: 8 3/8" x 4" x 2 3/8") was produced in wooden molds. made official in 1899 by the National Brickmakers' Association. BONDING PATTERNS In early colonial America, the - numerous bricklaying patterns or bonds In order for bricks to bond into could be attributed to the nationalif attractive and functional patterns, ties which had settled a particular the brick's length, height, and width area. When these geographical dis- must be proportionally related. tinctions had largely disappeared, patterns enjoyed periods of vogue. An ideal brick size is one in The English bond; most popular in the i which the length of a single stretcher early to mid-eighteenth century, al- (1) equals the thickness of three * ternated a row of headers with a row bricks plus two mortar joints and-, of stretchers and created a wall of (2) equals the width of two bricks - great structural strength: Flemish; plus one mortar joint.' bonds which alternated stretchers and headers in the same course, was Old deeds referring to the use of popular in the latter part of the -7 English brick in American buildings eighteenth century but was more dif- ha ve created some misunderstanding. ficult to lay and lacked the strengtâ‚¬I 5 2-L__Il --_IL-r of the English bond. The Liverpool _2~L___ILJCE bond and the American common bond were 11 11 11 11 11 - popular during the first half of the 11 11 11 11 = nineteenth century and are essentially H â€ž H â€ž variations of the English bond. 11 11 11 Liverpool bond separates three courses 11 11 11 11 11. of stretchers with a course of headers. 11 11 11 11 In the American bond a course of head- Il U U Il U ers is placed every sixth or seventh Running bond consists of all stretch- course. From the mid-nineteenth cen-1 ers, that is, brick laid lengthwise I tury the running bond or all-sfretcher'~ along the wall. bond has been employed extensively. 11 n H 11 11 ARCHITECTURAL ADAPTATIONS 1 11 11 11 .1 11 11 11 11 1 0 11 11 H 11 The development of cast iron 1 11 M 11 11 H 4 W Il H skeletal frames eliminated the need 1 1 H I n for heavy load-bearing walls, but the .il N Il Il Il light and sturdy brick was a natural Il lili 11 11 li li .1 Il l choice as an infill material. The Il Il Il Il H McLauthlin Building (ca. 1864) near the Boston waterfront is the earliest Common bond is a variation of running extant cast iron building north of New bond. It has a course of headers York City. The 1894 Winthrop Building every fifth, sixth, or seventh course. (formerly known as the Carter Build- 11 n H U ingl was Boston's first building to H 11 11 11 11 11 have a steel skeleton and the first 11 11 11 Ill 11 completely fireproof when built. liN ""1111 Il Il Il li Il Thick, multiple-wythe brick â€žâ€ž U " 11 11 masonry walls used a large proportion Il U ll H Il 11 of lower quality common brick as in- 11 H H 11 lili fill material. The advent of concrete 1 11 H 11 H U masonry units at the beginning of the f Flemish bond is made up of alternate twentieth century provided a new back-- stretchers and headers, with the head- up material for masonry construction.j ers in alternate courses centered With brick's increasing use as a over the stretchers above and below. facing and veneer material, the brick industry had to reassess its produc- I H Il It tion. The 15-20 percent face brick HHHHH 11 H 11 11 11 produced per firing was increased to 11 H U 11 11 90-95 percent. 1111Hll""Hilll!1 11 11 11 11 "Illl"MHH"Illl The 16-story Monadnock Building Il H in Chicago (1889) was a singular a- HN"HIIHHHI11 chievement for load-bearing masonry. 11 li Il However, its walls were six feet thick at ground level. Steel struc- English bond is composed of alter- tural frames were more competitive nate courses of headers and stretchers. for skyscrapers until the 1960' s. with headers centered on the stretch- Since the 1950's the Swiss had been ers. experimenting with engineering tall 6 masonry-bearing wall structures, EN , designed to carry lateral loads as well as vertical loads to the foun- dation. By the late 1960's this / Concave joint. Created technology was being used in North ~ through the use of a America to build thin-walled struc- rounded jointing tool. tures 10, 15, and 20 stories high. with walls of brick and concrete 144 masonry no more than 6 to 20 inches wide at ground level. The most economical structural system todayÂ·is the reinforced, high rises 0= load-bearing masonry structures. Lime was not easily obtained in' seventeenth gentury America. The Weathered joint. Made by ~ inclining the joint so that colonists sometimes- subitituted claf it sheds water readily. for the traditional lime mortar. Clay was not ideal .in areas of high l222 ' humidity, but it worked well in masonry chimneys where the heat baked the clay hard. One source of lime I that the colonists discovered was the extensive refuse heaps of oyster shells $ Rough cut, or Flush joint. left by the Indians. By the eight- Made by holding the edge eenth century, sources of marble and limestone or "l imerock" became of the trowel flat against ' more abundant. the brick and cutting in any direction. MORTAR MORTAR DEVELOPMENT The first, essential st* in ren- ~ dering limestone, marble chips. or t shells usable for mortar was that of "burning" or calcining.' Open fires E3333 V-Shaped joint. Created and kilns are used in this process. rÂ£ with a v-shaped tool. i When the sufficient temperature was 05 reached, carbon dioxide was released from the limestone, leaving behind calcium oxide, better known as quickf ~ 1 ime. - 1 The quicklime then underwent a further process called slaking. Many i methods of slaking the quicklime ~ Raked joint. Made by remov- existed. Basically in the slaking ing some of the mortar with ' process, water was mixed into the - a square-edged tool. quicklime.' A great amount of heat was released in this process and a 7 hydrated lime was the end result. MORTAR JOINTS The slaked lime could now be Surprisingly, the appearance of al mixed with the appropriate amount of masonry wall depends largely on theT water and sand. The relative propor- pointing of the joints. Any amount tions of sand, lime, and water varied of untidiness detracts inmensely. The greatly. It was necessary to use the final tooling of a mortar joint gives mortar within a brief period of time, the wall a finished look. Tooling is since after its initial loss of plas- accomplished after the wall has been ticity, the mortar was considered . laid and the mortar is partially set "set." But, in actuality, the mor- and thumbprint hard. The watertight- tar did not completely harden for ness of a joint is another factor several years. to consider. Some joints are more weatherproof than others. A properly' Experimentation with hydraul ic "struck" joint also enhances the bond mortars began first in Europe. The between the mortar and the masonry term "hydraul ic" means that the mortar units by compacting the mortar. can set under water, which was an im- portant factor in masonry projects. There are six basic styles of such as dikes or canals. The great tooling that enjoyed periods of popu- strength exhibited by hydraulic mortar larity in much the same manner as made it suitable for general construe- brick bonding patterns. During tion. An analysis of hydraulic lime colonial times, the most common joint would show a significant percentage of was the ruled joint. This joint has clay. If the clay reached 40 percent -generally been eliminated from a or over, the material became known as mason's vocabulary. It was a slightly a natural cement. Natural cement can- raked joint, decorated with the aid of not be slaked, whereas hydraulic lime a thin rod to create a linear depres- can be. By the mid-nineteenth century sion. For a raked joint, the mason natural cement sources had been dis- utilized a square-edge tool to remove covered in the United States. up to 1/2 inch of mortar. This aid not result in a very weathertight In 1824 Joseph Aspdin of England joint. Weathered, concave, and patented a mixture which he called V-shaped joints all provide reasonably Portland cement. It had advantages weatherproof bonds. The flush or over natural cement in that it was a . rough-cut joint is by far the simplest. controlled manufactured product rather Using a trowel, the mason neatly re- than a natural compound. Portland moves any excess mortar, therby cement was manufactured in the United creating a simple flush joint (which States beginning in 1871. The rigid is not as weathertight as it may nature of the cement complemented the look.) The most satisfactory joint harder, machine-made bricks of the is the lightly tooled, slightly con-' period. Portland cement replaced cave joint. hydraulic lime and natural cement in mortar recipes. Following the addi-? tion of Portland cement to mortars. the bonds became decorative as op- ~ posed to structural. 8 The architectural treatment of ma- sonry in America ranged from penciled joints and colored mortar, to vari- gated masonry and random bonding. This , innate adaptibility as reflected in the historical development and use of the masonry elements (the mortar, the mason and the masonry unit), depicts the innovative relationship between design, materials, and execution. REFERENCES McKee, Harley J. Introduction to Ear- ly American Masonry: Stone, Brick, Mortar and Plaster, Washington, D.C., National Trust for Historic Preser- vation, 1973. Perrault, Carole L. "A Selected Bib- liography of Bricklayer, Carpenter, and Stonecutter Tools," Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, May 1975. Richardson, Frances M. "A Selected Bibliography of Books and Periodi- . cals on Stone-cutting found in the Library of Congress," Office of Archeology and.Historic Preservation, National Park Service, August 1975. Volz, John R. "Brick Bibliography," Association for Preservation Tech- nology Bulletin, Vol. VII, No. 4, 1975. 9 CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY The reasons for preserving a by checking deterioration. The masonry building can vary from his- selection of materials, the choice of toric considerations to economic . treatments, the design of remedial justifications, but most preservation repairs and the outline of a mainte- plans include such tasks as (1) clean- nance schedule can all be aimed at ing, (2) waterproofing, (3) repointing controlling the causes of deteriora- and (4) repairs. Thoughtfully chosen tion. A clear understanding of the techniques of masonry conservation can process of deterioration is thus add to the life and utility of a essential in establishing a plan for structure, but some common practices conserving any masonry building. in restoration can actually accelerate deterioration. In order to prepare an Water is the primary .cause of the ' appropriate program of masonry preser- deterioration of masonry in building vation, it is important to understand fabrics. Water penetration can cause the causes of deterioration as well as mechanical disintegration through I . the techniques and potential hazards freeze/thaw and wet/dry cycling; water , ' of various restoration methods. also permits chemical deterioration by dissolving harmful ambient compounds and saturating the masonry units with DETERIORATION the corrosive solutions. All types of masonry are. to some' Stone, brick, block, and mortar, extent, porous and will absorb water: Some soft underbarned bricks of the the elements of masonry construction, are durable materials. The life seventeenth century are capable of expectancy of masonry buildings can be absorbing as much as 35 percent of their weight in water, while modern- measured in centuries. However, like facing bricks absorb less than 3 per-f all materials, masonry deteriorates in cent. Water is present in three ' a natural process of weathering which natural sources:' (1) ground water, involves mechanical disintegration (2) rainwater. and (3) moisture (coni into smaller and smaller fragments and densed water vapor on either the . .4.' chemicil transformation of mineral components into other species. The exterior or interior of a building). rate of deterioration depends on many complex but identifiable factors. Cl imatic conditions 'are the prime de- terminants of decay, but appropriate use, proper treatment and periodic maintenance of masonry all contribute to prolonging the life of a building 11 43 500 500 500 : 500 5 Co 100 C..... : .=I *' & ' .. 500 ..:~..0... .... 9.1:. I '00 f WEATHERING REGIONS LEED NEGLIGIBLE WEATHERING FEEE] MODERATE WEATHERING FZZ?9 SEVERE WEATHERING The ASTM Weathering Index for the United States indicates the potential for frost damage by computing the winter- rainfall and number of freezing days. Mechanical deterioration can formed by an interaction of the two, occur as the result of sequential are deposited on the surface as water freeze/thaw cycles. The formation of from the mortar evaporates.) If the , the solid phase (ice) causes stresses evaporation of water occurs at a level that can damage saturated masonry. beneath the surface', the crystalliza-3 The repeated pressures of freeze/thaw tion of soluble salts occurs within ' cycles can gradually enlarge fissures the masonry. The slow accumul atiorf of until fragmentation occurs. Weather- these subflorescences can enlarge ing indices, based on frost damage, fissures in masonry and eventually are computed as the product of the cause spalling. number of freezing cycle days and the average annual winter rainfall in The rusting of iron cramps. ties, inches. or anchors embedded in masonry walls j is another source of water-caused Water penetration can also cause mechanical deterioration. Rusting mechanical disruption attributed to involves a volumetric increase and so the effects of wet/dry cycles. One causes internal pressures that can major aspect of this problem involves lead to the cracking and chipping of soluble salts. Whether present in the, masonry units as well as the appear- masonry and mortar, or introduced from' ance of surface stains'. ground water or rainwater, salts are l cyclically dissolved and precipitated. The rate of water-related meehan- If water evaporation occurs at the ical disintegration is dependent on f surface of the masonry materials, then three primary factors: (1) the avail- the salts crystallize harmlessly on ability of water, (2) the porosity of the Surface. These crystallized salts the masonry elements, and (3) the are called efflorescences. (It is not frequency of freeze/thaw and wet/dry uncommon for new brick walls to de- cycles. velop efflorescences, as soluble salts found in the brick or mortar, or 12 *im-2--=---*W* The white deposits on the surface of Water has caused severe deterioration these bricks are called efflorescences. of this sandstone lintel Efflorescences often evidence furic acids. The various oxides chemical breakdowns that are occurring of nitrogen also have corrosive within the masonry. Water acts as the capabilities. medium for chemical disintegration because it transports the chemical Some masonry materials, such as species responsible for deterioration quartz, muscovite, and some modern ' into the masonry pores. Ground water brick, are extremely resistant to acid carries dissolved carbon dioxide and corrosion, while others, especially the decay products of vegetation while those rich in carbonate minerals and atmospheric gases and pollutants are iron oxides, are altered quite rapidly. 7 dissolved in rainwater. The resulting The rate of chemical deterioration is 2 solutions are acidic and have corro--, thus dependent on: (1) the type and sive characteristics. For example, ' concentration of ambient compounds, carbon dioxide, dissolved in ground (2) the porosity and chemical composi- water, produces carbonic acid which is tion of the masonry, and (3) the capable of slowly dissolving marble availability of water. and lime mortars. If dampproof courses are not present, rising damp, Although water is the greatest the upward movement of ground water villain, there are other sources of via capillary action, can carry this deterioration. Wind-blown particulatâ‚¬ corrosive solution throughout lower matter can erode masonry surfaces by portians of the building. abrasion. The roughened surface is then capable of holding more pollu- Atmospheric pollutants are an tants and more water, and thus even more potent source of chemical promotes further deterioration. deterioration. Sulfur dioxide and Pigeon and other bird droppings are)a sulfur trioxide, generated by the source of decay.f Substances in the burning of certain fossil fuels, dis- excrement can cause staining and dis- solve readily in rainwater to produce solution. The build-up of droppings highly corrosive sulfurous and sul- holds dampness in the surface longer, 13 promoting water-related deterioration. ft 18,75516,;~ C Droppings support micro-vegetation and bacterial growth which can cause chem- ical and mechanical decay and surface +99#*f:~82.6/.6-1.2.. . .: :.:Â·tÂ·i:-i MlÂ·. stains. Tendrils of ivy and other 5!-4~13-4 - C . r,~71 91,j :IÂ·./.:... ~1., 67&4.- ; -Â·.- f i. G '.Â·:23Â·f i -*t .P.-Â·'2,1 -' 84. P climbing vines can erilarge~incipienti - 1 ZI E.....3.-mit E 4%. I' %K25~3- 2724 26*Z2CINZnt=~ =-IZMP~JM-3- ~ ;~l~ ~ ~~-~i~~~~~ ~~~ 41 14-r-+~i R the wallt Masonry materials- are @x- tremely firebresistant and completely 27 21.f'~15~ nonflammable, but the thermal shock of 2"-31-1344:2...:Â·'i~ a fire can cause damage that may not - I Â·-r-Â·r.t-J Â·uÂ·'t. -Â·-'4... 2~.r,rz;.tÂ·.->.i..Â·y'.-- .. . *4 be immediately visible. y '.-1-/1 .1 2. ..2....... -t.22-.:5.*:J.35.4..f~jit.1.,1 J 2 - '<..Â·-Â·,1~3Â·.1.9..L~Â·~ T;i ~51: ./--k./;tjji. 7 4-'39 33-.14:' f ., F>(/ A description of the processes of 09 . tie. masonry deterioration should not lead to the assumption that the walls are about to come tumbling down. Instead, .... 4 42 -Â· Â· Rti#. an understanding of the causes of . decay should lead to informed deci- sions for preservation planning and to The impact of cleaning can be seen appropriate methods of building On Boston's Quincy Market Building. restoration and maintenance. long concealed aspects of the original appearance, including color, textures, CLEANING and detailing. Finally, and perhaps most important, cleaning may slow the rate of deterioration. Built-up dirt' The Yellow Pages of the phone can promote deterioration by increas- book list a number of different com- ing the effective surface area and panies offering a variety of cleaning thus enhancing chemical reactions that (and waterproofing) services for involve the absorption of atmospheric masonry walls. While these treatments gases. Also, dirty areas remain wet are appropriate in some cases, they longer, and this residual dampness can cause serious damage in others. contributes to freeze/thaw cycle prob- It is important to understand the lems. Dirt supports the growth of various cleaning techniques and to micro-vegetation, which can cause recognize the possible deleterious surface disintegration, dissolution, consequences before deciding on a and staining. There are good reasons course of action and a contractor. for cleaning masonry, but they must be weighed against the possible harmful effects of the different cleaning WHY CLEAN? methods. The decision to clean a masonry structure should be consi dered in the ANALYSIS AND PLANNING context of the total program of build- ing conservation. The reasons for There are three basic methods Of. cleaning may be cosmetic, historic, og masonry cleaning: (1) water cleaning, preservative: The dramatic impact of (2) chemical cleaning, and (3) abra- a newly cleaned wall can help attract sive cleaning. Water rinsing is used tenants or aid in fund raising. Care- in most techniques, and the complete ful removal of dirt can restore; some process of cleaning a single building 14 may involve a combination of different possible. Finally, the patches should methods. Although specific procedures be allowed to weather up to a ful T '~'- A may vary, there are some basic charac- Aar if feasible so that long-term; teristics and some potential hazards effects can be gauged. associated with each technique. There is no special formula for The selection of a suitable evaluating the results of these method of cleaning depends upon the experiments. Variables, such as characteristics of the masonry and the efficacy and- cost, wi 11 be weighted composition of the dirt. "Dirt" can di fferently by -each individual. The be anything from carbon soot to sili- results, however, should be examined ceous dust, from pigeon droppings to with two questions in mind: not only rust stains. The discoloration may "How should the building be cleaned?" 1 also be the products of deterioration: but also "How clean should the build-7 efflorescences, carbonate minerals, ing be?", The planning process, then,-; and/or leached cementing materials. begins with hiring a consultantl From On-site study of the dirt and its spe- analysis of the masonry and dirt, he cific location on the building can can recommend appropriate methods and lead to an understanding of the type rule out unsuitable techniques. The and source of dirt. More important, pertinent cleaning methods can be this analysis can provide information tested and the results reviewed. How- for establishing long-term maintenance ever, the visible results of test programs. patches are only one factor in choos- ing the most appropriate cleaning A complete chemical analysis of method. A clear understanding of the the dirt might permit the formulation cleaning techniques and a knowledge of of a specific cleaning product and possible harmful side effects are process, but such an analysis is important considerations. The follow- nearly impossible. An alternative ing is a checklist for comparing approach is to analyze the masonry. alternative cleaning methods: Such an evaluation requires the ex- pertise of building conservators, ~ EFFICACY OF THE CLEANING METHOD geologists, and chemists. The spe- cific chemical and physical character- COST istics of the masonry will determine which cleaning materials and tech- TIME niques are appropriate for the build- ing. The recommended methods can then - +POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO OTHER be tested. BUILDING MATERIALS POTENTIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY Test patches of the suitable HAZARDS techniques should be located in areas representative of both the dirt and POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE the masonry. Each patch should be of sufficient size to give an accurate indication of the method's effective- ness by including several masonry units and mortar joints. Dissimilar materials and finished may look alike when obscured by a build-up of dirt. All materials should be included in a test patch, and these patches should be located in an inconspicuous area if 15 WATER CLEANING the surface through a low pressure (10 to 30 psi) nozzle and the high Water cleaning softens the dirt temperatures swell dirt deposits from and rinses it from the surface in one the masonry. Steam cleaning minimizes of three different methods: (1) low water damage since only a small amount pressure wash, (2) moderate to high of water condenses on the surface. pressure wash, and (3) steam cleaning.; However, the procedure requires exten- sive equipment, the process is often Continuous low pressure water slow, and the safety hazards to the soaking of the masonry surfaces some- operator are substantial. , times for up to a week or mores can soften dirt deposits and rinse them from the surface. Moderate pressure CHEMICAL CLEANING (200 to 600 psi) water rinsing or in some cases high pressure (600 to 1800 Chemical cleaners react with the psi) spraying is also used to wash dirt and/or the masonry to lift de- away dirt. Low pressure techniques posits from the surface. The process are often aided by scrubbing with a usually starts with pre-wetting to bristle brush. (Wire brushes should initiate softening of the dirt and to not be used because they damage the ' decrease the absorption of the clean- surface and leave iron flecks which ing agent and rinse water by the can produce rust stains.) masonry. The chemical cleaners are applied with brushes or a low pressure In general, these water cleaning , spray, and, after the appropriate techniques are simple to carry out, reaction time, the dirt, reaction require a minimum of equipment and products, and excess chemicals are materials, and are relatively safe for rinsed from the surface with water. the building and the environment. However, water cleaning can cause The cleaning agents may be damage. First of all, high pressure composed of a variety of chemical com- spraying should be used on only the pounds, but they are either acidic or hardest of masonry units since it can alkaline. Acidic solutions containing abrade soft surfaces. It is not un- hydrofluoric, phosphoric, or muriatic common for even moderate pressure (hydrochloric) acids are formulated rinses to chip off cracked mortar or for use on granite, sandstones, and deteriorated brick. Water can pene- brick, while alkaline cleaners such trate deeply into the wall through as sodium (or potassium) hydroxide or open joints- and subsequently damage ammonia are designed for use orr acid- interior wall finishes. Impure local sensitive surfaces like limestone or ~ water, containing iron or copper, can marble. leave stains, while some soft water is acidic enough to harm limestones and Because most of these chemical marble, particularly in lengthy soak- cleaners are water based, and because ing processes. Finally, water. clean- most processes involve wetting and ~ ing should never be undertaken where rinsing, these methods have all the the possibility of freezing exists at potential problems of water cleaning. any time before the saturated walls Additional problems can occur as the can dry out completely. result of ill-chosen products, improper concentrations, and/or un- Though once quite popular, steam skilled methods. cleaning is used less and less for masonry facades. Steam, generated in Acids can dissolve carbonate roci a flash boiler, is directed against and lime mortar; some acid products 16 etch glazed or polished surfaces. Some chemicals may cause a "chanbe ih dolor or leave a hazy residub that is resistant to repeated rinsing. Resid- ual alkali can create efflorescenct problems, particularly in porous ,==q,2---C.c=-===nt;-Cies#ME:ZES#Agila//in brick. Other chemicals in the clean- ers can react with components of brick or mortar to produce soluble salts-. For example, muriatic acid (HC1), though widely used, can cause serious damage to older masonry by leaving behind highly mobile hygroscopic . - flfli''wi-r ,-11'*Dray=Gil,<3/JF:2>Â¢t~h,~*21--'Ft/fteÂ©tn chlorides. 1=14Â«80==*,0==~ Chemical cleaners may damage 7/lf - -, --.- -, -I,--rl ===r-=- adjacent materials or may pose en- mipsemitgo~ vironmental threats. Strong chemical ~ solutions or vapors may cause injury to operators or bystanders, and the run-off, though diluted, may damage The sandblast cleaning process has plant and animal life. eroded and pockmarked this brick. weathering crusts of some soft stone# ABRASIVE CLEANING are likewise protective, so their removal will hasten decay. The pock- Mechanical cleaning methods use marks left by grit blasting increase grit blasters, grinders, or sanding the surface area on which new dirt can discs to abrade the dirt off the ~ settle and ambient pollutants can masonry surface. The use of grinders react, so deterioration is accelerated. and sanding discs or wheels is lim- Old lime mortar joints are especially, ited; it is a slow, labor-intensive susceptible to damage by abrasive process and invariably causes great cleaning, and the erosion of these damage to masonry. Grit blasting, joints may permit increased water however, is widespread. The typical penetration. process involves an aggregate of silica sand, propelled by a high- Airborne silica from the aggre- velocity stream of air at 20 to 100 gate or masonry itself poses a serious psi against the masonry surface.r The health threat, and as a result many scrubbing action of the air/abrasive localities have legislated restric- jet removes dirt but also causes ero- tions against grit blasting. Water sion and pockmarking of the masonry; can be injected into the system to no matter how skilled the equipment limit dust and cushion the abrasion, operator. but these wet-blast systems are prone - to clogging, and the necessity for In the case of detailed carvings, rinsing adds expense. Silica remains and polished surfaces, even minimal the aggregate most used, but alterna- erosion is unacceptable. For brick,: tives are being tried to lessen harm- the loss of the hard outer surface, ful abrasion. Aggregates like coal formed by firing, is extremely damagi wastes, crushed slags, beach (as ing. Erosion of this skin exposes a opposed to quarried) sand, and minute softer inner core which is more sus- glass beads can reduce erosion. ceptible to deterioration. The 17 NEW DEVELOPMENTS painting is sometimes the simplest and least expensive technique even if the The technolog? of masonry con- scaling patches require extensive servation is rapidly advancin9 ias new preparation work. methods improve efficacy and limit side effects. Today' s practices are If paint removal is deemed neces- constantly being revised with new sary, the hazards of stripping and techniques, new chemical solutions, blasting methods must be considered and new equipment. Recent experiments and appropriate precautions planned. show the potential of lasers and zenon One course is to use chemicals flash tubes for future building clean- specially formulated for removintl ing projects. paint from masonry. The concentra- tions and application techniques of these products should be tested on the i PAINT REMOVAL specific conditions of paint and masonry at each particular site. Although removing paint from masonry buildings is often associated with the cleaning process, there are WATERPROOFING some specific characteristics of painted masonry that deserve direct attention. Water penetration is the primary cause of masonry deterioration, so Owners often hastily conclude surface treatments are often claimed that removing paint from masonry walls to.be panaceas. However, such coat- is always good preservation practice. ings can sometimes cause problems The benefits cited include: (1) sim- greater than the ones they purport to plification of long-term maintenance, solve. (2) increased visual appeal, and (3) restoration of the original ap- Masonry porosity is usually not. pearance. However, these reasons are the only problem. Deep water penetral not always valid. tion manifested by damage to interior finishes can often be traced to Removing paint from masonry re- deteriorated mortar joints, to leakinb quires either abrasive cleaning or . roofs, gutters, or downspouts, to chemical stripping and thus poses the rising damp, or to interior condensdk problems associated with each process. tion. Coatings will not solve these ~ i Paint removal is often followed by the problems; in fact, they may magnify application of a clear waterproof their damaging effects. In the case coatings and none of these products is of rising damp, for examples surface maintenance free. Finally, the coatings encourage ground water to go reasoning that removing the paint re- higher because evaporation is inhib- stores the original appearance may be ited. Waterproofing can increase the specious. The painting of masonry wasl problems of condensation on the in-, common practice in the United States / terior walls by restricting the move- by the nineteenth century, 'and the ment of water vapor through the technique often invol ved the pencil ind' masonry materials. of joints in white for emphas.is. .Rel? painting can thus be a valid restoraf. tion procedure. Painting masked poor; masonry workmanship and was intendedi as a waterproof coating to provide: protection for the porous brick. Re- 18 There are two types of coatings 3 ings are often necessary to limit (1) waterproof coating& which seal the excessive water absorption. There can surface from both liqu'id and vapor, be other instances where the hazards and (2) water-repellent coatings which of local conditions outweigh the prevent li*rfÂ©beR-dt-ratioriwbht Which potential damage caused by the coat- allow vapor to phiC through the pores 1 ings. In any case, coatings should be of the masonry. used to treat specific water problems and site conditions and should be only ~2 Waterproof coatings are usually one element of a maintenance plan opaque, such as bituminous mastics and which may include repointing, caulk- some types of paint, and they are ing, and repairs to roofs, gutters, effective as long as all water is ex- leaders, flashings. cluded. If, however, water does enter the wall, the coating prevents its escape by normal means. This trapped REPOINTING water can freeze and cause damage to the wall and coating. The natural process of weathering Water-repellent coatings are hastened by lack of appropriate and ,* usually transparent, such as silicone periodic maintenance can result in coatings. These coatings can still serious deterioration. Repairs neces- change the appearance of the facade sary to restore decayed walls can since they alter the reflective char- include repointing, replacement, and/ acteristics of the masonry. Water- or consolidation. Using appropriate repellent coatings cause liquid water materials applied with careful work- to bead and run off the surface; how- manship, these techniques of masonry ever, water vapor can enter and leave preservation are a safeguard for the through the pores. The entering structure and can restore the original moisture will condense at cold spots character of the wall. However, in- in the wall, and this water can cause compatible materials and improper damage if it freezes. Trapped water installation can do more harm than can escape through evaporation, but good. the water-repellent coating shifts the zone of evaporation to behind the sur- Repointing is a common preserva- face. Thus subflotescence problems tion practice and an important aspect are enhanced. of masonry maintenance. Lime mortar; - _joints generally deteriorate more Test patches for coatings do not rapidly than the masonry units, and allow adequate evaluation. Most of Vequire pefiodicrepair. Pointing the damaging effects take years to mortar serves little structural funt- become evident, and, since water can tion,.but if damaged joints-are left enter and leave the wall through unchecked, further deterioration of surrounding untreated masonry, dele- the masonry is accelerated as exces- 1 terious aspects are diminished. sive amounts of water enter the wallf Repointing specifications should be Most masonry buildings have sur- based on three considerations: vived for years without coatings and (1) mortar composition, (2) color, and without serious deterioration, so ~3) joipt types and application tedtr coatings are generally unnecessary..; niques. However, they may be appropriate as remedial treatment for seriously del? cayed masonry. In the case of sand- blasted brick, water-repellent coat- 19 COMPOSITION 6 9/'8454%4'EW/imiwi Modern masonry materials and .techniques are quite different from their antecedents. Old lime mortars C.Jth---- - were of inconsistent composition and rilt ___--- were basically weak. Over the years, 7%3."In./8/ lime has leached out of the mortar, further reducing its strength. The 441 24 7. bricks, products of low-temperature -LLe~MDG~ firing, were also soft. Worl<manship 9- /3 in older masonry walls was sometimes poor. especially in areas which would - not be seen. But what was lacking in 5.-cÂ· ~ qual ity was compensated for in quan- tity; early masonry walls are invari- N 1 ably very thick. The resulting brick ; 3 0 mass was fairly plastic. Stresses caused by settling foundations or 2 4 shifting loads could be relieved by movements within the wall. These Repolnting Boston's historic Faneuil Hall. movements were most often absorbed by yielding mortar. Specifications for mortar compo- Today's Portland cement mortars sition should avoid too high a cement and hard burned bricks are dense, conteftt, but the mortar must be rigid, and hard materials. While weather resistant and of sufficient they are well suited for use together, strength to withstand the loads. (The in new construction, they can cause loads on old masonry walls are, usu- 4 serious and irreversible damage wheri ally, quite small.) Old limes very used for repair and repointing. often contained a small amount of Modern mortars with a high Portland natural cement, while today's limes cement content (i.e., more than one are purer. For this reason it is ad- part Portland cement to one part lime visable to use some Portland cement of as a binder) are generally too rigid natural cement in repointing-mortar to cushion the stresses in old masonry mixes. The exact proportions of lime walls. New Portland cement pointing and cement and sand in the mortar are may be the strongest and most rigid best determined by an expert who can element in an old building. The rou- ascertain the characteristics of the tine stresses of expansion and old materials and suggest a specific contraction, due to temperature ratio for the repointinp mortar. fluctuations (previously absorbed by the weak lime mortar), now cause Although consultation with a cracking and spalling of the masonry. specialist is the best course, care- High-cement-content mortars are less ful examination of the old masonry porous than both the old mortar and may yield enough information to select the old brick. Rainwater absorbed generally appropriate mortar mixes. A by the masonry units may tend to few simple tests can determine the travel inward along the top surface type of the mortar, but previous re- of the new mortar joints, actually pointing may obscure the original penetrating deeper into the wall material. Lime mortar is soft; it than before. will crumble under pressure, and will? soften in water. Portland cement 20 mortar is hard; it will crack rather: gauge. (Portland cement, on the other tha92-Ambl etjAdÂ«,pressure., and will hand, approaches its final strength nÂ® soften in water:. If the mortar after 28 days.) Specific site condi- fs indeed the old lime type, special tions may warrant weaker mortars. care must be taken in specifying new mortar composition. The experts often disagree over specific repointing mortar composi- --A general rule is that the ~ tions, and most are reluctant to strength. ofinew mortars, when fully suggest standard proportions because Flatqgn,d..stip.OliCÂ£1*8*I:.lhÂ®.flbe : the special conditions of each case .stteqgth-of the old brick or stone i n can call for different ratios. For the wallj However, accurately measur- general repointing of old masonry ing the compressive strength of old walls, hoivevkr; ASTM type K (or somej. masonry units is problematic. Like- times 0)' specifications are bften wise, the ultimate strength of high- recommended. Other sources recommend lime-content mortars, which take years a slightly higher content of lime or to harden completely, is difficult to a greater proportion of sand. MORTAR TYPE PORTLAND CEMENT HYDRATED LIME AGGREGATE K 1 over 2-1/2 to 4 not less than 2-1/4 and not more than 3 times the sum of the volumes 0 1 1 of cement and lime (APT) 1 1 5-1/2 17-1/2 2 Herman 1 3 12 to 20 Sand measured in a damp, loose condition. 1. See APT Bulletins Vol. VI, No. 3, p. 37. 2. See The Old-House Journal, Vol. III, No. 3, p. 6 K -75 psi Average compressive strength at 28 days: 0 - 350 psi For conversion to pounds the following table from the ASTM standards may be helpful: Material Pounds per cubic foot Portland Cement 94 Hydrated lime 40 Sand, damp and loose 80 21 Morgan W. Phillips, Architectural Conservator at the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiqui- ties, has used the following formulae in repointing walls of old hand-made brick. PARTS BY VOLUME, DRY Cement Lime Sand Strong bricks and where conditions 1 2 7-9 - require extra weather resistance Fairly strong old bricks and where 1 3 10-12 conditions require strength Average hand-made bricks, 1 4 12-15 average conditions Very weak or sandblasted 1 5 15-18 bricks, sheltered exposure darken as the lime weathers away and COLOR exposes the sand. This natural weath- ering may be artificially accelerated Repointing mortars should attempt; by deliberately exposing the sand when to duplicate the color of the original the new mortar is just beginning to mortar, particularly when patching. harden (after about 1 hour): the But perfect color matches may be , joint is sprayed lightly with water nearly impossible. To ascertain the and then rubbed with burlap. correct color, it is often necessary to chip .off the surface of the joint Mid- to late-nineteenth century to expose mortar not discolored by * buildings were often pointed with dirt and weather. Early (1700-1850) colored mortar. The restoration of mortars were rarely pigmented. Be- these colors may be as simple as add- cause lime is white, they derived ing a little brick dust to achieve a their color from the sand. Therefore, red tint, or as difficult as testing the color and the average grain size precise quantities of synthetic iron of the original aggregate should be oxide pigments. The use of pigment; duplicated in the repointing. The new can present problems. Weathering mortar may still not match the old ex- tends to accentuate inherent di ffer- actly because of impurities in the old ences between the old and new mortars. 1 ime. The cement added to the new' The pigment can also decrease the mortar must be white; not the usual- strength of the mortar and so require light gray, and the lime should be j new cement proportions. "high plasticity, and "high calcium ' content: " These new mortars will at first appear too light, but they 22 I.ECHNIUES mzlili mmi .*11111=<ib.Xmilillill Repointing begins with the re4 -t,aM moval of old, loose mortar from the j Ill~$ 11EMI joints. Carbide blades and power imiaCH-d-am 4 chisels are often used, but even in the hands of skilled workers damage to the arrises can occur. The mortar joint is enlarged, and the edges of the brick or stone are broken, expos- ing their softer cores. The whole character of the wall can be destroyed and deterioration accelerated. The mason should use only. hand tools: a hammer and cold chisel, or in the case of very soft mortar, a hardwood chisel. â‚¬ The old mortar should be removed to a depth of 1/2" to 1-1/2". Loose particles should be flushed from the The mortar color and joint tooling were joint with a water spray to insure a not properly matched ln this repair. proper bond to both the masonry and the old mortar. and the rate of water evaporation. The ingredients for the appropri- Care should be taken to keep mor} ate mortar composition should be tar off the face of the bricks. Pre- thoroughly mixed in dry form. Water wetting the surface will prevent should be added to only as much of the problems in this regard, and excess dry mix as will be used within 15 . mortar can be removed by bristle minutes. If wet mortar containing brushing. lime stands unused for more than 15 minutes, it begins to lose its ability Finally, repointing should never to gain strength on drying. Water be undertaken when the possibil ity of should be added in as small an amount freezing exists. Additives to lower as will achieve a "workable" mixture. the freezing point are considered un- Excessive quantities of water will suitable by ASTM standards. cause the- mortar to shrink too much as the water evaporates. This results in cracking and improper bonding. Use of REPAIRS a well-graded aggregate can reduce shrinkage. REPLACEMENT Before.repointing; the wall should be wetted to prevent the old Severe deterioration or destruc- mortar and brick from absorbing water tion of the original facade may neces- too rapidly from the new mortar. Some sitate replacement of some of the maD movement of water from the mortar into sonry elementsÂ· For both physical and the units promotes bonding by drawing aesthetic reasons, the new materials. binder into the masonry pores, but too should be compatible with, if not iden- rapid an absorption prevents proper tical to, the old elements. curing of the new mortar. The appro- Priate amount of pre-wetting is de- Stone units are generally diffi- pendent on the porosity of the bricks, cult to match and repairs are often 23 regional size consistency if one local Â·,2-'Â»;~%94~39~~,<~~~~~~~~~~~ aanufactuterislp~l iId thit cfsthesites - of destroyed buildings or wreckers: salvage yards may be a source for re- placement bricks. The bricks should. 1~Â»:4:**44Â¢-< 7 Â· i ' -' iMM**9:36Â·43 of course be cleaned of old mortar be- fore installation. Modern bricks come in a variety of colors and textures, but they rarely match older materials. ili-j- 7 -3--373[F-TE>-fitlf*NES However, many manufacturers do offer and texture. li' 1 In any repair work there is no 397,~9Â©Â»12*Â·fjif fop'Â·--;4*5:Â»â‚¬ff,-9>,29Â¥'i?Y#,f:3*Â·w't~Â·~ .0* substitute for quality workmanship by an experienced mason. .P.7433>T,~~::...,. -r,-rsrz:-s.:.~.-4-9.3. The bricks can be damaged when carbide CONSOLIDATION blades are used to remove loose mortar. When a building of great archi- complicated by unusual patterns, tectural or historical significance styles, and finishes. The original is.preserved, the skills and know- quarries may, however, still be in ledge of museum conservators may be operation so materials with similar applied. Complex techniques of chem- characteristics can be obtained. ical stabilization may be used to save every possible fiber of the original In the repair of brick walls. fabric. Organic polymer resins, the there are three basic considerations: basis of modern adhesives, have been (1) the bonding pattern, (2) the mor- developed for consol idating deterio- - tar and joints, and (3) the bricks rating masonry. Chemical agents capa- themselves. The original bonding pat- ble of introducing structural and me- tern should be fully duplicated, in- chanical change have been tested suc- cluding details at corners and around cessfully. And, there are a host of openings. As in the case of repoint- other methods and materials being de- ing, mortars used for repairs should veloped for building preservation. match the old in color and composition. including fiberglass molds, special The joints are especially important. patching compounds, and replication The width of the joint and type of materials. These techniques are often tooling are elements critical to the very expensive because they required appearance and character of the wall. the expertise of experienced profes- For the bricks themselves there are sionals and the skills of trained four essential issues: (1) size,' artisans. (2) color, (3) texture,i and (4) coml pressive strength. Until the turn of the century, there was no real standardization of brick sizes, so it is often very dif- ficult to match the exact dimensions of old bricks. There may be some 24 REFERENCES American Society for Testing and Phillips, Morgan W. "SPNEA-APT Con- Materials. Standard Specifications ference on Mortar, Boston, March 15- for Structural Clay Products and 16, 1973," Association for Preserva- Mortar, reprinted by Brick Institute tion Technology Bulletin, Vol. VI, of Americas McLean, Virginia, 1973. No. 1, 1974. Brick Institute of America. Technical Prudon, Theodore H. M. "The Case Notes on Brick Construction, Mclean, Against Removing Paint from Brick Virginia. - Masonry," The Old House Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, February 1975. Diedrich. James G. "Chemically Strip- ping Paint from Exterior Masonry, Sleater, Gerald A. "A Review of Natu- The Old House Journal, Vol. III, No. ral Stone Preservation," National 5, May 1975. Bureau of Standards Preliminary Re- port NBSIR 74-444, December 1973. Eisenberg, Kenneth S. "Exterior Preservation andÂ·Restoration: New Stambolov, T., and J. R. J. van Aspere Concepts in the Treatment of Old Asperen de Boer. The deterioration Buildings," Lecture at Harvard Uni- and conservation of porous building versity, February 25, 1975. materials in monuments, Interna- tional Centre for Conservation, Feilden, Bernard M. "Restoring Three Rome, 1972. Cathedrals: York Minster, Norwich and St. Paul's," in Building Early Weist, Norman R. "Exterior Cleaning America, Radnor, Pennsylvania, of Historic Masonry Buildings." Chilton Book Co., 1976. draft report prepared for Inter- agency Historic Architectural Ser- Herman, Frederick. "Restoring Old vices Program, NPS, November 1975. Brickwork," The Old House Journal, Vol. III, No. 3, March 1975. Winkler, E. M. Stone: Properties, Durability in Man's Environment, International Institute for Conserva- New York, Springer-Verlag, 1973. tion of Historic and Artistic Works. New York Conference on Conservation of Stone and Wooden Objects, London, 1970. Lewin, Seymour Z. "The Preservation of Natural Stone, 1839-1965, An Annotated Bibliography," in Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts, 6, 1966. Mack, Robert C. "The Cleaning and Waterproof Coating of Masonry Build- ings," Interagency Historic Archi- tectural Services Program, OAHP/NPS, November 1975. 25 GLOSSARY ARRIS: The sharp edge or ridge formed FACE BRICK OR STOCK BRICK: A brick of by two surfaces meeting at a corner. uniform quality. ASHLAR MASONRY: Masonry contructed FREEMASON: Masons trained to carve with large rectangular blocks intricate details in stone. usually of clay or stone. HANDMADE BRICK: Wet clay pressed into BOND: The systematic patterning of a mold. brick in masonry construction. HARD-BURNT BRICK: Brick fired at a BRICKBAT: A piece of broken brick. high temperature, resulting in units of high compressive strength CLAMP OR SCOVE KILN: A brick firing and low water absorption. kiln, often temporary, constructed with raw bricks and a furnace in HEADER OR BONDER: Brick laid so that the base. smallest face is visible.' CLOSER: A brick of shorter length, HYDRATED LIME: Calcium hydroxide, or laid at corners or near apertures, slaked lime, made by the reaction to maintain the bond pattern. of water with quicklime. COMMON OR BUILDING BRICK: Brick that HYDRAULIC LIME: Lime containing clay does not meet specific standards impurities which enable it to set due to color, texture or dimension. and harden under water. CORBEL: A stepped configuration HYDRAULIC MORTAR: Any of various mor- formed by the projection of succes- tars that will set and harden under sive horizontal courses. water. COURSE: A horizontal band of masonry. KING CLOSER: A brick 3/4 normal length, used to complete a course DAMP-PROOFING COURSE: A strip or of stretchers. layer of impermeable material which prevents rising damp. MASONRY: Historically refers to stone or fired clay units usually bonded EFFLORESCENCE: Deposits of soluble with mortar. In modern terms in- salts on surface of masonry. cludes such items as concrete block. 27 MOLDED BRICKS: Bricks manufactured in SOFT-BURNT BRICK: Brick fired at low unusual or irregular shaped molds, temperatures producing units of low usually ornamental. compressive strength and high ab- sorption. NATURAL CEMENT: Lime with a high clay content. SOLDIER: A unit of masonry laid : vertically so that the longest POINTING: Filling and tooling of side is visible. joints after the masonry units have been laid. SPALLING: Deterioration characterized by loss of large patches of the POINTS: Round or octagonal tools with surface. sharpened ends used in dressing stone. STRETCHER: A unit of masonry laid horizontally so that the longest PORTLAND CEMENT: An artificial com- side is visible. bination of clay and calcareous minerals which are calcined and STRING OR BELT COURSE: Narrow pro- pulverized. It is a highly hydrau- jecting horizontal courses of lic material which became the major masonry. ingredient in mortar after 1880. STRIKING: The finishing of a joint PRESSED BRICK: A machine-made brick with any of a variety of tools. formed in a mold under high pres- sure from relatively dry clay. SUBFLORESCENCE: Deposits of salt which build up behind the masonry QUEEN CLOSER: A brick of 1/2 normal surface. width, used to complete a course of headers. TERRA-COTTA: Low-fired clay, either glazed or unglazed, used primarily QUICKLIME: Calcium oxide, produced by in ornamental reliefs. the burning of lime. VITREOUS: Glasslike, resulting from RANDOM ASHLAR: Ashlar with units of high-temperature firing. varying size. WATERPROOF COATING: A surface treat- REPOINTING: The filling and tooling ment which excludes both liquid of open joints with new mortar. water and water vapor. RISING DAMP: Ground water that trav- WATER-REPELLENT COATING: A surface els upward through a masonry wall treatment which excludes liquid by means of natural capillary water but is permeable to water action. vapor. ROUGH MASONS: Masons who dress the WATER TABLE: A projecting course of rough blocks of stone. molded masonry near ground level which may be combined with a damp- SAND BLASTING: An abrasive cleaning proofing course. method in which aggregate material is propelled by a stream of air or water. SLAKING: Hydration of quicklime. 28 *eALLIANCE REVIEW ..r NEWS from :Ag NATIONAL ALLIANCE of PRESERVATION COMMISSIONS SPRING 1994 HOW To CONDUCT A PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING by James K. Reap THE DRAMA' S LAWS THE DRAMA' S PATRONS GIVE. FOR WE THAT LIVE TO PLEASE MUST PLEASE TO LIVE. Samuel Johnson ~ f all meetings are theater, as George David Kieffer insists in his book The Strategy Of Meetings, then preservation commission wy'ly members and their staffs must learn to be f)ggillillhi effective producers, directors, script writers, and - - .jerj~,#~-N actors to ensure their production is successful and -* ' 4 , --* 4 \9 their objectives are met. It is largely through the . Al conduct of public meetings and hearings that a hâ‚¬Y,1 - i --efiv' 7.4. community's perception of the preservation com- . t .-41. mission is formed, and their public image willhelp ~ - \ V I 5 37., I. determine their ultimate success or failure. It is . .1 VAX I also at these meetings that commissions may be /4, . /1 ' I ./ & t-- most vulnerable to procedural missteps which 34 4; Iii may render their decisions, regardless of their .1. / I . -2. . . 11 merits, null and void when challenged in court. Communication is essentialin meetings, and the "theater can either enhance or undermine the verbal message. Everything we do communicates something - where we meet, how the room is arranged, whatwe wear, our toneofvoice,body language, punctuality, andattitude, what wegivemost attention to, and how we treat others. Since we can't eliminate these messages, we should turn them to our advantage. Think about the image you want to project and the impressions, such as disorganization and arbitrariness, you want to avoid. With proper preparation, active participation, and attention to detail we can be effectivecommunicators and accomplish our purposes within the requirements of the --_law, In preparing for your role, you need to be familiar with the laws, rules and procedures under which you operate. Know the relevant provisions of the state constitution and statutes, the local ordinance, and the commission's bylaws, rules of procedure and design guidelines. We can learn from others by taking advantage of conferences and workshops on historic preservation law and commission operation. Observe and critique meetings of other boards such as planning and zoning commissions as well as other preservation commissions. You can even evaluate your performance by viewing a video tape of one of your own meetings and by surveying your audiences. Every production needs a script, and yours is the agenda. A good agenda helps members come prepared and stay focused during the meeting. Somecommon elements include: thenameof thegroup, Continued on page 3, column 2 -- -*I,i-1 SPRING 1994 on their state offices for assistance. While the state office Continued from page 1 shouIdbe the first pointofcontactfor a local commission, title of the meeting, date place, starting and ending it should not be the only recourse. In a case where a state times, the chair, items to be considered and those re- lacks enthusiasm about the CLG program, or lacks the sponsible and references to background materials. Irs skills to effectively manage it the program can founder. helpful to identify those iterns which require action and The same is true for CLG coordinators in the state offices. those which are for discussion only. Action iterns are These personnel need continuing training and technical generally listed first, followed by other issues in order assistance, with a national perspective, to enable thern to of their urgency. Distributing the agenda and back- do their jobs and serve their local customers more effec- ground rnaterialsahead of tiIne helps participantslearn tively. Local governments and theirmotivat,xi state coor- their parts. Whenever possible members should pre- dinators therefore need a single point to call for help and pare by going "on location" to get a firsthand view of that point should be in Washington. the properties which will be discussed in the meeting. At the Performance Review, we discussed the need for It's crucial to develop rules of procedure and supple- local governments and their state CLG coordinators to ment them with standardized parliarnentary proce- create avenues of communication where they may learn dures such as Robert's Rules of Order. Like the agenda, about the successes of local government programs in the rules help the group remain in control of its own otherstatesand regions. If ParkService stafftimeassisting processes and eliminate contusion. Operating a meet- theCLGprogramisremoved,nological pointofinforma- ing without thern would be like playing baseball with- tion will remain. CLGs need one phone number they can out rules. There is a danger, however, that misused call forhelp for issues that go beyond the resources of the parliarnentary procedure can block creative thought state. and interchange of ideas. The chair must make the right decision on the degree of formality required at any Why is the CLG program important? First, 10% of each given time. state's allocation is given in grants to local governments, primarily for planning and survey work. This money Set the stage properly. The roorn you choose can en- leverages even Inore local dollars and in many cases is hance communication or be a barrier. The space should moneythatrnoredirectlylea(is to preservation ofcultural be neither too big nor too small for the group, and resources than any other. everyone should be able to see and hear whafs going on. Pay attention to proper lighting and sound and, if We need a local government advocate in Washington possible, arrange for equiprnent to tape record the who can work with the state's CLG coordinators to solve proceedings to ensure an adequate permanent record. problems, stream-line accounting and help local govern- While not the only suitable solution, a sernicircular mentsdo whattheydobest--preservecultural resources. arrangement for commission members facing others in We need more staff tirne in Washington dedicated to the attendance is conventional and prornotes interaction. CLG program, not less. And we need your help in assur- ing that this support will be there when the new, more The lead role in rneetings belongs to the chair. He is the efficient NPS operating structure emerges. production's moderator, whose main job is to facilitate communication. To do this, the chair must know the The preservation program. including the local govern- rules and rernain impartial. He should seek contribu- ment component, is one that can be run efficiently 1with a tions frornall participants, Inakecertain rninority views smallstaffinWashington.Iurgeyou toconsider the needs are expressed, clarify and summarize issues help oflocal govemmentsand to structurea nationalpreserva- separate facts from opinions, and keep on the lookout tionprogmmthatreallyworksefficently, not thatsimply for and diffuse emotional buildups. He should never looksgood inareport aboutdown-sizingand re-structur- permit personal attacks or derogatory comments. ing. When the curtain goes up, make sureyou have a strong Sincerely, opening. Begin on time. This is the commission's first test of control and sends a message the meeting wilI be conducted in abusinesslikemanner. Start with theright Nord V. Winter attitude and project a sense of confidence. Your audi- Chairman ence will be quick to pick up on nervousness or uncer- National Alliance of Preservation Commissions tainty. Make sure you can be heard and understood. "Speak clearly and avoid using jargon and acronyms which require translation. 3 1 The ALLIANCE REVIEW Set the scene by introducing the cast of characters. avoid legal problems and the animosity of others who Summarize how the plot will unfold, and invite audi- may feel threatened by an invasion of their territory. ence participation. Be sure to cover your legal require- ments for the record: note the presence of a quorum, When you have completed your action items, move determine if notice and advertisement requirements through the remaining matters on the agenda. As the havebeen met, state the ruleson conflictof interest, and final curtain approaches, members will have begun to approve theminutesofpreviousmeetings. Now you're turn off substantive discussion. Use the last few mo- ready for the first act. ments of a meeting to summarize actions taken and inform participants what happens next in the process Whelher you're considering applications for designa- and who must be involved. Thank all those who have tion or certificates of appropriateness, at a minimum, participated. End like you began, on a positive note, you should allow applicants to be heard, present their leaving your audience with a favorable impression of case, and rebut the opposing case. Some states require the commission. witnesses to be sworn and an opportunity to cross examine. If so, these formalities must be observed. In the end, don't confuse theater with showboating. If Allow others present to express their views and hear you watch the real meeting masters, they are smooth any sta ff presentations. Ask "experts" to describe their and subtle. It takes hard work and practice to run a qualifications and take their testimony for what it is - good meeting, but the results in decisions sustained, i just professional advice. Listen carefully and ask ques- good working relationships, and a positive image in tions to make certain you understand the issues in- the community are worth the effort volved. Verity that all required documentation is in order. Break a leg. After all views are heard, members should discuss the application thoroughly, examining the facts and alter- RESOURCES: natives in terms of practicality, cost, effectiveness, and enforceability. It's here that strictly following Robert's DeVries, Mary A. How to Run a Meeting; a Step-by-Step 1 Rules of Order - where the motion comes first and the Guide Based on The New Robert's Rules of Order. New ; discussion follows - can discourage consensus and York: Plume, 1994. allow a motion to pass before all issues have been , considered. A more informal approach encourages Doyal, Michael & David Straus How to Make Meetings collaboration and is less threatening than debate. A Work. New York: Berkley Books, 1993 negotiated solution that is acceptable to all the mem- bers may not be the first choice o f any, but it should be Kieffer, George David The Strategy of Meetings. New something everyone can live with. Conflicts can often York: Warner Books, 1988. be resolved by finding common ground. Develop a consensus first, if possible, and then call for a vote. Welty, Joel David Welty's Book of Procedures for Meet- Always try to achieve some consent even if there is not ings. Boards,Committees &Omcers. Aurora, Ill.:Caroline unanimity. Reserve formality for times when there House Publishers, Inc., 1982. Â·- - i would be contusion without it and when action is needed for the record. James K Reap is an attorney who teaches historic preserva- tion law at the University of Georgia and serves on the It is important for the commission to give reasons for Decatur, Georgia historic preservation commission. each of its decisions, even if state law doesn't require it. Courts find it difficult to evaluate actions where no reasons are given and they will not tolerate findings and conclusionsgood forany occasion. Members fram- ing motions for approval or denial of an application (for a designation or a certificate of appropriateness) should summarize the evidence, recite the standards applied - using the language of the ordinance -and state why the commission is taking the action. In reach- ing decisions, always stay clearly within the area of responsibility described by your ordinance. You will 4 . Information Series No. 62, 1992 REVIEWING NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN HISTORIC AREAS '~-'he design of new construction in a historic context is a subject that so. 1 licits passionate opinions from everybody- architects, neighborhood activists, developers, property owners, even the supposed casual observer. Consequently, it is not surprising that new construction projects in locally designated historic districts continue to be among the liveliest, and most challenging applications that preservation commissions review. Reviewing New Construction Projects in Historic Areas: Procedures for Local Preservation Commissions was first published in 1986 by the North- east Regional Office of the National Trust. The purpose remains the same: , to encourage responsible, rational decisions by providing preservation com- missions an outline of the basic documents and procedures that are essen- Ual to the public design review process of new construction projects in historic districts. In 1986, there were an estimated 1,200 locally designated historic districts in the United States; six years later, that number has grown beyond 1,800. The same six year period has seen a gradual decline in the number of new construction projects in historic districts which reflects the national eco- nomic climate. This does not mean, however, that preservation commis- sions, especially those that may be reviewing new construction projects for the first time, are finding these decisions any less difficult or complicated. In addition to a new set of illustrations, there are minor variations worth noting between the 1986 and the 1992 versions of Reviewing New Con- struction Projects. The 1992 version encourages communities to revise the basic documents, i.e., surveys, preservation plans, design guidelines, and or- dinances, that govern historic districts. Many locally designated districts are entering their second, third, perhaps even fourth stage of development but the documents are woefully outdated and do not reflect the districts as they now exist. The resources that are available to preservation commissions have grown and/or strengthened considerably. The Certified Local Government pro- gram (CLG) is one example of an organizational resource that has impacted the establishment and operation of preservation commissions in many ~ states. Technological resources such as the video taping of an entire dis- tict, computer imagin& or computer mapping systems are being used or at least considered by a greater number of preservation commissions. National Trust for Historic Preservation Preservation commissions review a range of design solutions for new . construction projects in historic settings. The New York City ,Â· Landmarks Preservation Commis- sion approved the reconstruction of a row house at 27 Tompkins Place - stja ET- 33 .. in the Cobble Hill Historic District -%;1#Â£ i in Brooklyn. The original structure WRATB-6~ 22- ,%: 4- was destroyed by fire and reconstruc- tion was considered the best soludon .j -P. to maintaining thecontinuity ofthe - streetscape. The new structure is a i e 1 two family condominhan Architect E : . â‚¬~ E , DiFiore, Giacobbe e) Associates. 1 5 1Â· ir 1 2 -12 3 . 0 -- , 3 V ti 4 t U 2 d / These developments as well as other factors suggest that the 1990s will be progressively active and challenging years for preservation commissions in their capacity as reviewers of new design in historic districts. There will be a greater melding and coordination of the oftentimes overlapping if not con- flicting functions of preservation commissions and other municipal plan- ning and zoning boards. This will expedite the application and review process, make it more understandable to the public, and hopefully, relieve many preservation commissions of being held solely accountable for new construction decisions in their communities. Although the number of districts will continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace, organized opposition by property rights grOUpS IO both the designation of additional districts and the administration of existing districts is also likely to grow. This could discourage new construction in those districts that are perceived as being unstable or threatened, or inhibit commissions from regulating anything beyond minimal design standards. There are many reasons why a local preservation commission should oper- ate as professionally as possible, regardless of how long it has been in exist- ence, and this publication is intended to benefit commissions of varying experience. The steps and procedures outlined offer a basic guide for newly established commissions. They also serve as a checklist for seasoned com- missions to measure performance and identify areas of their review process ~ - - The same New York City Land- marks Preservation Commission approved the glass-roofed conser- 7=*P LIE[El - illk[ L vancy or garden court that con- f. nects the Itali,mate brownstone 3 mansion built in 1852 for I.P. Mor- gan, k., with the Pierpont Morgan -" - . '"; 1 _L- : ' .!221 Library and annex, designed in ==7 'E::FET- - - 1906 by Charles F. McKim and in 03 Ir= r-:1 - - , _ ~ 2. 10 2 1928 by Beniamin Wistar Monis, r/1 4- 1].-- -4. 71 LI- 3 - - -- . respectively. The Madison Avenue ,. - ,1 , elevation was among the matenals - 7.-1 "9 . G:~7 :IMB~'A , r -1 ~ 1 *rd 1 1 --.r-- -A, reviewed by the commission when , I, ~ j~ making its decision. Architect: . lit .-- , lili I I glqr :w: 4, :9.-- - . , -U: ' ' 3 - Voorsanger 20 Associates. ../ , Pzf.na - /7. ,1 1 + . ic=i I4 r ' Ba 23 4 -.74, .'- - 1-9-<*- /41//< i trk./4; 4*I'll I â€¢ 1% '1./. '~0'#:~lili 29*1~ 1-ie 1.4 , - I ....t./.'2eii= 2 2/,7.- ~Pr ~JES,z --__2- -*=-1 .3 . f. 1 . i rkm<2-' 2,- Â· jifft f rÂ·Â·t:-Â©Ted/ -- : -4 2-4 *4-Â· 1 IN Lbph f -'. FU.* ; it....411;...*--...61.Lt, FAPit#ir T/1 6.--f.â€ž + *44- * -..-.v . ,< I. : .9 1 :X f . Le- - + e -12. t). . M .,1 hi-Ofl j Â» J . * 4 / I I Am) Vt)t),sange[ d) A.gsoc~utes A building-by-building map of a district is a necessary and easily 7 / 7--1 understood tool for illustrating , I 1 1 lilli such things as building signifi- cance, condmon, age,current use, ~ p ~ ~ ~~ ~~~~4 zoning, and vacant land. In addi- tion to a series of maps, the Whole- i F sale District Historic Area Plan for L Indianapolis also includes dia- 9 m I i E F i "-- m = I azzl-----.....Itt] D grams that illustrate the develop- able envelope for vacant land in the % district. The plan explains that the 4 diagramq do not indicate appropri- j WHOLESALE - - DISTRICT ate building shapes but rather, the : 1 _379'11- 1 2== ....'â€¢Al./. -7001. allowable maximum massing and I. 30/ height of infill construction. -1.-i ZZ7 sIg.,IC.nc. uNiON STATION - ni41=y-11 -==. - -4 -- , 1 '52==cl 1=- 4 -I F -1 #u~:dE ~ ~ Ah.*19-- 1/ 1 0 Â» /rÂ«Â» . - 4 / \3 6- G that need improvement. The recommendations take into account the wide discrepancy in resources that are available to commissions. For example, some commissions are assisted by support staff; however, many still operate with little or no staff. In some cities and towns, a sizable design conlmunity exists while in others it does not. Despite their differences, most preservation commissions share a desire to improve their expertise and effectiveness. The recommendations that fol- low will help commissions make decisions on requests for new construction but they do not and cannot provide absolute solutions. Every request for new construction in a historic district is site specific, and what was success- ful in one location can be a disaster in another. The challenge for preserva- tion commissions is knowing how to make the judgments that will preserve the distinguishing characteristics of the district while allowing expressions of change and adaptation. Diagram: Ratio Airchitects Map: Indianapol s or c Pres zvati 4 44 - - , Design Review: The Essential DocuInents Basic operational tools and procedures are essential if commissions are to give a thorough and fair review to applications for new construction and if applicants and the public are to understand the process. These are the same for both new construction and rehabilitation projects and include a survey or inventory, a preservation plan, an ordinance, design guidelines, and ad- ministrative procedures. The Survey: Documenting Your Historic Resources The survey documents the resources in a historic area. Through written descrip- tions and photographs, it records information on all buildings and sites such as their age, style, type, and condition, and on other visual elements such as open space, vacant lots, vistas, street and landscaping patterns, and sidewalk and fence materials and design. The survey identifies the distinguishing characteristics and special qualities of the area and helps determine district boundaries. It forms the basis for the preservation plan and the design. guidelines under which rehabilita- tion and new construction projects are reviewed. Survey methodology is important because the results will have both imme- diate application to the documentation of existing conditions and long-term application to proposals for rehabilitation, demolition, the moving of struc- tures, and new construction. The cohesiveness of a historic area depends on many factors including those buildings and sites that individually may lack ~ distinction but collectively support the broader design and cultural features of the area. The method for collecting data should accommodate these fac- tors because the survey results will influence decisions on the alteration or demolition of buildings. For example, surveys based on a ranking system tend to make buildings and sites that are collectively rather than individu- ally important to a dist:rict expendable and, therefore, vulnerable to demolition. The preservation commission will refer to the survey forms, visual records, and base maps frequently. The information should be available to the pub- lic and will be of particular interest to property owners in the area. The survey information should be regularly updated as well as incorporated into a citywide data base. If a survey did not originally identify the location of vacant, buildable lots in a district, this should be included in an update. For districts in which there is mounting pressure for new construction, a supplementary survey of vacant lots may be advantageous. The Preservation Plan: Defining Your Goals A preservation plan provides a descriptive overview of the historic area and outlines the philosophical goals and the recommendations for its preserva- tion and development. It should be based on an analysis of the survey re. sults, other planning and zoning regulations for such things as traffic and parking, use, density and new development, and input from property owners and residents. The plan need not be lengthy but should include clear, con- cise answers to the following questions. There are two locally designated 1 1 districts in Breckenridge, Colo. as , shown in the map on the right. The ~ 671- , <--- * cr \ conservation district embraces the / : - 4---- --- 1.-Â«31 e--~1~-~Co core area of the older part of town + .LJÂ»Â»41Â»*+4 - 1''I.5ul i / M ./ and serves as a transitional zone as -.2 ..- distinguished from the historic dis- , 4 + -"Ver;{hoeÂ©.Su>.--1 JAÂ«~9Â¢t~ -Â« trict which contains the greatest . 1,111111,10 - "Dul>-, :81%81* frul 'U--05.-&7 Â·,Â¥k,<fk/r . ...9~L concentration of historic structures. -Â« 7 , Â·Â·S' Â«c:~~~V>442&'M/>.f -- Design review is applied to all projects in both districts but new construction criteria for the conser- r..11,5--31-,1, '-uj.....2 1,# -I 1 & vation district is broader than for \ t ./ ---n the historic district as explained in - 5===622 V i LEGEND the Handbook of Design Standards ' ' ~f -,-- Locat Historic District eoundary â€¢National Register Historic District Boundary for the Historic Conservation Dis- - Conservation Oistnct Boundary tricts. In addition, as shown in the map below, the districts have been subdivided into character areas ..........",0.,rn.,-,Garnoâ€ž , .....T....,1 and design standards have been printed in a series of separate -1 -4 booklets for each area. 1 J -:1 ./ 1/1 - ' I UUL END ) Mi 9-911--0*=3. 72=2 'J",c,vn'2'D~ ./--fi- I, Fles,DE...L ..2 5 1, L~1~ ' -, ---L---I /4., sm- ./Gl T~UNITION / .._ i./'.F..#Lf i.12.. //./: -.~mz-~~ fL ..7 it 11 5 ,, (2) Nelâ„¢ END ....ENT,AL _ - - f.- - V) I-- 1 1---2 ./ 7 L/4 NOHM MAIN )- 1 -* STBEET AES,oe-l 3- .....EgOENTIAL - - I 5 1 --- {" -11 57""Â· CO>h-Em[DIAL 1 -1. ' . 9.SIOENT,AUCOU,E,le-1, w - v------4 - - />d .1 :\ 7.-IsmoN j . /.1 0AMK CO,lf,DOM 1 -. i 71 1 - 1\ SL_- -- --6------ -~x~ l- 4.~, 9- -- â€¢ What is significant about the area? â€¢ What are the physical characteristics and the special qualities that make it significant? â€¢ What do we want to preserve? Determining how to maintain historical and architectural integrity is prob- ably the greatest challenge when defining the goals for a historic area. The complexity of the task increases as the opportunity for new construction in- creases in a district. For example, a goal may be to preserve the image of the area as unchanged as possible; to preserve the integrity of the district while allowing change; to create a sense of continuity that does not exist at present; or perhaps a combination of these approaches. Defining the goals raises other questions. â€¢ Is visual compatibility more important than authentic representation of the evolution and change of the district? â€¢ Does imitative architecture distort or enforce the goals for the district? â€¢ Does the volume of new development threaten the integrity of the district? â€¢ What is the long-term potential for new construction and what will the impact be? ..' Illusliations: Winter e) Company It is essential that these questions be answered because they give needed di- rection to applicants, designers, and preservation commission members when considering new construction and rehabilitation projects in the area. A plan also should recommend ways to achieve its stated goals. As an ex- ample, the survey of a neighborhood identifies a concentration of significant residential structures ringed by vacant lots and buildings similar in scale but altered and of mixed use. The plan might recommend that the core be des- ignated a historic district with explicit guidelines for the rehabilitation of existing structures, and that the outer area be designated a secondary zone with guidelines that focus on new construction and more lenient rehabilita- tion standards for existing buildings. This particular example addresses the edges of historic districts, an important but frequently overlooked issue when historic districts are designated. Once again, the preservation plan for a historic district should be coordi- nated with other planning departments and updated periodically not only to reflect changes in the district but also to redefine the goals and objectives if appropriate. The Preservation Ordinance: Your Legal Mandate The local preservation ordinance is the legal mandate for the designation of New construction in a historic dis- historic districts, the establishment of preservation commissions, and the trict is often tied to a request for adoption of procedures for administering the districts. It should include the the demolition of an existing struc- following provisions that are particularly relevant to new construction: ture. Some preservation commis- sions will not consider demolition â€¢ approval of new construction, both additions and free-standing buildings; requests unless a replacement .â€žâ€ž- â€¢ approval of new construction projects that is not contingent on replication project is also presented for review. I of specific architectural styles; This line drawing of the one-block 0-~ â€¢ approval of alterations or demolition of all buildings in a district, Blakemore Conservation Zoning District in Nashville, Tenn., shows regardless of age; â€¢ a demolition clause granting a commission the right to deny demolitions the conceptual design for a low- or, at the least, to delay them; scale office building in a row of â€¢ a clause that defines minimum maintenance and demolition by neglect; early 20111 century residences that â€¢ a requirement that demolition requests include future plans for a site; and have been zoned as a Commercial â€¢ a clause that requires archeological investigation at least on historically PUD with a historic overlay, and significant sites if not all new construction sites. adapted for retail and office use. Based on this drawing, the Metro- An ordinance may list detailed criteria and procedures for reviewing applica- politan Historic Zoning Commis- tions including new construction or, after outlining the general purposes sion granted the demolition of a and functions of the district and the commission, it may refer to a separate bungalow which was considered of document or documents detailing guidelines and procedural standards. marginal architectural merit and The latter approach allows greater long-term flexibility primarily because in which was adjacent to a vacant lot. W 'L13-JLL M 1 PiI 1 E 4 2, Itt . g:E ,Â£,2 8. t..E-M 2'1:F--7 & + B= 1:%1 9. [-3 L. 44 . 6- _ **=/. ~1~==tutza:~ Illustration: MeFarlin Huiti Architects Line drawings are an effective way of illustrating the streetscape and building characteristics of a dis- trict. The facade elevation shows UNCE Or GENEKAL TYPKAL LPPER MOOK a specific commercial streetscape \#Â«1/VION N AUGNMENt VINDOW 15 50LC VITH WILDINC HEIGMe. Cr CORNICES. 51Â·Pâ€¢PE. 2Â·1~11 WINDOâ€¢5. in Telluride, Colo. 1 1 Â» r--7 1 1 -- . - - - I r=-E o n li 8 -11 :11 m 11, 8 9 1#fl Hil--mpl~ In districts where there is greater variety, isometric block drawings can be useful. The guidelines for MIRST PLOOB MOLDINGS rtK5r FLOOK 15 RECEMED Galveston, Tex., illustrate a typical dKE ALIeNED . - OPEN,TIU+ISe,RENT. ICNTieNCD. block in the historic district and include a conceptual drawing of a new primary structure inserted in the block. /.uhAF~\ = Sources: Design Guidelines for , Buildings in Telluride by Winter W . , Company and the Telluride Com- mum'ty; and Design Guidelines for / the Historic Districts in Galveston, Texas, by Ellen Beasley. 1 \ Nt NEW PA]MARY 611-KUCTUKE.Â· / 91â„¢ ILA K 64#APE ONE PE.jrÂ«Ref ENTRANCE Al-THOUGÂ·H -5610 UVIN/4 UNITS SOLAP COLLEC7025 HIDDEN FROM 9-rKEET MakIN ENTRY FACES 5-TBEâ‚¬T 96-r- BACK /5 Tf Pl c AL most communities the political system makes it difficult to amend an ordi- nance. If separate documents are used, they should be prepared as soon as an ordinance is adopted. The Design Guidelines: Adopting Your Standards Design guidelines are written standards against which applicants should measure planned projects and preservation commissions should review them. The guidelines analyze those qualities and characteristics high- lighted in the survey that should be preserved and restored in rehabilitation projects as well as respected when new construction is proposed within the area. They provide a common body of information for all participants in the review process. For the purpose of reviewing new construction, the guidelines should iden- tify and illustrate the basic design elements, not style-specific, that establish the character of the area. The guidelines also must indicate the relative sig- nificance of these elements. For example, in a historic district composed of late 19th-century brick row houses, all similar in scale and style, the most significant elements may be the basic building volume, street alignment, and material uniformity. The overall homogeneity of the area is more Illustrations: Note Winter . I 4 The eight-story Olympic Block was built on a central, highly visible Â·Â».-. L corner in Seattle's Pioneer Square -4 ' Vt Preservation District and was part 4 . of a historic rehabilitation tax r . '...ad. . 99 credit project that also included 4 the rehabilitation of the adjoining . 0.. 1 - historic structures (foreground). ta. .CkÂ·-9.- Â· .0. :4-:.-.-.23530i 1%:If ~ ~, 0 The project, which went through . -'Ad'W ..~- multiple-layers of design review on the local and federal levels, gener- &29Â§233*. ated considerable public interest. ii~ 745-J')---: It is a mixed-use project with resi- dential usage on the two highest t Â·M Â· floors. Architect: Hewitt/Olson/ 30*1 1 -2- 0..~~ Walker/Daly/Isley. . 4 34 2- - . / r- 94 '. . important than individual buildings. The guidelines for such an area should state clearly that these elements must be the primary consider- ations when designing and reviewing infill projects. New construction guidelines should stress the importance of context, including the relationship of a proposed project to abutting buildings and side streets. If characteristics differ within the district itself, the guidelines should indicate that the design standards also vary from street to street. The guidelines should re- quire an applicant for a new construction proiect to document the context of the proposed work in submission materials; the preservation commission, in turn, must be familiar with the design standards and any variations within the area. Design guidelines for a historic area should not dictate certain styles for new buildings unless one of the goals for the area is restoration to a specific time period. Most districts, however, exhibit an evolution of architectural styles and cultural trends including the 20th century. Therefore, guidelines that emphasize context and design elements, rather than styles, allow the broadest and most flexible interpretation for new construction. Participation in the development of design guidelines is an instructive exer- cise for a preservation commission because it requires close scrutiny of the area. Someone with expertise in visual analysis must be involved, such as an architect who is a member of the commission, a staff person, or a con- sultant. The resulting document should be simple, graphic, and easily un- f Phom.' Karl Bischuff 1 derstood by the general public as well as design professionals. Commissions . i and communities with greater resources may wish to use computer graphics to develop their design guidelines or have a scale model built of the historic district. The design guidelines for a historic district should be reassessed on a regular ba- sis. For example, many districts begin as residential areas but uses gradually shift to commercial and office activities. New construction is of a larger scale than originally anticipated and yet the guidelines sull apply to a residential district. Commissions participating in the Certified Local Government program through their state historic preservation offices or administering local his- torie districts that also are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and that contain income- producing properties or Community Development Block Grant and Urban Development Action Grant target areas should be familiar with The Secretary of the Interior' s Standards for Rehabilitation. Certain projects, primarily additions to historic structures, may require re- view by the local preservation commission, the state historic preservation office, and the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. Some state historic preservation offices require that communities in the Certified Local Governments adopt The Standards as part of their design re- view process. The Standards include very broad guidelines for new con- struction but do not address the individual characteristics of local historic districts. Consequently, they should be used in conjunction with, but not in place of, guidelines written for the specific local situation. Design. Reviews: Administrative Procedures Both the preservation commission and applicants for new construction projects will benefit from a detailed set of procedures for administering the review process. These include a step-by-step outline of the review process, submission requirements for applications, and a system for maintaining the commission's records. Many commissions distribute brochures to explain the process. Administrative procedures should include a system for public notification through local newspapers and posting commission meetings in the city or town hall. The Design Review Schedule The review process for new construction projects varies from community to community depending on the division of responsibilities among city depart- ments. The schedule for the review procedure and related activities such as building and special use permits, zoning changes, and the appeals process should be outlined. For each phase of the review process, the applicant should be informed of the department to which application is made, the de- cisions and actions to be expected at each level, and the time frame. If some decisions are made by staff, this should be explained. m #91Â» ' The Submission Requirements Conlmissions must remember that their decisions will be based entirely on what ~ is presented verbally and graphically by applicants and thatthesubmission pro- cedure must require enough information to make fair decisions. The require. ments should be tailored to the design resources available in a communitÂ·y as well as the scope of specific projects. For example, a scale model may not be a re- alistic requirement in a town with no design professionals nor would one be nec- essary for minor rear-lot buildings. The recommended minimum submission requirements for new construction projects are: â€¢ written specifications including measurements; â€¢ photographs of the site and its surroundings including side streets; â€¢ facade elevations; â€¢ primary street facade elevationis) superimposed to scale on a photograph of the streetscape; â€¢ material samples including a sample wall on location; and â€¢ color samples if this is a design revierv responsibility. Ideally, submission requirements for new construction in historic areas also should include: â€¢ a complete set of plans and elevations; â€¢ scaled drawings including street elevations that show the proposed struc- ture in context and all facing streets: and â€¢ a scale model in accurate colors shoiving the proposed building in context. The Visual Laboratory of the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Vermont assists government agencies, preservation commissions, and citizen groups in assessing the visual effect of pro- * posed projects through the use of . . r ... accurately scaled simulations of 1 Ce. Â· landscapes, rural villages, and even 4:. 1 portions of the cities. In the ex- ample shown, planners and citi- zens in the Village of Williston, Vt., were able to visualize the impact of * .4b '.* W a commercial development on the town's rural setting. I.. Â·775'Â§;e*154,1. t. :. A L .%4.- A 1, 4.: . 4 1 - -, I ....kÂ©16,1. I.--Â§3 m ~My of W C PreseIVatiOn P~OKI,lin New construction projects in the histobc setting may have to satis# .~1*3-' f*1 4Â·>;4;ji...+ 64*#,441~2;*iffiÂ·- ~ ' more than one set of design stan- Â·.Â« Â·Â·â€ž. -Â·Â·dit ;GA?~53~?0*4*A.*6- b i.. #014*Â·*R- k. fÂ¥P*Â·*'&'â‚¬440'42;2 p -2 Â·Â· .Â·:r.-~ -4:91,41~bAÂ·.if~WA-. : - dards. The twelve houses and Â·**c-+-vitÂ·>yi~ *.=.~.~1Â£4**f,--': Community Building built by the Housing Authority of the City of - , -*302 Â·lt )Â£ s.. ..kkiv . I . - 7"kâ€žr W + Yuma (Ariz.) and financed by HUD through the Low-Rent Public Hous- r! ing Program, are located in the / / Century Heights Conservancy Resi- 1 4:,491:*,44*priF**%*&.+.,-- . dential Historic District, a portion 1 of which is also listed in the Na- - l U tional Register. The project had to 1 meet the design standards of both % the local district and HUD which, f among other things, will not allow , porches on public housing projects. - cr:rzrrrrrZrrr-_ The review process resulted in the -- W/06/8//660665<I 1 ~ "' ' ~ PLAYGROUND ~ ~ ~~~ ~ approval of a bungalow house type ~ Ef ~ ; -- rather than tile adobe design that - 1-4 E \47:50/ M @.31 r~-'11611 was originally proposed and the in- clusion Of "porchettes"on the #ont =--3 2 W 1111 L.111111 14 ~ ' ~37 facades. Uniform setbacks and M E E-0 PARKING L - front-street orientation for the houses, as seen in the final site - 9 1 1011111111111 u 1 : Z plan, were other changes that 3 - evolved during the review process. The complex received on Award of Merit from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Offi- 4-------------- -----Â·--tÂ·--- - cials. Architect HPL Architects. In communities where the resources exist, commissions should make the scale model of a district or computer graphics capability available to appli- cants. For example, if a commission has a scale model of a district that is large enough to make judgments and comparisons, the applicant would need to make a model only of the proposed building. Many commissions require a preapplication workshop or meeting with ap- plicants who are proposing new construction projects. The project design is discussed on a conceptual level as are relevant planning and zoning require- ments. The applicant may display working drawings at this time. The pre- application workshop can help reduce confrontations that may occur at a formal review meeting when an applicant presents final drawings that the commission has never seen and that do not meet the guidelines. Preservation commission members always should study the site of a new '~ construction project before any discussion. Some commissions make on- site visits to such projects with or without the applicants. It should be clear to all participants that no decisions are made during either preapplication workshops or on-site visits. The discussions in both instances should be documented. m EnN3 AÂ¥ NOSICIVA Record Keeping A well-organized system for keeping records and filing applications is im- portant to the smooth administration of a commission and directly influ- ences its ability to enforce decisions. Minutes should be taken at all meetings which, ideally, also should be taped. Descriptions of decisions should be clear and comprehensive. Approvals, denials and alterations as well as the date and the initials of the chairperson or designated authority, should be recorded on drawings and other visual materials. Each applica- tion and related drawings should have a separate file folder. Before submitting materials, the applicant should understand what will be kept for the permanent files of the preservation commission and what will be returned upon completion of the project. An applicant should be able to supply duplicate copies of all the materials listed except a scale model which usually is returned. Design Review: Conducting the Meeting A thorough review of new construction applications largely depends on how commission meetings are conducted. Commission members should be busines slike, focused and attentive, and the commission as a group must understand its role as reviewer. Some commissions approve or deny projects without offering specific design suggestions whereas other commis- sions do. Most commissions are required to list their reasons for denying applications. Commissions should limit their discussion to those aspects of the project for which they are responsible and leave other issues of zoning and planning to the appropriate departments. It is important for the preservation commission to remember that the re- view process involves people and personalities as well as buildings. First and foremost, the commission represents a larger client-the public. As such, its primary responsibility is to make decisions that support and main- tain the goals and the standards of the historic area. The list of participants in the review process can include commission members, design profession- als, property owners, neighbors, builders, contractors, developers, preserva- tion organizations, support staff, elected officials, lawyers, and others. Viewpoints undoubtedly will differ, but in most instances, all participants are eager to reach a decision that is acceptable to everyone. The key is to keep communication lines open and leave room for negotiation. Applicants should know what is expected of them in their presentations. At the conclusion of the application refiew, all participants should under- stand the decision that has been made and the next step whether it be the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness, a building permit, or a request for design modifications. To ensure a thorough and orderly design review meeting, commissions should ask three broad questions that will guide them through any application for new ~ construction: Commissions often review projects that reflect a shift in use and scale , #At I *. I in an area. The Providence His- ...4 I torie District Commission re- 49Â·Â· v .. viewed two projects proposed by ) .I . , Brown University: a residential , 7 - complex and a parking deck. Each , , . of the proposed projects covered a - city block in the College Hill His- torie District. The parking deck, which is visible between the trees on the right of the photograph, was built on a block that was, at V- , r. one time, a tennis court and then T: 31 3 1/ r j a surface parking lot. As part of 4..:- It. ' -t 4 I . 0 the review process, the university Â· ,~ ~ ~~ f accepted a deed restriction with ;t,E - UA the city that does not permit build- - ; r 97~ - r ing additional stories to the struc- - f , 16 -1,4 1 - I 9 7 Ill . ture. The residential complex post-dates the parking deck. . ~ -ir - t I .In The bay windows, intersecting 3 = . t. gable roofs, and yard space were 3-I .181 ~i *-r 4. I. . designed to suggest row housing * 14@.R=,lunal . , -Â· i Â· - h, and to complement the detached . I r~~--.ipt,Â£~if-to . single family housing in the '55'j,f 0 /~ 7 neighborhood, an example of ~ 1 44:-t ..C which is in the background. An interior courtyard provides public ~ ~ space for the complex. Architect: - parking deck: Seymour Gage Asso- . ciates. Architect: residential com- plex: Davis, Brody e) Associates. . -> --- 1 - .1 . Does Everyone Understand the Application? Before the commission responds to an applicant's presentation of a proposed project, all aspects of the application should be clear to everyone. The requi- site visual and written materials should be prepared properly and provide enotigh iniormation to determine the impact ot the project on the district. There should be a consensus on the definition of architectural. rechnical and planning terms. and adiectives such as "compatible," "contextual." and "appropriate," j'hmm.Â· Davis, Brady a) Asso:mics Commission members frequently complain that a finished new construe- tion project looks nothing like what was expected. In many such cases, project files and documents reveal that design details were either unclear or unspecified. The commission should not hesitate to table or deny an appli- cation and request additional materials if it lacks sufficient information to make a decision. On occasion, commissioners may suspect that the appli- cant has deliberately obscured the intended design or materials. For ex- ampie, a material sample may be "similar but not identical to the actual material" to be used. In such cases, the commission should request clarifi- cation even if it means delaying a decision. Does the Application Meet the Design Guidelines? To judge whether an application meets the design guidelines for the district, commission members must determine if the project supports and maintains the stated goals of the district and respects the design elements that charac- terize the district. The commission should be sure that the appropriate de- partments have reviewed the project for compliance with all other zoning requirements such as geological and flood plain hazard areas, solar air rights, and off-street parking. Finally, the commission should evaluate the long- term effect of the project oil the district. Having determined that the proposed project fits the overall goals of the dis- trict, the commission should evaluate the project in terms of the larger de- sign features such as scale, massing and height, followed by a look at the details. Commissions often focus on the details first, losing sight of the larger issues. This frequently reflects inadequate presentation materials that make it easier to visualize the details of a project than to visualize the mass- ing or scale. Attention to details later in the review, however, should not be ~~ overlooked: poor detailing and poor quality materials can compromise an otherwise well-designed building as many preservation commissions and communities have learned. This single-family, three-bedroom residence is clearly a new structure but maintains the scale and mass- . ing of ~e adjoining prlma~ stn~c- 0~ 0 ...,- .fk--:.f,kie~: 44% tures in the Old Northside Historic 7026;5(k&ii;14<, Dist~tct in Indianapolis. Architect: 9-:adiftÂ«99@ji.*~. F Woollen, Molzan and Partners. =:5':~***~~*jA ~ -,~."9.,4-,4. '9.-=.1 4 - %,â€¢,....92,4, Â£~36 4.- 443;*u~ .41// 1.-1 A L .r-f .93.,0.21â€¢ 0,3 4454 S ri Zill * - m ~en, Molzan and ~rt. This sample design review checklist is based on Building with Nantucket in Mind: Guide- SITE PLANNING ROOF lines for Protecting the Historic Architecture and Landscape of Siting of the Building: Shape (gable, lean-to, etc.) Nantucket Island. Use of a Setback Pitch checklist will ensure that the Facade width Overhang commission considers all the im- Spacing between buildings Dormers portant design elements that dis- Skylight Delineation of street space: Chimneys tinguish the district in its review Creation of continuous of new construction proposals. street edge Checklists should be prepared Separation of public, semi- WINDOWS for each historic district because public, and private areas , these design elements vary. A Fences Type (double-hung, case- checklist will help commission ment, etc.) members determine if the new Garage placement Shape and proportion structure or development will Rhythm and balance contribute to and enhance the Landscape plantings Blinds/shutters long-term goals of the historic district. Site Improvements: Walkways DOORWAYS Driveways Retaining walls Placement and orientation Type (paneled, etc.) BULK, PROPORTION and SCALE (building size) EXTERIOR ARCHITEC- TURAL ELEMENTS Height Facade proportions Door platforms and steps Scale Porches Exterior stairs and decks Roofwalks and platforms MASSING (building shape) Mass of main portion: MATERIALS Forrn Roof shape Wall surfaces Orientation Foundation Roof Additions: Placement Form TRIM and MISCELLANEOUS Bulk DETAILS Trim Gutters and leaders Louvres, vents, etc. House lights Public utilities COLORS To organize and simplify the review of new construction applications, com. inissions may want to develop a checklist of the design elements to be con- sidered and as specified in the guidelines. The checklist also should begin with the broader design features such as scale, massing and height, and then cover the details such as materials, openings and ornamentation. Following the applicant's presentation and the general discussion, the commission can study each element to determine whether or not it meets the guidelines. Using this method, the commission is more likely to base its evaluation of the project on the design standards than on personal opinions. Commission members and applicants alike can distinguish more easily between the design elements for which there is approval and disapproval. Items on the checklist should not be ranked or given quantitative values; they should be used to facilitate the review process and clarify decisions. Occasions will arise when commissions simply should deny a request be- cause it is obvious that the applicant or designer does not understand the district and that the proposed design will never meet the standards even with modifications. Too often, commissions try to redesign such projects, frequently with disastrous results. Instead, commissions should say "no" and encourage the applicant to start anew. Preapplication workshops will not eliminate these situations entirely but they will reduce them. What Is the Decision and Does Everyone Understand It? No application review should conclude until everyone understands the deci- sion as it relates to the design guidelines. Was the application approved as presented, approved with modifications, or denied? The commission should identify and describe any modifications so that the applicant understands which design elements to rework for the next review. If the commission de- 1 nies a proposal, it should explain the appeals process to the applicant. Once the commission gives final approval to the design, it should outline subsequent steps in the review process to the applicant such as obtaining a building permit. The applicant should understand that ally change in the approved design during construction must be presented to the commission. Any enforcement requirements should be stated clearly such as a time limi- tation on a building permit or when construction must begin. Finally, the drawings, plans, and other submission materials must be dated, initialed, and stamped with the decision. If there is a series of plans for a project, items that are not approved also should be stamped and filed to avoid confusion. . m Design Review: Maintaining Professional Standards The successful review of any project by a preservation commission depends on several factors. In addition to having the basic set of operational tools and procedures in place, commission members must do their homework. Each member should review the survey, ordinance, guidelines, and proce- dures regularly. The commission should hold workshops to review deci- sions and policies, and to evaluate its performance. The discussions should include questions such as: 1. Do property owners, residents and the commission still agree on goals for the district as expressed in the plan or should these goals be revised? 2. Do all commission members understand the responsibilities of the commission or are they confusing them with those of the planning com- mission or the zoning board? 3. Do the guidelines cover new or anticipated types of projects such as the construction of secondary structures as rental units, the development of buildings for mixed uses, or the relocation of historic buildings on va- cant lots in the district? 4. What are the recurring problems and how can they be resolved? For example, the massing of new buildings may be out of scale with the exist- ing structures but politically, down-zoning is not an option. One solution ~ may be to prepare more specific guidelines for treating the street level of new buildings. In another case, it may be necessary to work with other commissions and boards to resolve a conflict between present zoning and design and preservation objectives. As an example, matching the scale of 19th-century residences with the single-family zoning designation in a neighborhood may inhibit new construction or lead to poorly scaled single-family dwellings. If well-designed duplexes are more feasible both economically and architecturally, the commission may decide to sched- ule a meeting with the appropriate city and residential groups to outline the options. As stated previously, operational tools and procedures may need to be re- fined, updated or even revised to accommodate changes in the district. In fact, commissions should view this as standard professional practice. Out- dated survey information and base maps that do not reflect improved build- ing conditions, additional vacant lots, or new construction not only carl cause confusion when reviewing applications but also can result in poor de- , cisioils. If there are any procedural changes, the materials that are given to applicants should be revised and reprinted immediately. Clear and current documents and procedures will aid both designers and applicants and en- courage better design quality. In addition to regular assessments of their decisions and operation, preserva- tion commissions should define their role as public educator, a role that most commissions must assume. A commission can introduce many pro- ~ grams depending, of course, on the resources available. These can range from scheduling a small workshop to discuss a particularly difficult issue m Buildings that are threatened in their original location can be an- other solution to infiU development in a historic district Most commis- sions apply the same design stan- dards to move-in buildings as to new construction in terms of their relationship to the surrounding area. The four-square house in the 8- -10<Â£0 ... # IC,t' foreground was moved from the ~, site of a proposed university sports arena to the Sherman Hill Historic District in Des Moines, Iowa. Built T . as a duplex but converted to a tri- 4Â¥r plex, the house was reve]ted to a duplex when moved and is now owner-occupied. with y .oerty owners in a district to planning a one-day, citywide confer- ence wirn speakers. Publications are essential and can be anything from printed design guidelines to simple xeroxed sheets that explain the function of the 2 :mmission. The cost of the program is not important-what is im- portar is communicating with the public. Preservation commissions may find it both educational and reassuring to participate in statewide or regional workshops involving other local preser- vation commissions. These keep commissioners current on issues affecting local historic districts and build networks to exchange ideas. Many state historic preservation offices require that communities participating in the CLG program send representatives to such meetings. Lasting Decisions Workshops, preapplication discussions, design guidelines, and checklists of design elements, are techniques that contribute to the ability of a local pres- ervation commission to review applications for new construction projects in historic districts with confidence. It is most important for commission members to know the district and the characteristics that distinguish it as well as to define its long-term goals. Without an understanding and a con- sensus about these basic considerations, it is impossible for any preservation commission to deal properly with requests for new construction. In addition, a solid set of operational procedures is essential to a fair and or- derly decision-making process. Open communication and continuing edu- cation are necessary ingredients not only with the public and applicants but also among commission members. In smaller communities and those with limited resources, commission members themselves may have to initiate and prepare many, if not all, of their programs and materials. Photo: Mdiy Neiderbach -IÂ»- -72- vw : /1- ..2.-. - *-'3y-Â· - ,-1 --Â· L'~- -A - j j', ~t '.)Â·~ ' . 43>. - The North Carolina Medical Soci- . ety requested demolition of the *132*yamat, - building on the left located in the Oakwood Historic District in Ra- :.~r.I-, t'' Fr.~:...I'fijil#' I leigh and proposed planting the .* r. <4 9-0 -: : r.4.~ :-+ 2 : ..~ ~ ..: M,1~2-24,61 - -rw- vacant lot with trees. The Historic .HI Â·) ': 1 + ;':50,"Ui!,~.42 " Z: 7. ' 5.-4*.0.C District Commission's denial of the . request has placed a one-year , demolition delay on the house. The infill project on the right was built in 1985 for offices by the North Carolina Beer Wholesalers and was designed to be compatible with the residential surroundings including its next door neighbor. The Governor' s Mansion is directly across the street from the build- ings. Architect of the infill proj- ect: Clearscapes Architecture PA. Even when all the tools are in place, reviewing applications for new con- struction projects in historic districts is seldom easy. They are site specific and project unique: no two projects are alike, and rarely, if ever, is there one clear-cut solution. When reviewing new construction projects, a preserva- tion commission should remember that it is the impact of the design on the historic surroundings that should be measured first, followed by an evalua- tion of the individual structure. Equally important, a commission should examine each decision within the context of the long-term goals for the dis- trict as a whole because, once built, the decisions of a preservation commis- sion become an integral, visible, and lasting presence in the historic district. Acknowledgements This publication was written and revised by Ellen Beasley, preservation con- sultant. The public design review process and the design of new buildings for historic settings have been among her concentrated areas of study and writings since the late 1970s. Based in Houston, Tex., Ms. Beasley received a Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Rome Prize in Urban Design at the American Academy in Rome. Elements of the handbook were developed originally for a class that was organized by the author and taught jointly with Nore V. Winter, urban de- signer. Dwayne Jones, preservation planner of the Texas Historical Com- mission, was particularly helpful in preparing the revision. The author also wishes to acknowledge collectively all the people who provided illustrations for the revision. The illustration and architectural credits recognize only some of the groups and individuals who have been in- volved in the building and publication projects that are represented in this booklet. Photo: Dan Becker Select Bibliography Design and Development: Infill Housing Compatible with Historic Neigh- borhoods. Information Series No. 41. Ellen Beasley. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation. 1988, reprinted 1992. The publi. cation describes the preconstruction phase of the infill process and the vari. ous participants in a multi-layer design review process that includes a local preservation commission and a neighborhood association. The Edgefield Historic District in Nashville, Tenn., serves as a case study. Available for $5.00 from: Information Series, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. (202) 673-4189. A Handbook on Historic Preservation Law. Christopher J. Duerksen, ed. Washington, D.C.: The Conservation Foundation and the National Center for Preservation Law. 1983. The chapter on "Local Preservation Law: Re- viewing Applications for Demolition, Alteration or New Construction," will be of particular interest to commissions. Also includes "Recom- mended Model Provisions for a Preservation Ordinance," with annotations by Stephen N. Dennis as Appendix A. Available for $30 plus $2.00 shipping and handling from: The World Wildlife Fund, Publications Handling De- partment, P.O. Box 4866, Hampden Post Office, Baltimore, Md. 21211. (410) 516-6951. Saving Place: A Guide and Report Card for Protecting Community Charac- ter. Philip B. Herr. Boston: National Trust for Historic Preservation, North- east Regional Office. 1991. The booklet is designed to help citizens of small and rural towns to identify and protect the characteristics that distin- guish their communities. New development is placed within the context of growth management issues. Available for $14.95 plus $2.00 shipping from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Northeast Regional Office, 7 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 5th Floor, Boston, Mass. 02109. (617) 523-0885. A Design Primer for Cities and Towns. Anne Mackin and Alex Krieger. Boston: Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities. 1989. The book serves as a guide for decision makers, both citizens and professionals, in the public design and planning processes. The Primer explains the impli- cations of design decisions and how various aspects of design affect plan- ning and development. Although written for Massachusetts, it is applicable to communities everywhere. Available for $15.00 from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, 60 Temple Place, Boston, Mass. 02111. Old and New Architecture: Design Relationship. National Trust for His- torie Preservation, ed. Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press. 1980. This book was one of the first major publications to address the issue of new de- sign in the historic context. The series of essays reflect a range of opinions and while some of the material may be dated, the basic issues remain the same. The book is out of print but is available in many libraries. Vacant Lots. Carol Willis and Rosalie Genervo, eds. New York: Princeton Architectural Press and The Architectural League of New York. 1989. Ar- chitects were invited to design infill housing for ten sites in older, mostly small-scale neighborhoods in New York. The published results, Vacant Lots, can serve as a textbook for anyone interested in infill design because the examples illustrate a range of solutions for each site and test the reader's ability to read and interpret plans and elevations. Available for $24.95 plus Â· $3.00 shipping (add 8.25 percent sales tax for New York residents) from Princeton Architectural Press, 37 East 7th Street, New York, N.Y., 10003. Good Neighbors: Building Next to History. Colorado Historical Society. Denver: Colorado Historical Society. 1980. A step-by-step guide to help a community identify and define its distinguishing characteristics and write a set of design guidelines. Five Colorado towns serve as examples but the pro- cess is applicable anywhere. Although printed in 1980, the publication re- mains one of the best on the subject. Available for $4.95 plus $3.00 for ' shipping and handling from the Colorado Historical Society, Museum Store, 1300 Broadway, Denver, Colo. 80203. Call (303) 866-4993 for information and prices on bulk orders. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Preservation Assistance Division. Revised 1990. The Standards include the Secretary's guidelines for new construction with an emphasis on additions to historic buildings. The Pres- ervation Assistance Division also publishes a series of Preservation Briefs including No. 14, New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: PIeserva- tion Concerns. Both publications are available through the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. The Standards is GPO stock number 024-005-01061-1, $2.00 per copy; Brief No. 14 is GPO stock number 024-005-01011-4, $1.00 per copy. Three national magazines, Architecture, Architectural Record, and P/A (Progressive Architecture), regularly publish articles featuring new design in the historic and/or urban context as well as annual preservation issues. Many libraries subscribe to at least one if not all three magazines. Organizational Resources The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions is a membership orga- nization that provides information regarding historic preservation law, local ordinances, design review, and local preservation planning. It maintains a speakers' bureau and publishes the periodic Alliance Newsletter. For fur- ther information contact: The National Alliance of Preservation Commis- sions, Hall of the States, 444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 332, Washington, D.C. 20001. The National Center for Preservation Law maintains an active file of legal issues pertaining to historic preservation, much of which relates to the de- sign review process. The Center interprets specific court cases and other subjects in a series of Updates that are available through subscription. For : further information contact: The National Center for Preservation Law, 1333 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20036. : (202) 338-0392. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has seven regional and field of- . fices that provide services to state and local organizations and individuals. These services cover all preservation activities including field visits, advi- sory assistance, conferences, and special projects on issues of particular con- cern to each region. The offices are listed on the back cover of this booklet. The National Trust's Department of Law and Public Policy provides educa- tion and advice on preservation law and historic districts, zoning, monitor- ing of preservation litigation, and other preservation issues. For further information contact the appropriate National Trust regional office. The Preservation Assistance Division of the National Park Service conducts a variety of activities to guide governmental agencies and the general public in historic preservation project work. The office is responsible for develop- ing and disseminating technical information about specific preservation and rehabilitation problems as well as interpreting The Secretary's Standards. For further information including a catalogue of their publications, contact: The Preservation Assistance Division, Technical Preservation Services, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127. (202) 343-9578. State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) administer a variety of programs including the National Register program at the state level, state and federal grants programs, and the Certified Local Government program that provides assistance in the establishment and training of local preservation commis- sions. The SHPOs conduct regular workshops for CLGs as well as maintain a series of publications and audiovisual materials that are available to CLGs. For further information, contact: National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers at 702) 624-5465, the CLG Program at the National Park Service at (202) 343-9505, or the National Trust regional offices. Secondary structures are among -1 '. /...1. :....3, '. 494:.f~9 .Â· the types of new construction projects reviewed by preservation -- commissions. The "Design Services . Bank" offered by the Bozeman 1 -9. \ : (Mont.) Historic Preservation Board U -0 :=1- , I /$ I assisted the owners of this 1889 4 0, house in designing the detached ga- rage/workshop, shown on the left. - The new building and driveway â€¢r encroach upon the required 8-foot 4, -*Â«ti 4 311 15,-- ' side yard setback but the review 4 ~ . board can grant such zoning devia- tions providing infill structures or ~ ~- additions are considered reflective of the design fabric of the neighbor- - hood. Architect: Donald J. McLaughlin. I . -- Keith G. Swenson '1 9. ...........~ Information Booklet No. 69, 1993 PRESERVATION AND THE RECENT PAST C-, ne of the toughest issues that of saving historic resources whose between those who are living, those U preservation advocates can face significance relates in a special who are dead, and those who are to is that of the recent past. Acceler- manner to the history of the 20th be born," he was voicing a convic- ating forces of change in our built century-motor-age resources such tion that applies to every aspect of environment are leading to the as shopping centers and motor historic preservation, including the rapid attrition of important kinds of parkways-andpost-WorldWarII issue of our recent heritage. How buildings and sites-and their loss resources. well arepreservationists upholding could leave a void in our heritage. their inter-generational responsibili- Certain types of recent buildings Philosophic ties if they fail to keep pace with and structures are particularly vul- the acceleratingspeed with which nerable. For this reason the issue Justification designers remodel our environ- .,.. has taken on a special urgency. ment? How well are we performing However novel the concept of our mission if we allow entire VI~ In responding to this challenge we applying preservation values to the phases of our architectural history need to strengthen, adapt, and recent past might appear, the basis to vanish? extend existingpreservation strate- for doing so is quite traditional. gies. We must develop special The philosophic rationale is as old For both moral and practical tactics in response to the circum- as the preservation movement reasons we strengthen ourselves for stances that are usually entailed in itself, and it flows from the com- the work of protecting our recent campaigns to preserve historic mitment to save our heritage. In heritage by reaffirming the bond buildings from the recent past. some ways-because its challenges between historicpreservation and People typically regard historic can be so severe-the issue of the the serious study of history. If preservation as a movement to save recent past makes us reaffirm our historians are busily and properly old buildings. The public some- identity as preservationists in the interpreting such topics of 20th- times can be taken aback when most fundamental way. century history as the Cold War preservationists advocateprotection and the civil rights movement, then for a building or structure that Preservationists believe that each why should preservationists feel seemstobenew-orrelativelynew. generation has a duty to pass along defensive when they try to save Moreover, preservationists will significant evidence of history. We important places from the 20th typically encounter more severe save historic places not only be- century, including the post-World resistance in the form of taste cause we like them or because of War II period? The constant prejudice when the issue is our devotion to certain precepts of reiteration of the link between "yesterday's" architecture as urban design and aesthetics but also preservation and history, including opposed to more venerated forms of because we have a higher mission the history of our own times, is design. This Information booklet that transcends the contemporary crucial to affecting the way people provides a brief overview of the moment: a mission to enable pos- think about the places of the recent issues and strategies most pertinent terity to take up the challenge of past. ; ~to this difficult but rewarding understanding the past. When branch of preservation advocacy. Edmund Burke wrote his famous Case studies illustrate the challenge lines about the "partnership... National Trust for Historic Preservation A Brief History of Abraham Lincoln's Springfield past if they are significant architec- residence by action of the state of tural monuments or if they consti- Preservation Efforts in Illinois in 1887 took place only 22 tute artistic masterworks. Build- 4 years after Lincoln's assassination; ings that are major monuments or this Realm the campaign to preserve Sutter's masterworks (or both) are fre- Fort in the 1880s and 1890s com- quently the objects of public A study of previous ventures in memorated the 1848-49 California reverence and civic pride, and they preserving heritage resources from gold rush, an event that many peo- are sometimes beloved presences in the recent past can provide us with ple at the time could still remember the community. The losses of useful precedents. The typical vividly; and the establishment by major monuments-such as the loss approach of preservationists for the federal government of the first of New York City's magnificent many years was to save historic Civil War battlefield parks in the Pennsylvania Station in the 1960s- places from the recent past only if 1890s took place in the heyday of are the sorts of events that trigger they manifested extraordinary reunions sponsored by living Civil waves of spontaneous protest and significance. It is only within the War veterans. Hence the preserva- stimulate grassroots preservation past few decades that everyday tion of buildings and sites from the sentiment. Even if a work of buildings and structures from the recent past is actually a very old architecture is not universally recent past have elicited preserva- practice in the United States, even popular, the chances of preservation tion action. though the earliest campaigns were significantly increase if it can be limited to places associated with shown that the building occupies Places of Major Significance from great historical events and historical an important place in the annals of the Recent Past: Old-Fashioned figures. architectural history, or if it can be Textbook History shown that a master architect This tradition of saving places from designed it. From the earliest stages of historic the recent past that possess macro- preservation in the United States, historical significance has contin- This situation is not an altogether the preservation movement sought ued in our own century. No one is happy one for preservation. It is to protect buildings and sites of surprised by the fact that presiden- very important at the outset to great significance, even if that tial homes-the Roosevelt home at ward off the common presumption ~ significance hadbeen attained Hyde Park and the Eisenhower farm that only architectural masterworks within the previous 50 years. at Gettysburg-assumethestatus are worthy of being saved. The While the places that became the of shrines when their residents pass exclusionist reverence for elite focus of such preservation cam- away. Places that commemorate masterworks of architecture can paigns possessed superlative moments of national glory or rapidly degenerate into a form of significance in the sense that they disaster- from the memorial above aesthetic snobbery. But the fact were aillinked to historical events the sunken battleship Arizona at remains that if it does happen that on the grand scale, the fact remains Pearl Harbor to the listing of the a building or structure from the that such places were often of Apollo launch tower at Cape recent past can be shown to be the relatively recent vintage when Canaveral in the National Register work of a master architect, the preservationists campaigned to save of Historic Places-are easily intelli- chances for its preservation in- them. gible to the public. Indeed, the crease. Rare indeed is the opponent preservation of significantplaces of historic preservation who will Â·~Â· In his classic study of the early from the recent past has been taken risk being branded a philistine preservation movement, The for granted in the United States as because of their apparent failure to Presence of the Past, Charles long as those places have possessed understand or appreciate art. Hosmer, Jr. pointed out several significance at the level of history important examples of this: the with a capital "H". Any list of important milestones in . preservation of Independence Hall the ongoing effort to preserve major began as early as 1813 with a Places of Major Significance from monuments of recent 20th-century protest against its destruction; the the Recent Past: Architectural architecture would have to include .Â· Â· purchase of the Hermitage by the Masterworks the pioneer campaigns of the 1960s 16 state of Tennessee in 1856 occurred and afterward to save the opulent 4 9 only 11 years after the death of its The general public is also reason- motion picture palaces of the 1920~ 2 1 builder and resident, Andrew ably comfortable with the idea of as well as the precedent-setting fp.... Jackson; the preservation of saving structures from the recent campaigns of the 1970s to secure m y 40.T~ 91 "~~~7~ ~ vt/~~~~r---- - t. Â· Â·73'~ 4 . .4 1, - r .1,42. ,; 7./ f Â· -04 -,I 21 4.3 1.1 4 j. i 22.;.-i:* a~ The civic center in Marin County, Calif., designedby Frank LloydWright, was recently designated a National Historic Landmark. (Photo: Paul Cleveland) protection for such major monu- Brendan Gill. The subsequent Places o f Broader Significance from ments of Art Deco design as the controversies in New York during the Recent Past Chrysler Building, Radio City the 1980s regarding major additions Music Hall, and the Cincinnati to Frank Lloyd Wright's Solomon The history of historic preservation Union Terminal. But by far the R. Guggenheim Museum (1943-59) has encompassed a steady expan- most daring efforts of this kind and Marcel Breuer's Whitney sion of the range of historic re- have been the campaigns to save Museum (1966) kept the city in the sources deemed worthy of protec- landmarks of full-blown 20th- forefront of this widening struggle, tion. After an early and under- ~ century modernism, and especially and the progress of New York City standable preoccupation with sites examples from the post-World War in landmarking major monuments linked to historical events on the II period. One of the most widely of 2,Oth-century modernism has grand scale, the canon of historic recognizedandpublicizednational proceededapace. preservation was expanded to achievements in this respect encompass architecture for its own occurred in 1978 when the terminal Efforts to save significant recent sake. The burgeoning study of and at Dulles International Airport near works of important architects con- appreciation for architectural Washington, D.C., was listed in the tinue to proliferate in the United history led to an expansion of National Register of Historic Places. States. Most recently a bank in preservation advocacy to encompass The terminal ( 1958-62) was one of Des Moines designed by that mas- works of architecture that were the supreme masterworks of archi- ter of International Style architec- clearly significant regardless of tect Eero Saarinen. And in 1991 ture Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was whether or not George Washington the civic center (1962-70) designed designated a locallandmark in slept there. for Marin County, Calif., by Frank 1992. The building-formerly the Lloyd Wright was designated a American Federal Savings and Loan But even this expansion of the National Historic Landmark. Association-was only30 years old. range o f historic preservation would In Washington, D.C., the Commit- eventually prove too constricting. Local efforts have been no less im- tee of 100 on the Federal City It led to an overly simplistic portant. The preservation commu- applied for local landmark status for classification of historic places-a nity of New York City has been the complex consisting of the Third simplification that unfortunately particularly active in this regard. In Church of Christ, Scientist and the entered the conceptual world of 1982 the city designated Skidmore, Christian Science Monitor office preservation law-dividing historic Owings and Merrill's Lever House building (1969-71). The complex, resources into places of purely (1950-52) asa local landmark. Sup- designed by the firm of I.M. Pei and historical significance and places of port from the preservation commu- Partners, was completed only 20 purely architectural significance. nity and the city's Landmarks years before the landmark nomina- This bifurcation seemed to imply Preservation Commission was tion, which was filed in 1991. that the realms of architecture and augmented by support from celebri- history are always distinct. But it ties like Jacqueline Onassis and should go without saying that his- m *Â·rtjÂ· 1, tory encompasses architecture, just was that the evidence of this symbols of the American commer- as it encompasses everything else in vanished way of life might itself cial landscape," including both the human experience of which we soon vanish from America's "celebrated and anonymous" have a record. Both the field of landscape unlesspreservationists designs, the "mass-produced forms social history and the interdiscipli- intervened. of the machine age," and the nary study of cultural history are "vernacular conceptions of local founded on this obvious truth. Preservationists working in the builders and craftsmen." The Regardless of the speed with which Appleton tradition began to turn subjects of SCA attention have run historical specializations and sub- their attention from vernacular the gamut from gasoline stations, fields have proliferated, the true buildings and sites of comparative motels, diners, and billboards to humanistic study of history is antiquity to vernacular sites from movie theaters, drugstores, fair- always alert to the inter-connected- the recent past because of a stun- grounds, and amusement parks. ness of it all. Moreover, the ning awakening in the 1960s and SCA's influence can be seen in dichotomy of history-versus- 1970s. Preservationists began to campaigns to preserve such things architecture continued to imply realize that because of the accelerat- as the coffee shop architecture of that a historically significant place is by definition a place that is -1 linked to monumental historical events and that an architecturally significant place is by definition an artistic master'work. -0 ~1[)El 2. g 'E <r I . ...... But what about historic places that abotit the pasi~1~ut neces~arily *110~ being architectural masterworks 1 -01lif Er,Fr,3 ~1 r ~ 11_ liâ‚¬49 S and without necessarily having 1.P-#171 j~ 19 Â· : . Va links to historical events on the i grand scale? What about the kinds Â·~ ..4.- HE MA TO , rfi- of places that teach us significant .97.- - things about the social and cultural 2 r r.. history of other periods, including Â£ m 1 - their patterns of everyday life? -8*yig What about the buildings and sites The SenotorHotelin MiamiBeach, Fla., was recently demolished even though it that we call "vernacular"? was partof aNational RegisterDistrict containingnumerous commercial buildings fromthe 1930sand 19403. Among the earliest efforts by American preservationists to save ing rate of change in the built the 1950s and early McDonald's vernacular buildings were the environment, certain classes of hamburger stands. efforts in the 1910s by William buildings and structures produced Sumner Appleton and the Society only decades earlier were becoming The 1970s and 1980s proved to be for the Preservation of New England almost as rare as their centuries-old decades of great ferment among Antiquities to acquire and preserve counterparts. Antiquity, in short, preservationists of this persuasion. representative buildings from 17th- was no longer the necessary precon- Concurrent with the founding of century New England. While the dition to rarity. This insight SCA, a dedicated group of Florida ' places that interested Appleton did prompted architectural historian preservationists successfully sought possess their own particularly and preservationist Chester Liebs to National Register designation of a superlative qualities-in this case, , found in 1977 a new educational district in south Miami Beach rarityand antiquity-they were and cultural organization focused containing hundreds of resort not necessarilyproduced and on the American recent past: the hotels and associatedcommercial , inhabited by great historical figures. Societyfor Commercial Archeology and residential buildings from the Appleton's goal was to save rare (SCA). The society's educational 1930s and 1940s. The National - examples of everyday buildings that mission encompasses "the artifacts Register designation of the Art Deco - conveyed information about a long- and structures and signs and District in south Miami Beach was vanished way of life, and his fear .!Fl a springboard from which the .3 m 4Â· ~ Miami Design Preservation League local levels strove to apply preserva- study and interpretation. The would launch an energetic campaign tion procedures to vernacular interlocking activities of survey IIV for local designation and protection. patterns of historical development, work (whether carried out by A related and parallel venture including historical patterns that volunteers, paid consultants, or involved the SCA-supported effort extend through the recent past and government staff) and academic to publicize the unusual district of penetrate the present. research are crucial to the preserva- motels from the 1950s and 1960s in tion of recent historic resources. the resort town of Wildwood, N.J. In light of the continuing expansion Surveys of post-World War II of America's preservation move- historic resources are taking place The efforts of organizations such as ment, activists are striving to chart in a number of localities and SCA have been enhanced by the new directions. More than ever jurisdictions. The "Fifties Task gradual enlargement in scope of before preservationists are asking Force" formed by the Los Angeles America's national preservation themselves fundamental questions Conservancy is a good example of program. The Historic Sites Act of regarding the struggle to preserve such recent initiatives, as is the 1935 authorized the survey and our recent heritage. How can we work of the Modern Architecture possible acquisition by the federal draw the line between the old and Preservation League in Denver. government of sites possessing the new, between the past and the national historic significance of the present, when we seek to assess the Moreover, important surveys of highest order. This legislation significance-and indeed, thehis- post-World War II architecture are eventually resulted in the National toricity-ofplacesthatwerebuilt being conducted overseas: English Historic Landmarks Program, "only yesterday"? At what point Heritage, a quasi-governmental created in 1960. But the National does our preoccupation with super- British preservation organization, is Historic Preservation Act of 1966 lative qualities-the first, the last, beginning a three-year research pro- created a new and vastly more thebiggest, the fanciest, the oldest- gram to develop an interpretive comprehensive list-the National blind us to other forms of signifi- framework for evaluating historic Register of Historic Places-de- cance? Take the matter of rarity. resources from the post-war period ~ signed to include sites of local as Could an over-emphasis on rarity in Britain, and the National Trust well as regional and national seduce us into something like a of Victoria is spearheading efforts to historic significance. Noah's Ark approach to preserva- survey and protect important tion that would write off vast Australian resources from the While the National Register nor- amounts of our heritage? On the recent past. An international mally excludes historic properties other hand, of course, we clearly organizationnamedDOCOMOMO under 50 years old, it does permit cannot save everything. (DOcumentation and COnservation the listing of such properties if they of buildings, sites, and neighbor- possess exceptional significance- Scholars in the field of preservation hoods of the MOdern MOvement), andlocalsignificance can definitely education are addressing these founded in the Netherlands in count in the assessment of "excep- issues more and more. Richard 1988, seeks to stimulate the tionality" for National Register Longstreth, director of the graduate preservation of important modern- evaluations. program in historic preservation at ist buildings on a world-wide basis. George Washington University, has Furthermore, in acknowledgement warned that the task of determining Of equal importance to the contri- that social and cultural issues are the historic significance of places butions of scholars and preservation pertinent to heritage conservation, from the recent past is a compli- professionals are the insights of Congress in 1980 specifically cated challenge. Interpretation is grassroots activists. Quite fre- requested the Department of the frequently a matter of determining quently the efforts of gifted and Interior and the American Folklife the right questions to ask about a intuitive people outside of educa- Center at the Library of Congress to historic resource. Longstreth has tional institutions have stimulated study the conservation of "intan- concluded that "the issue is not scholars to expand their own gible cultural resources." The when something becomes 'historic,' research horizons. It is precisely study, released in 1983, recom- but instead when an adequate the synergistic relationship between mended the term "cultural conser- historical perspective can be gained scholars and volunteer activists vation" for heritage issues that on a particular kind of thing...." that makes this branch of preserva- Efect "community cultural life." Consequently, the task of identify- tion advocacy so rewarding. Governmentalinitiatives that ing "tomorrow's landmarks" is resulted at the federal, state, and inherently a matter of ongoing m Activism: Special places of the recent past often seem place that was spurned by progress, to have a dreary and stale appear- a place of stagnation and declining Problems ance that seems to cry out for property values, a second-rate place ~ renovation. We may feel a very where nice people don't want to live Therewardsofpreservationadvo- strong urge to "freshen up" any or shop any longer. cacy in this arena, however, may places that appear to be out of not be easy to attain. All the fashion, and this can extend from When the recent past becomes the normal problems we routinely the urge to redecorate the living issue, negative reactions can even encounter as preservationists can room- tofinallygetridofthat be triggered in the preservation become severely aggravated when embarrassingoldfurniture-to the movement itself. Concern for other the historic resource is from the urge to cleanse our environment of generations may be overwhelmed by "dated" architecture. a great many counter-motivations. mid-20th century. Urbanistic andaestheticprefer- In the first place, a general reaction Theseemotionalandpsychological ences, for instance, have for many of skepticism will greet almost any patterns can escalate into sociologi- years played a very strong role in effort to save buildings and sites cal tensions. Preservation efforts to thepreservation movement. from the recent past unless they retain " dated" buildings from the Preservation has been frequently clearly possess superlative qualities, recent past may threaten a linked to much broader patterns of either as exemplars of old-fashioned community's self-esteem and run preference-and antipathy-relating textbook hist6ry or exemplars of the risk of eliciting resentment high art. If the building or site does not happen to possess these super- lative qualities, the disputation will "I can't understand people wanting to pre- usually proceed from the premise of connoisseurship; the skeptics will serve art deco...It looks tacky because it usually declare that they "can't see has always looked tacky. " what's so great" about the building or structure. "The fact that people want to preserve the At its gentlest, this skeptical Silver Spring Shopping Center proves that reaction can take the form of absolutely nothing is safe from bemusement and wonder: "Why preservation." on earth would anyone want to save that?" At its most severe it can sink to sarcastic belligerence, and "...save the art deco? Good grief...people fewpreservation controversies are must be outta their minds." more depressing than the spectacle of a conscientious effort to save a recent building or structure getting Letters to the editorillustrate some of the common perceptions of citizens towardbuildingsfromtherecentpast.(Reprintedwithpermissionftomthe sliced to pieces by the cruellest Montgomery Journal Rod<ville, Md.) forms of ridicule. The negative emotions unleashed in from those who fear that their to what used to be called "scenic these confrontations can be power- neighborhood or town is losing beauty." Even now, preservation is ful, both at the level of individual feelings and the level of community ground in the struggle to remain often perceived as primarily a stylish. Communities differ, of movement to control urban sprawl, sentiment. Places from the recent course-somecommunitiesdesire to restrain commercial vulgarity, to past exist at a vulnerable point in continuityratherthanchange-but stop the dehumanizing onslaught of the shifting cycles of taste. At especially in places aspiring to up. high-rise buildings, to guard against certain times and for certain rea- ward mobility, citizens may fret overbuilt highways and freeways, to sons, we Americans love the very that if their neighborhood fails to ward off the clearance-by-oblitera- old and the very quaint; we are also look stylish it will cease to be per- tion that sometimes accompanies obsessed with the new. Anything ceived as a nice place to live and do downtown revitalization. Preserva- in between may be branded out- business. It may be regarded as a tion is frequently felt to be a moded. To the general public, the m movement on behalf of a better, Even if initial reactions are calm, attacks upon preservation advocates more humane set of values in urban the battle lines may nonetheless are more damaging than attacks design. Well and good: but in this form at the public hearings where from fellow preservationists who milieu any effort to preserve certain the fate of the historic resource is claim that the preservation initia- classes of buildings from the recent brought before local officials. If a tive is giving preservation a bad past-modernist office buildings, for meeting of minds between activists name or lowering the standards of example, and motor-age shopping and owners has not been achieved the preservation movement. centers-may quickly elicit a by then, the result will be a war of Attempts to save historic resources reaction that buildings like these words-and it may or may not be from the recent past are especially represent the antithesis of preserva- polite. vulnerable to such claims. Regard- tion values. Many a battle has been less of whether the rancor erupts fought to prevent developers from Owners who oppose preservation of during testimony at a public fouling our landscapes and ruining their properties will usually hire hearing or in some other public historic surroundings with glass expert witnesses to testify at public forum, the damage is profound. boxes and roadside clutter. And hearings. Some of these individuals How does one deal with the situa- what a painfully awkward moment may be able to display bona fide tion when other preservationists it can be when yesterday's threat to scholarly credentials or even preser- criticize the effort to save a contro- American heritage takes its place in vationist resumes. These witnesses versial building or structure from American heritage. The preserva- will then recite all the reasons why the recent past? tion of buildings and structures the property in question should not from the recent past can be a jarring be saved: it is less than 50 years Opinions are divided in the preser- spectacle for certain preservation old; it is not an architectural vation world. Some see nothing veterans. masterwork; it is not the first wrong with wrangling among example of its kind; it is not the preservationists. This is a free These are just a few of the emo- only example of its kind; it is not country, and everyone is entitled to tional perils in this branch of the fanciest example of its kind; it his or her own opinion. Other preservation advocacy. With luck is merely an ordinary building; it is preservationists are shocked when a and skill, we can navigate around merely an obsolete building with no colleague says, "Yes, go ahead and the worst of these dangers, but redeeming features of significance. tear down the building that those hostile reactions to attempts to others are trying to save." Should save recent buildings and structures At the very least, the anti-preserva- we not always err on the side of may still be unavoidable. Intermit- tion witnesses may assert that posterity when heritage protection tent and casual gibes from everyday there is little or no research on the is at stake? When a building or citizens are easy to take in stride, building type in question, and that structure is destroyed, it is gone but a firestorm of public aversion assessments of historic significance forever. may be triggered if the preservation are therefore premature, if not effort elicits a combative reaction impossible. Such testimony can There are several proven strategies from powerful property owners. wreak a devastating effect upon a for dealing with this problem if it Denunciations often begin with preservation campaign if it is not should arise. It is fully appropriate, derisive letters to the editor, and effectively counteracted. for instance, to remind fellow these expressions of derision may preservationists, as well as the thenbeexploited-orevenorches- These are some examples of the general public, that some of our trated-by the property owners and obstacles confronting endeavors to most treasured historic landmarks their attorneys. Depending on save important buildings and struc- were once universally reviled. community sentiments and real tures from the recent past. To Victoriana was scorned for decades estate values, the angry letters to overcome these obstacles, we need in the 20th century by many self- the editor may soon be followed by to go beyond the normal repertoire appointed arbiters of good taste. In unfavorable newspaper editorials or of preservation strategies and the course of a long and gruelling snide remarks from elected or tactics. We need to summon all uphill battle to bring about a change appointed officials. Admittedly, the ingenuity at our command. in sensibilities, superb and impor- this is a worst-case combat sce- tant examples of Victoriana were nario. But we ignore these risks at An Issue of Ethics lost forever. The point is obvious: our peril. historic resources should never be carelessly or complacently thrown The first strategic issue to be con- away because of the changing cycles sidered is a question of ethics. Few â€¢ 1.,Â·~1 1 of taste. It is proper to ask one's Strategic Issues and past may be years away from detractors to engage in a bit of soul- publication when a demolition searching: is their criticism totally Principles threat emerges. For that reason free from the influence of taste and preservationists may find them- subjective bias? Are they abso- The old cliche is true: we can't selves obliged to get on the tele- lutely sure about this? save everything. Consequently, we phone in order to determine who are left with a series of strategic and may be doing the crucial research Other pointed questions are appro- conceptual choices. that can establish the interpretive priateaswell-especiallyifthe contextforprovingsignificance, critics have derided the historic â€¢ Which historic resources from Initial contacts would include the resource because it is less than a the recent past are most deserv- Society of Architectural Historians, major monument. ingofpreservationcampaigns? the National Council for Preserva- tion Education INCPE), the Society â€¢ Ask such critics if they are aware â€¢ In which cases is it more advis- for Commercial Archeology (SCA), of the National Register's pro- able, in the delicate calculus of the Society for Industrial Archeol- vision for listing sites of local picking one's battles, to defer the ogy (SIA),the Vernacular Architec- significance. matter or decide not to take any ture Forum (VAF), the Society for action? American City and Regional â€¢ Ask them if they agree with the Planning History, the state historic proposition that vernacular buildings and structures can have â€¢ What is the most ethical way for preservation office (SHPO), and the preservationists to discuss these directors of historic preservation significance. sensitive issues, even to the programs at major universities. point of sincere disagreement Telephone numbers for these â€¢ Ask them if they would recom- regardingstrategicpriorities, organizations and individuals are mend destroying log cabins from without engagingin a fratricidal listed in the resource guide at the the early 1800s because they are not major works of art. public squabble? end of this booklet and also in the guide to educational programs that â€¢ Ask them to state their creden- Preservationists are citizens and not is published annually in Preserva- ~ saints. We had best admit that our tion News. tials for speaking to the substan- decision to conduct a preservation tive issues at hand: have they done independent research on the campaign may be influenced by Early consultations can provide a personal taste. Preservationists very useful and candid channel for building type, the locale, or the rarely dedicate months and years to discussing the advisability of the historical period in question? the task of saving places that they preservation initiative. They can Have the results been published? hate. In general, we fight to save lead to information regarding places for which we have personal similar preservation efforts in other Ask these questions politely-but affection. parts of the country. In all such never refrain from asking them. discussions, however, one should But this is not enough: the very start by requesting that the infor- The problem of irresponsible same admonition to transcend the mation about the impending testimony in preservation hearings influence of personal taste must preservation campaign be kept has prompted the Society of Archi- apply as much to ourselves as it confidential. Moreover, if any tectural Historians (SAH) to issue does to our antagonists. Enthusi- disagreements ariseregarding the testimony guidelines. It is quite asm for a place is one thing; valida- advisability of the campaign, one appropriate to submit these guide- tion of historic significance is quite should ask that these disagree- lines for the record in preservation another. The imperative to build a ments also be kept confidential, hearings and to use them as the strong and convincing case for The same should hold true in any basis for cross-examininghired historic significance is every bit as early discussions with local preser- expert witnesses. The guidelines applicable to this particular branch vationists and civic leaders. can be obtained by writing to the of preservation advocacy as any Society of Architectural Historians other. The final decisiontoproceed-ornot at the address listed in the resource toproceed-withthecampaignwill section in this booklet. The trouble, of course, is that be a matter of strategic evaluation scholarly research on particular and personal choice. What are the historic resources from the recent obstacles? What are the risks? . What is the political climate-and fee to give the preservation testi- the SHPO and the state's review can it be altered? What if the effort mony. board for National Register nomina- turns out to be a struggle that will tions-precededbylocalreview, if last for years? Only the people who Scholarly support can also be the the jurisdiction has a Certified will have to dedicate months or basis for a nomination to the Local Government preservation years of their time can consider National Register of Historic Places. program-mustoccurbeforea these issues and come to appropri- Keep in mind that a National federal decision can be made. And ate conclusions. Register nomination is not a pana- if the property is under 50 years cea. But there are tremendous old, then the case for exceptional Campaigns of Scholarship benefits deriving from a nomination significance will be a major issue. to the Register, provided that the But always remember that local As soon as scholarly support has ultimate decision is favorable. significance remains quite relevant been secured, the campaign to save to the process of determining the recent building or structure Listing in the National Register exceptionality. should make the utmost use of that does not confer direct protection; i support. With support from National Register listed properties One effective way of preparing the distinguished scholars and experts, are torn down all the time. More- case for exceptionality is to contact i the very novelty of the preservation over, objections from a property the National Register staff, describe effort can in some ways be turned owner can prevent the Register the sort of resource you intend to into an asset. Community leaders, from listing a property at all. But nominate, and then request infor- for example, can be told that by objections from owners cannot stop mation regarding similar or compa- preserving the building they will the National Register staff from rable historic resources under 50 show themselves responsive to the issuing a determination of eligibil- years old that already have been latest findings of scholarship. They ity. And the fact that a historic listed or determined eligible. A will demonstrate a level of vision resource has been formally deter- dossier of such precedents can go a that will keep their city or town in mined eligible for the National long way toward easing concerns ~ the forefront of preservation plan- Register of Historic Places can carry among members of local or state ning. Perhaps they will even win overwhelming weight in the delib- review boards regarding the novelty national attention for their civic erations of public officials. A of the decision they are being asked leadership and foresight. determination of eligibility may also to make. And here again, the be helpful from the legal standpoint presence of pro bono scholarly Begin by requesting the scholars because some local preservation witnesses can make all the differ- who support the campaign to send ordinances mandate that National ence in such deliberations. endorsement letters to at least one Register criteria serve as the basis important public official. Then ask for deciding on local designations of Campaigns of Enthusiasm permission to send copies of their historic landmarks. A determina- letters to other officials and to tion of National Register eligibility If a solid and convincing case for members of the press. If the can also counteract the local historic significance has been scholar resides or teaches nearby, campaigns of ridicule. established, then the leaders of the he or she will probably be willing to preservation campaign may return participate in public forums or to National Register nominations with a clear conscience to the give pro bono testimony. Indeed, must be based upon impeccable source of their original inspiration: when the time for the crucial public scholarship. It may well become their enthusiasm for the resource. hearing has arrived, it is a wise necessary to hire a historical This is more than just emotional : investment to establish a travel consultant to perform the time- self-indulgence: it is good strategy. fund so that experts can be flown in consuming work that a National The presence of a winning and from out of town to testify. It is Registernomination frequently appealing sense of fervor can be ' very impressive when scholars entails. The nominations are best absolutely essential in crusades to proclaim that the historic resource prepared in very close consultation bring about a change in public is so important they have travelled with the staff of the state historic opinion. Unless we can somehow great distances to testify in favor of preservation office. The most instill a more positive community saving it. It is even more effective important strategic factor in this feeling for the recent building or if experts can say that while their regard is time: the National structure, we will never overcome travel expenses have been reim- Register nomination process can be the visceral resistance to its preser- bursed, they have not been paid a fairly time-consuming. Approval by vation. We must work to turn e , around the negative image. Com- be turned into revenue streams if original historic building is saved, munity leaders must begin to view the marketing strategies were demolished, or denatured. the place with a new pride. changed. The appeal of the preservationist-as- Americans' feelings toward the The effective and intelligent use of a hipster can also boomerang by recent past can be turbulent and period revival can sometimes turn a eliciting wise-guy reactions-tit for subject to change. We have already preservation campaign into a tour tat-from opponents of preservation. noted that places of the recent past de force. But there are dangers, as If it all becomes nothing more than may have a dreary and unattractive well as benefits, latent in the cul- a matter of cleverness and personal appearance to many people. But tural power of nostalgia. Cam- taste, then the public debate there are also times when we paigns of nostalgia can sometimes becomes a free-for-all and historic experience a powerful surge of lead to the trivialization of history, significance is quickly lost in the nostalgia for the day before yester- and even to the falsification of shuffle. day. Think of the speed with history, just as the irresponsible which themes from the early 1960s use of period vehicles can turn In short, the flirtation with period were revived in films and plays like them into butchered hot rods. revivals in historic preservation is American Graffiti and Grease. On Revivalism sometimes blurs the an exercise in risk-management. film, the 1960s revival has lasted distinction of the past and present. The power of nostalgia should be intermittently for 10 to 15 years. If It can also blur the distinctions used, so long as we are mindful of the architecture of the 1960s is between very different historical its various dangers. It is not really entering the realm we perceive as periods. Too much emphasis on difficult to strike a sensible balance. heritage, is there any responsible popular appeal and public relations The very best way to appeal to the way for preservationists to borrow can play into the hands of popular- public's emotions is to stress that and channel the excitement of a izers who will get their history the historic resource is a wonderful period revival? terribly wrong. It can also lead to a and important example of the real careless and ill-informed attitude thing, that its presence is part of A convenient precedent exists with toward the historic resource itself, the legacy that makes our commu- regard to the Art Deco revival. It resulting in a pseudo-restoration nity special, and that by celebrating took a decade or more for the that could garble the historic its presence-while allowingittobe strategy to work in Miami Beach, character of the place beyond recall. itself-we can garnerpraise, boost but scheduling well-publicized property values, and make the events with tourist appeal involving The same dangers are present on whole community the winner. classic cars, period music, vintage the higher intellectual and cultural clothing, and antique furnishings plane of "post-modernism." Too Campaigns of Reason and have helped to transform what was much emphasis on hipster connois- Persuasion viewed as a derelict, down-and-out seurship can override the serious district into a place that is now very detachment with which we must Excellent scholarship and the right dear to the heart of the local uphold our duties to other genera- kind of enthusiasm are both vital in chamber of commerce. tions. Too much emphasis on campaigns to save significant witty paeans to "style" can play buildings and structures from the The strategy is self-evident, and into the hands of irresponsible recent past. But there is another there is no inherent reason why its architects and designers who are important prerequisite to preserva- benefits cannot be applied to the sometimes more interested in tion victory in these campaigns: task of saving places that were built replicating or exaggeratingperiod the ability to make one's case in more recently. If we wish to save a motifs in their own design than in convincing and commonsense rare, unaltered example of a 1960s preserving original examples of the terms that persuade one's listeners shopping center, is a call to the real thing. When the choice is new- by helping them to think through local collectors of classic Corvettes versus-old, such architects will the troublesome issues and, of and Mustangs out of the question? often have fun at the expense of equal importance, to identify with A classic car rally, with appropriate preservation by convincing the the preservation campaign in a music from the period- show your critics and public officials that the positiveway. authentic sixties wheels at an representation of "historic fea- - authenticsixties mall-might tures" in their new design is How often, for example, in the suggest to the merchants and tantamount to "historic preserva- course of campaigns to save recent ~ tenants how its dated image could tion" regardless of whether the buildings and structures do we hear m people say that the place "cannot be Arguments derived from our Case Study: historic because I can remember everyday experience can act as a when it was built." This response persuasive solvent, breaking down The Park and Shop exemplifies whatDavid Lowenthal encrusted and arbitrary notions and the Silver Spring once described as the American regarding different facets of the foible of regarding "History" as recent past. Consider our national Shopping Center some austere and grandiose realm passion for the automobile. It does that is utterly distinct from our not surprise us when we enter a "Save the historic shopping cen- everyday lives. But this habit of museum and see automobiles from ter!" Are there any takers? Shop- thinking can be changed through the 1950s on display with Model T ping centers are among the very last commonsense persuasion. Fords. So why should it surprise us places that most Americans regard to be told that a building from the as historic resources. Nonetheless, In some respects, the preservation 1950s is likewise a "part of his- significant shopping centers can movement is compelled to maintain tory?" Why should we maintain a teach us important things about a critical perspective that distin- double standard with respect to the our social and cultural history. A guishes the past from the present. vehicular and the architectural pair of related preservation cases On the other hand, the fact remains evidence of the same decade? from the national capital region that history did not stop 100 years reveal the emotional and political ago, or 50 years ago, or 20 years ago. When successfully carried out, a cross currents generated by cam- In a certain sense, history is campaign of reason and persuasion paigns to save pioneer examples of happening now. We had no hesita- will help people think about the this important building type. tion in the course of the past 10 recent histonc resource in a com- years in regarding the events pletely new way. They will start to The Park and Shop unfolding in the Soviet Union or in view it as a part of the ongoing eastern Europe as historic events: heritage that they themselves are The Park and Shop (1930) is located historic at the moment they were creating. They will view it as a part in the uptown Washington neigh- happening. In this manner we can of their own generation's legacy: borhood of Cleveland Park at the coax from our audience a fact that something they can point to years corner of Connecticut Avenue and they know already: the fact that in the future when they tell their Ordway Street, N.W. The architect history is a continuum that flows grandchildren "this was how we was Arthur B. Heaton and the without interruption into our own lived, and worked, and played-this times. Throughout our lives we is our legacy." have had the recurrent experience of watching "history in the making." ........ I. . 'Y I :-TE 4 0- 2 4-6- 3 From the level of monumental -42 - history we can easily descend to the F= - level of commonplace things by observing that the lives of everyday .... people are of great interest to social and cultural historians. A quick visit to the state historical society Â· - should settle any doubts about this. ' And what can the opponents of - - historic preservation reply to these - observations? Can they really tell the crowd at a local civic associa- tion meeting that the lives of everydaypeople-peoplelike themselves-havenoimportance whatsoever to the student of history? That the photographs of their parents in the family album i will be worthless to future genera- The Park and Shop as it appeared shortly afterit was built in 1930. (Photo: tions and to future historians? Theodor Horydczak Collection, Library of Congress) m developer was the local realty firm Connecticut Avenue within the It's very clear there is nothing of Shannon and Luchs. Hailed at boundaries of the proposed historic architecturally significant about the the time of its completion and district, a major dispute erupted. property, so I guess the issue is that nationally publicized over the The commercial blocks were zoned it is historic. We're going to try following decade, the Park and Shop for much higher building densities, and show that it is not." was a milestone in motor-age and with the recent arrival of a sub- commercial architecture. Its design way station the commercial prop- One by one, the tenants in the Park embodied lessons that were learned erty owners were eagerly awaiting and Shop had their leases cancelled; from earlier commercial experi- redevelopment. When the nomina- long-deferred maintenance was put ments: lessons of motor-age tion for the historic district was in off indefinitely. The building began accessibility derived from the the final stages of preparation, to look like an eyesore, and some California drive-in markets of the preservationists learned the owner observers began to mutter that they 1920s, and lessons of coordinated of the Park and Shop might soon "couldn't see what was so great" tenant selection and integrated apply for a demolition permit. about the Park and Shop. In re- business development from retail sponse, the historical society complexes designed to serve While the preservation ordinance of mounted a vigorous campaign of plannedresidential communities, Washington, D.C., does not provide education and persuasion, both at such as Shaker Heights in Cleve- any interim protection to proposed the neighborhood level and at the land and Kansas City's Country historic districts, the ordinance higher political level of the city Club district. By assimilating these does protect proposed individual government. The historical signifi- lessons, and by integrating them in landmark buildings as soon as a cance of the Park and Shop was an entirely new way, the Park and landmark application is filed. Con- explained at one public forum after Shop became the prototype for a sequently, the historical society another. The urbanistic/develop- new kind of facility-the planned submitted an emergency application ment issue was also effectively neighborhood shopping center-and to designate the Park and Shop an raised: the preservationists distri- its urbanistic qualities were praised individuallandmark. buted flyers depicting in graphic by such leading urban planners as terms the overwhelming and Clarence Stein and Catherine Bauer. It became a race against time as the upward leap in development scale preservationists rushed to complete that existing zoning would permit The Park and Shop broke with the research on the Park and Shop's on the Park and Shop site if the prevailing orthodoxies of commer- significance in preparation for the historic building were demolished. cial site planning by giving up landmark hearing. Fortunately, valuable sidewalk frontage in order Prof. Richard Longstreth at George Public sentiment steadily shifted to accommodate a parking forecourt Washington University was pursu- toward the preservationist position. for motorists. The Park and Shop's ing precisely the sort of long-term In December 1985 the city's preser- layout helped to promote the study of commercial architecture vation staff supported landmark efficient circulation o f vehicles, that would reveal the full extent of designation on the eve of the Park thereby mitigating traffic congestion the Park and Shop's significance. and Shop hearing. At this point on Connecticut Avenue. The Professor Longstreth-who acceler- political mediation by elected building was also carefully designed ated his research on the Park and leaders forced a procedural compro- to harmonize with the residential Shop when the historical society mise: the owner agreed to abstain surroundings of Cleveland Park. informed him of the preservation from requesting a demolition per- campaign-wouldbe a key witness mit if the preservationists withdrew Little of the building's significance in the hearings before the D.C. the landmark application. Both was known, however, in 1984 and Historic Preservation Review Board. sides agreed to request an expedited 1985 when the newly-founded hearing on the entire historic Cleveland Park Historical Society In the meantime an angry war of district. Political leaders hoped that began to survey the neighborhood words had commenced, with negotiations would commence in in preparation for a local historic adjacent property owners calling the the resultant breathing spell. But district nomination. The pictur- Park and Shop "a piece of junk." attempts at negotiations led no- esque residential portions of The attorney representing the where. Cleveland Park elicited little owners proclaimed in a newspaper preservation controversy, but when interview that "we're talking about Accordingly, the Park and Shop was the historical society included a parking lot, or at least that is evaluated along with the rest of the 4 several commercial blocks of what they say is historic about it. proposed historic district in the spring of 1986. The historic district have to take the good with the celebrated dean of American theater designation hearings took several bad." Such hubris only fueled the architects, the Silver Spring Shop- days and the Park and Shop was a fires of neighborhood opposition. ping Center included the Eberson- focal point of controversy. Several designed Silver Theater. hired witnesses testified against all Once again, the political power of or part of the district, as did the the Cleveland Park neighborhood The theater-shopping center com- property owners themselves. An was brought to bear upon elected plexgeneratedamajorcommercial employee of the law firm represent- leaders. With support from the building boom in Silver Spring, a ing the owners of the Park and mayor, the Cleveland Park Histori- Washington suburb located in Shop showed a dreary set of slides cal Society applied to the D.C. Montgomery County, Md. Follow- depicting the building in dilapidated Zoning Commission for a major ing the interruption of World War condition. One of the slides was a down-zoning of commercial blocks II, this boom continued through the close-up view of trash dumpsters within the Cleveland Park historic early 1950s. The result was an behind the Park and Shop. district. This locally precedent- important and unusually cohesive setting campaign for "preservation concentration of streamlined But the pro-preservation testimony overlay zoning" took approximately commercial architecture from the was overwhelming. Support letters tWO years (1987-1988) and the late Art Deco period. But after the received from scholars across the result was victory. The commercial boom years-years in which promo- country, as well as from the Society down-zoning of the Cleveland Park ters touted Silver Spring as the for Commercial Archeology, the historic district removed almost all second-greatest city of Maryland, Society of Architectural Historians, of the incentive for defying historic following Baltimore-the suburb and the Vernacular Architecture preservation. sank into a slow commercial Forum were entered into the record. decline. Professor Longstreth presented a After changing hands several times, detailed explanation of the Park and the Park and Shop was eventually By the early 1980s the local cham- Shop's significance in both the local sold to a developer who proceeded ber of commerce was anxious to and nati ,nal contexts. On Novem- to restore the property in 1991, trigger a second great building ber 19, 1986, the D.C. Historic adding a modest and compatible boom, and the local residents were I :,4 Preservation Review Board approved wing to the original building. The nervously dividing into pro-growth the desigr Kion of the entire Park and Shop is still used for its and slow-growth factions. The pro- Clevelanci Park historic district, originalpurpose-neighborhood growth faction welcomed redevelop- including the Park and Shop. shopping-and is still commercially ment as a way to improve the viable. An exemplary preservation tarnished image of Silver Spring. But this was only the beginning of project, the Park and Shop restora- The slow-growth faction feared that the battle, since the D.C. preserva- tion sets a tremendous precedent the quality of life in Silver Spring tion ordinance includes an appeals for the preservation movement. No would be destroyed if the county provision allowing the demolition less than in 1930, the Park and allowed overbuilding. Zoning and of designated historic resources if Shop is a trend-setting building. land-use decisions for Silver Spring an appeals officer, called the are made at the county level. In the Mayor's Agent, approves a develop- 1970s the Montgomery County ment project of "special merit" for Council had zoned the central The Silver Spring Shopping Center the site. Because of this appeals business district of Silver Spring for Cleveland Park's Park and Shop provision, the Park and Shop high-density development. proved to be so successful in the owners appeared to be entirely 1930s that developers rushed to unfazed by historic designation. It was against this background that duplicate its success in other parts They continued to entertain the Art Deco Society of Washing- development offers for the property. of the Washington metropolitan ton, a regionally active preservation area. The largest and most ambi- group, conducted a survey of down- One developer proposed an 11-story, tious pre-World War II example of town Silver Spring in 1983 and 210,000 square-foot building to these new park-and-shop centers replace the low-rise Park and Shop 1984. For political and civic rea- was the Silver Spring Shopping and then responded to neighbor- sons it was clear that in order to Center, built in 1938. Developed hood objections in a tone of inso- save the streamlined commercial lence, declaring, "If you want quiet, by William Alexander Julian, the ~ then you go to the suburbs.... If Treasurer of the United States, and architecture of Silver Spring a compromisebetweenpreservation designed by John Eberson, the you want to live in the city you and development would be neces- m sary. The society alerted county owners, and paid expert witnesses, 1985 the 1VLHT sent a letter to the planners to the possibility of denigrated the streamlined commer- Montgomery County Planning - integrating Silver Spring's historic cial buildings of Silver Spring as Board indicating that Silver Spring's resources into redevelopment plans "mediocre." The witnesses offered streamlinedbuildings represented while simultaneously requesting invidious comparisons between the most important concentration the county to begin the process of Silver Spring's commercial build- of such commercial architecture in formal historic designation. Local ings and major monuments of Art the state. MHT offered to co-fund designation in Montgomery County Deco design like Radio City Music an economic and design feasibility is a three-stage affair: hearings are Hall, and they argued that the Silver study to examine public-private held by the county's Historic Spring Shopping Center was aes- strategies for harmonizingpreserva- Preservation Commission (HPC), thetically inferior. They called it tion with redevelopment in Silver planning board, and county council, "third-rate Art Deco." - Spring. The planning board agreed in that order. At the Art Deco to this study. The results, pre- Society's request, the HPC put the The law firm representing the sented in September 1986, con- Silver Spring buildings on its owners of the shopping center-the firmed that a compromise between monthly agenda for September very same firm that would repre- preservation and development could 1984. sent the owner of the Park and work in Silver Spring if public- Shop ayear later-proclaimed that sectoreconomicincentiveswere But on Labor Day weekend of 1984 "these obsolete buildings have created. the owners of the Silver Spring little, if any, educational value. To Shopping Center sent a demolition argue seriously that the structures But 1986 was an election year, and crew to smash all the decorative have such value does a disservice to the election results unleashed an features of the complex. Fortu- the preservation movement. When entirely new phase of the Silver nately, the Art Deco Society's there are many unprotected impor- Spring conflict. A strongly pro- research on the shopping center had tant buildings, including fine exam- development politician was elected led to the discovery of a complete ples of Art Deco, which are of county executive. Almost immedi- set of the original blueprints. substantial... significance through- ately thereafter, a developer an- Copies were promptly furnished by out the state and region, it is nounced plans for a massive 2.5 the architect's son, Drew Eberson. difficult to understand why such million square foot project in the Thus began the impassioned effort and energy is [sic] being heart of Silver Spring consisting of a preservation war in downtown expended on an attempt to preserve regional shopping mall with two Silver Spring, a war that after eight the Silver Theater and Silver Spring department stores and a cluster of years is not yet fully resolved. The Shopping Center which are neither office towers 200 feet high. The first battle consisted of an Art Deco important nor architecturally mall's configuration required the Society protest rally against the significant." This paid testimony demolition of the Silver Spring mutilation of the shopping center. was counteracted by pro bono Shopping Center complex, and the The rally generated major press testimony from pre-eminent and developer announced he had coverage. independent scholars, all of whom acquired an option to purchase the advocatedpreservation in the property. The HPC recommended unani- strongest terms. mously that the Silver Spring Silver Spring preservationists and historic district, with the shopping The planning board was deadlocked. the Art Deco Society mounted a center as its centerpiece, be added Even so, the board chairman per- spirited defense of the historic to the county's Master Plan for suaded his colleagues to confer buildings. But the project picked Historic Preservation. Community conditionalandtemporaryprotec- up a vocal contingent of supporters revulsion against the sledgeham- tion on Silver Spring's historic who voiced the need to revitalize mering incident kept the owners of buildings while the planning Silver Spring with major depart- the shopping center on the defen- board's staff considered the matter ment stores. This constituency sive at the HPC hearing. But when in more detail. In the meantime conducted a renewed campaign of the issue reached the planning the Art Deco Society requested the anti-preservation ridicule. Since board in October 1984, the war of Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), 1984, the battered Silver Spring words began in earnest. A full array the state historic preservation Shopping Center had been allowed of anti-preservation speakers, in- office, to render an opinion on the to deteriorate even further; the cluding representatives of the local statewide significance of Silver theater was closed and boarded up ~ chamber of commerce, property Spring's historic buildings. In May and the shopping center's tenants 1 - ij A ,#*'.a#7 - --' Â·f *' ~ ~q~â€¢ ..41=.UÂ¥,4 .2 - i -4 =11== - 11. . 40*62*~40 i . ' W; 4 1 1 -1 11 1 Â» 4- -*:7Â· 4 The Silver Spring Shopping Center as it appeared duringthe 1940Â£ (Photo: Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission) were gradually evicted. Letters to Spring Shopping Center to the election of 1988, some 25,000 the editor began to compare the National Register-the determina- people signed petitions to force a "ugly" old derelict shopping center tion of National Register eligibility referendum on a multi-million- with the glamour of a brand-new wasissuedin June 1988-theslow- dollar parking garage that the mall. growth forces in the Silver Spring administration was proposing to civic movement began to put the build in order to service the project. In the meantime the county project on the defensive by suggest- The developer spent almost executive began redirecting the ing the devastating threat that it $500,000 for television ads to defeat county's planning process to posed to Silver Spring's quality of this referendum. But opponents of expedite the developer's proposal. life. The traffic impact alone his project still won 47 percent of In July 1987 he appointed two new appeared to be staggering. Accord- the county-wide vote-even though members of the planning board, ing to the standard trade literature, he had outspent them by 50 to 1. thus achieving a decisively pro- a regional mall of the size proposed At last, in the 1990 election, the development majority. Concur- would generate 20,000 to 30,000 car incumbent county executive was rently he urged this reconstituted trips per day. By the summer of defeatedand thenewly-elected planning board to redefine preserva- 1987 some 25 civic associations had county executive was pledged to tion in Silver Spring as "continuity organized themselves into the Silver more moderate policies. The of use." Under this new definition Spring-Takoma Traffic Coalition, developer was still no nearer to of historic preservation, the conti- and they swore to oppose the pro- constructing his mall. Despite the nuity of retail operations in the new ject. By 1988 the Traffic Coalition 1988 planning board approval, the mall would be construed as "pre- had secured the pro bono legal four-yearcivicresistancemovement serving" the "retail character" of services of the largest law firm in together with increasingly volatile the Silver Spring Shopping Center. the nation's capital. conditions in the retail industry Increasingly, the project seemed to had prevented him from breaking be moving ahead upon officially A civic revolution followed in ground. greased skids. Montgomery County. The Traffic Coalition and the Art Deco Society In 1991 the Montgomery County But before the project was approved filed successive lawsuits against the government initiated negotiations by the planning board in 1988, county: the grievances stemmed involving the developer and repre- ... public opinion had changed deci- from the way in which the adminis- sentatives of all concerned civic sively. While the Art Deco Society tration cut procedural corners to groups, including the Art Deco sought to deflect the campaign of facilitate the project. In the off-year Society of Washington. A consen- ridicule by nominating the Silver sus plan was developed that would m fi save the historic Silver Spring Case Study: vacate the Wilshire premises. The Shopping Center, recohfigure the company struck a deal with a regional mall, dramaticallyreduce The May Company development firm to demolish the j the overall density and scale of the Wilshire Store May Company building and to project, and facilitate the process construct a shopping mall in its through public sector land acquisi- place. In response to this demoli- tion to be financed through long- The struggle to save the May tion threat the Los Angeles Conser- term bonds. Company department store building vancy immediately nominated the on the Miracle Mile of Los Angeles May Company building to the After eight years of preservation has continued for roughly a decade. National Register of Historic Places. advocacy, Montgomery County The 1939 building was designed by The determination of eligibility was seems at last to be committing the prominent Los Angeles archi- issued in 1983. itself to the preservation of the tect Albert C. Martin, Sr., in 1938 Silver Theater and Silver association with Samuel A. Marx. Concurrently, the conservancy Spring Shopping Center complex. Strikingly modern, the building nominated the building for local The future, however, of this eight- combines features of the Interna- historic designation, even though year-oldpreservation initiative tional Style with the expressive the city's historic preservation remains uncertain. streamlining that was popular ordinance is relatively weak. The during the 1930s and 1940s. ordinance merely provides for a one- year delay of demolition, even if the One of the largest retail organiza- building is recommended as a tions in the United States, the May "Historic-Cultural Monument" by Company was founded in the 1890s the city's Cultural Heritage Com- by David May, a German immi- mission and then approved by the grant. The May Company's retail city council. The city, however, chain arrived in Los Angeles in has given itself far greater powers 1923 when the company acquired when it comes to the approval-or the five-story Hamburger and Sons disapproval-of development project store in the city center. In Novem- plans, which are first reviewed by ber 1939, the May Company opened the city's planning commission and an ultra-modern flagship store at then are referred to the Los Angeles Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax City Council for a final judgment. Avenue on the boulevard's cele- Much more than historic designa- brated "Miracle Mile," a creation of tion, the city council's final author- Los Angeles realtor A.W. Ross who ity to turn down the development envisioned in the early 1920s a plan would be a crucial strategic "Fifth Avenue of the West" along factor in the fight to save the May Wilshire Boulevard. Between 1929 Companybuilding. and 1939 around a half-dozen department stores established Another important source of facilities along the Miracle Mile. strategic leverage derived from Together with other commercial California's Environmental Quality buildings that were constructed Act. The act requires that the contemporaneously, these stores principal public agency involved in would help constitute one of the a development project- in this case most significant concentrations of the Los Angeles Planning Depart- Art Deco and streamlined architec- ment-file an Environmental Impact ture in Los Angeles and one of the Report, and this report must be city's most significant commercial certified as adequate by the legisla- districts. The May Company store tive body of the affected jurisdic- is a major landmark at the western tion. In this case, the legislative edge of the Miracle Mile. body was once again the Los Angeles City Council. In the early 1980s the May Com- pany announced its intention to m 4 1 While the city's Cultural-Heritage analysis of the city's revised But authoritative pro-preservation Commission kept historic designa- Environmental Impact Report, testimony was submitted by tion on indefinite hold through the stating that "never have we seen a independent and eminent scholars 1980s, City Councilman John document so full of misinformation and by the preservation officers of Ferrarro, who represents the district and obfuscation." In June 1991 the the Los Angeles chapter of the in which the May Company city's Cultural-Heritage Commis- American Institute of Architects building is located (and who also sion finally held its hearing on local and the Southern California chapter serves as city council president), designation of the May Company of the Society of Architectural began to intervene on the side of building. Even though the building Historians. The Cultural-Heritage preservation. Ferrarro played a key had already been determined eligible Commission recommended that the role in getting the project's Envi- for the National Register, an May Company building should be ronmental Impact Report, which assessment of the building commis- designated a Historic-Cultural egregiouslyslightedpreservation sioned by the owners (and, incred- Monument and forwarded the re- concerns, rejected in 1989, and told ibly, included by the city planning commendation to the city council. the developer that a shopping mall department in its Environmental was not appropriate on the site of Impact Report) claimed that "except Meanwhile the Los Angeles Conser- the May Company building. The for the corner element, the subject vancy, together with the preserva- developer went back to the drawing buildingis not architecturally tion committee of the Los Angeles boards and returned with a second significant because of alterations AIA chapter and several local civic proposal-but stillinsisted that the and the lack of pure Streamline associations, held a major commu- May Company building would have Moderne elements. Other, more nity forum on the May Company to be demolished. The second representative, examples of Stream- building in June 1991. One hun- proposal encompassed a pair of 25- line Moderne exist.... The subject dred twenty five community story office towers and a 19-story building is not identified with any residents attended this forum, at hotel. specific historic or religious event. which they were invited to share It is not the birthplace of an inven- their memories of the May Com- ~ Push came to shove in 1991, as the tion or idea, nor is it soley [sic] pany building. Out of this commu- Los Angeles Conservancy counter- identified with any historic per- nity forum emerged a publicity attacked on several fronts. The son." campaign involving a barrage of conservancy issued a scathing leaflets and posters along with a letter-writing campaign directed to the city council, particularly Councilman John Ferrarro. The Councilman later remarked that he had never before received such an outpouring of concern from his constituents. Celebrities from the 1 ~ entertainment industry lent their support to the cause of saving the i .J Joli/5-1 ...... building. One private citizen who 449:.~ %. ~43 41. . 1.4 + attended the conservancy's public --- . ~136Â£.5.1"~.h/53-10 forum printed 10,000 "Save the . Historic May Company Building" ./1.:.204%~. posters at his own expense. * Â·Â· '2â‚¬Ul- <CJ 3/imak,- In a February 1992 press conference, -- Councilman Ferrarro announced Â¢ : .t~. 07....~.r 7-ju...- that he was totally opposed to the development plan unless crucial changes-including the preservation : of the May Companybuilding-were made. The developer proceeded to TheMay CompanyDepartment Storein Los Angeles as itappearedduring the revise its proposal but still opposed 1940s. (Photo: Julius Shulman, Los Angeles, Calif.) preserving the building. In April 1992 Councilman Ferrarro once m again demanded the preservation of American environment. The design pressure that the widening proposal the May Company building. This of the Merritt Parkway was a was dropped-at least for a time. time the developer began to treat collaborative effort between land- preservation more seriously. scape architect W. Thayer Chase But while this early surge of Negotiations with the Los Angeles and architect George Dunkelberger. preservation activism deflectedthe Conservancy and with officials of Chase oversaw the planting of more immediate threat, the long-term the city government led to a than 60,000 carefully selected trees status of the Merritt Parkway tentative agreement to save the andshrubs-principally dogwoods, remainedproblematical. An May Company building if the city birches, cedars, and oaks-and attempt in 1975 to nominate the can provide financial incentives and Dunkelberger designed 35 bridges parkway to the National Register help to find a new user for the along the 38-mile parkway. Each of met with vehement opposition from building. If this tentative agree- the bridges was individually de- then-Governor Ella Grasso, who ment holds, the streamlined May signed; no two are precisely alike. prevailed upon the Secretary of the Company building may at last be The overall effect of the parkway out of danger. afforded motorists an unparalleled experience of scenic variety and Case Study: pleasure on their drive northeast of the New York state line. The Merritt Parkway But the scenic values of the park- The protection of historically way have repeatedly conflicted in ,=trai~'',&'# significant 20th-centuryhighways recent years with the road-widening ~ *U k involves the overlap of preservation impulse that is frequently generated with broader issues of environmen- by traffic congestion. The first of tal quality. A milestone effort is these threats emerged in 1973 when .P....r ijjb the long campaign to safeguard the Connecticut Department of ...,#m..p__ Connecticut's Merritt Parkway. Transportation (DOT) proposed to J widen the parkway from four lanes Built between 1934 and 1940, the to six. Not only would this pro- parkway was one of a network of posal have cut into the 300-foot " landscaped motorways constructed right-of-way that was so delicately in the greater New York City area and painstakingly landscaped, it ~ ~ - during the inter-war decades. A would also have forced the demoli- late-blooming manifestation of the tion and redesign of the 35 historic .., *1. City Beautiful movement, the bridges. In reaction to the widening Above:Detail of bridgealongthe landscaped parkway was one of the proposal, citizens from the Green- Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. most widely-praised attempts to wich area formed the "Save the Below:HABSdrawingoftwoofthe soften the potentially disruptive Merritt Association," which manybridges along the Merritt impact of the automobile on the exerted such forceful political Parkway. . In ,- - -ul-r3i # 11/Wm-=----- aFm~mamâ€¢12EI~Rf!?1Â£ 11@rrer coi!14,Â· c crcr rar r cri ~0 (:C r.nc [~011 1,0Â£ 1,,ocE oâ€¢rlit kLII,loctct. rcctc,- c ELELrjr 'Cc I .s =::2<5~30-I__j 1Â£ 'lilifw.*-=11~......81 1 M :Ii 1 11'!r r 1,- - 7 - -,1- -*71 =MI~i '111 underpass 1937 HAER No. CT-75 RIVERBANK ROAD -44=Les>- -- CONNDOT No. 702 1937 HIGH RIDGE ROAD ~ I -.LiDUL_4 -_fl~_I _ _ILI - 1~R ILEI Z- overposs ROUTE 137 HAER No. CT-79 (Formerly NORTH STAMFORD AVENUE) CONNDOT No. 706 m , Interior to reject the nomination. Register cannot be unreasonably Case Study: Consolation was afforded by a destroyed through state action. determination of National Register Anyone has standing to sue under Denver's Central eligibility in 1978, but threats to this legislation. Library the parkway continued to material- ize. Several new interchanges were In April 1991 the Merritt Parkway proposed to link the parkway with was finally listed in the National Consistent with a long tradition in other roads, and predictably the Register-16 years after the initial historicpreservation, Denver's proposals entailed the widening of nomination. newestpreservationgroup-the the parkway at each new point of Modern Architecture Preservation interchange. While citizen protests The Connecticut Trust followed up League, (MAPL)-was born in a succeeded in delaying the new this victory by scheduling a major moment of crisis. In 1989 an interchanges, several were nonethe- conference focusing on the Merritt anonymous whistle-blowerleaked less constructed in the 1980s and Parkway on September 28, 1991. the story that Denver's Department parkway defenders were not at all The conference was co-sponsored by of Public Libraries (DPL) was happy with the results. theConnecticutHistorical Com- planning to demolish the modernist mission (the state historic preserva- Central Library completed in 1956. Then, in 1990, the threat of widen- tion office), the Connecticut Society A significant work of local archi- ing the Merritt Parkway re-emerged of Architects, and the Connecticut tects and an important local ex- when the state's DOT revealed that Chapter of the American Society of ample of International Style archi- as part of a transportation study of Landscape Architects. State DOT tecture, the Central Library is southwestern Connecticut, a representatives attending the prominently sited in the district number of options for the parkway conference announced thatpropos- encompassingDenver's Civic were being considered, including an als to widen the parkway had been Center Park. The threat to the expansion of the parkway from four rejected-at least for the remainder library served as a catalyst that to eighr lanes. If the six-lane of the current gubernatorial admin- brought together scores of preserva- proposal of 1973 was menacing, the istration. Meanwhile, the depart- tionists who cared about modern 1990 proposal seemed catastrophic. ment announced that a three- design. The result was the birth of Even though the DOT was quick to member advisory committee would a new organization devoted to the emphasize that the widening be appointed to develop a long-term heritage of the recent past along proposal was merely one of a management plan for the parkway. with an important victory in the number of options under consider- struggle to preserve significant post- ation, Connecticut preservationists The task of protecting the qualities World War II architecture. mobilized once again. The presi- and character of Merritt Parkway dent of the Connecticut Trust for has proven to be a work of decade- The library was designed by Denver Historic Preservationannounced by-decade vigilance. Only time will architect Burnham Hoyt in collabo- ration with the firm of Fisher and that his organization would "fight reveal if the vision and foresight very, very hard" to protect the that guided the parkway's builders Fisher. An important figure in parkway and the state historic and designers will be fully repaid American modernist architecture, Hoytbegan designing International preservation officer expressed grave throughgovernmentalstewardship. concer- about the never-e:. ling Style buildings in the 1930s and his threats to the parkway's character. work was nationally recognized. Some of Â·he same activists who The Denver Central Library com- fought to Kill the 1973 expansion mission (1955-56}represented his announced that they were quite only significant post-war work in prepared to fight the whole battle Denver. Because of his failing over again. health, the work was completed by the local firm of Fisher and Fisher. The preservation position had been By 1989 the Central Library was strengthened since the 1970s by an one of only a few remaining mod- amendment to Connecticut's ernist buildings designed by Hoyt in Environmental Protection Act that the Denver area. All the others had ~ extended protection to historic succumbed to demolition or resources and provided that Con- destructive remodeling. necticut properties on the National m 4 , 1-*-4 / - -M â€¢1 3 I.'3, 8 2 + i F ~ 2 * -/1. 9 - rÂ·Â· 1. 51 ': . , E -,94 - 4.==V 7' 2 2-,lr. 4 - a Â© 44#. I W - I. . /4- . Â· Â· 0Â»*al,=n~*=90-~M'6.1:-+glECk.,=AAitltt The Central Libraryrepresents arare post-war workof Burnham Hoytin Denver. (Photo: Robert Delaney, MAPL) Although located within a National component of the architectural mix strive for substantial reuse of the Registerhistoric district comprising around Civic Center." Columnist Burnham Hoyt building." This the Denver Civic Center area, the Kevin Simpson of the Post asked preliminary victory was achieved Central Library was listed as a non- citizens to pause and reflect on the only a month and a half after contributingresource because it "architectural smorgasbord" of MAPL's first official meeting as an was less than 50 years old. In the Civic Center: "With the history of organization. course of its preservation action, 20th century design so conve- the newly-formed MAPL would niently-soliterally-writtenin MAPL proceeded to follow up this ~ nominate the building to the stone, why erase a chapter?" The victory by nominating Hoyt's National Register on an individual publicity came none too soon. In Central Library to the National basis while making the case for March 1990, the DPL released a Register. Preliminary review before exceptionallocal significance. conceptualdesignstudyperformed Colorado's State Review Board for by a consortium of firms and National Register nominations The initial steps in the preservation consultants recommending the began in May and the SHPO campaign involved the formation of demolition of the Central Library in recommendation for individual MAPL itself and the simultaneous order to permit the construction of listing was issued in July. By sounding of alarms in the local a totally new facility. December 1990 Burnham Hoyt's press. In January 1990, as the Central Library was listed in the organizational set-up was put in In the very same month a Library National Register as a historic place, the founding members of Bond Issue Election Task Force resource of exceptionallocal signifi- MAPL began an energetic campaign began a series of public hearings on cance. By the time of the National of letters to the editor that led to a the library project and the founders Register listing, MAPL's preserva- flurry of newspaper features and of MAPL presented pro-preservation tion campaign had enlisted the columns in the months that and anti-demolition testimony. support of Historic Denver, the followed. Preservation-minded The combination of public testi- Colorado Historical Society, and the columnists and architecture critics mony and preservation advocacy in National Trust for Historic Preser- declared that the loss of Hoyt's the press would have a decisive vacon. Central Library would be unthink- impact upon the deliberations of able. Joanne Dinner of the Denver the task force in March and April. In August 1990 the library bond Post declared that "the library... is On May 2, 1990 the task force issue was approved by the voters. a building of fine character, an released a resolution calling for an The city government appointed a excellent-andrare-example of architectural competition to design Central Library Architectural contemporary architecture of the an addition to the library that "will Selection Committee. Three '50s, and a valid and valuable respect the historic integrity and... finalists were selected in the ensuing competition, and on March ordinance state that "with respect pursue a different strategy in 6,1991 the commission was to Burlington's heritage, the resolving the issues of water awarded to Michael Graves in removal or disruption of historic, penetration and energy efficiency. collaboration with the Klipp Part- traditional or significant uses, nership of Denver. MAPL was not structures or architectural elements But Vermont National sued the city entirely satisfied with Graves' shall be minimized insofar as in an effort to get the commission's proposal: much of the interior of practicable, whether these exist on decision overturned. The bank Central Library will be destroyed, the site or on adjacent properties." protested that its building was and the new addition is not in all Vermont National argued that flaws listed in neither Vermont's State respects compatible. Nonetheless, in the original design of its 1958 Register of Historic Places nor the the swift and determined advocacy building had led to water penetra- National Register of Historic Places of MAPL has set an important tion and inefficient energy use. The at the time that the planning national precedent in post-World bank also argued that its customers commission had made its decision. War II heritage protection. It has and staff had found that the 1958 Consequently, the bank claimed also preserved a great deal of the aesthetics of the building were that the commission had no reliable fabric of a locally significant build- projecting a "cold, outdated, and basis for deciding that the building ing that would otherwise have uninviting image" of the bank. had historic significance. Even vanished forever. MAPL is now though Vermont's Division of proceeding with survey work and But Vermont preservationists Historic Preservation (the state National Register nominations convinced the members of historic preservation office) took encompassing other significant Burlington's planning commission action immediately after the filing works of modernist architecture in that the 1958 bank building- one of of the lawsuit to rectify this mat- Denver. only three examples of 1950s ter-the issue was brought before International Style architecture in Vermont's Advisory Council on Case Study: Burlington-had sufficient historic Historic Preservation in December significance to justify withholding 1988 and the building was added to Burlington's Vermont the Certificate of Appropriateness the state register as an excellent and that Vermont National requested locally rare example of International National Bank for the renovation. In November Stylearchitecture-thebankpro- 1988 the planning commission tested that the action was belated In 1958 the Burlington Federal rejected the renovation plans. and therefore of no legal relevance Savings and Loan Association built Vermont National was advised to to its complaint. Only the determi- a modernist office building in the downtown business district of Burlington, Vt. The International Style building was designed by the local firm of Freeman, French, and 44 Freeman. In the mid-1980s the building was sold to another bank, Vermont National, which decided ... Â¥4, - after moving in that the 30-year-old .:.Â·.-- building needed renovation. So in 1988 Vermont National Bank applied to Burlington's planning commission for permission to remove the glass curtain walls of the building and replace them with brick walls. al- 4'.. The planning commission had jurisdiction because the downtown business district of Burlington was designated a design review district under the city's zoning ordinance. VermontNational Bankis oneof onlythreeexamples of 19509 International The design criteria set forth in the Style architecture in Burlington, Vt. (Photo: Iim Lindberg) nations of significance in effect at renovation. So the city of Resource Guide the time of the planning com- Burlington appealed the court's mission's decision could be used to decision to Vermont's Supreme Publications: justify the commission's actions, Court. The Preservation Trust of the bank claimed. Vermont and the State's Division of Main Street to Miracle Mile: Historic Preservation filed a friend- American RoadsideArchitecture. The case was brought to trial before of-the-court brief supporting the Chester H. Liebs. Boston: Little, the Chittenden Superior Court in city. But the Vermont Supreme Brown & Co., 1985. October 1989. Architectural Court in a decision handed down in historians Chester Liebs and Glen August 1991 refused to overturn Past Meets Future: Saving Andres gave testimony supporting the lower court's opinion. America's Historic EnviIonments, the planning commission. But in Antoinette Lee, ed. Washington, spite of the scholarly testimony and Since then, the original glass D.C.: Preservation Press. 1992. in spite of the building's presence curtain walls of the 1958 bank See article by Richard Longstreth, in the Vermont Register, the court building have remained intact. titled "When the Present Becomes declared that "the building... has Economic hard times, combined the Past." not achieved local renown, and in with the cumulative force of public fact... the opposite is true. As opinion, have kept the renovation The American Mosaic: Preserving noted... neither federal, state, nor on hold for the time being. The a Nation's Heritage. Robert E. local preservation authorities future of the 1958 building occupied Stipe and Antoinette Lee, eds. deemed the building to be architec- by Vermont National Bank remains Washington, D.C.: United States turally significant until after the conjectural. Committee, International Council bank filed an appeal of the denial of on Monuments and Sites. 1987. the Certificate of Appropriateness. Acknowledgements See article by W. Brown Morton III, The Court is at a loss to under- titled "What Do We Preserve and stand why the same building which This Information booklet was Why?" was not registered when the City written by Richard Striner, assis- was surveyed several years ago has tam professor of history at Wash- National Register Bulletin 22, now suddenly been deemed worthy ington College in Chestertown, Marcella Sherfy and W. Ray Luce. of such status. The Court finds Md., and the founder and past Washington, D.C.: National Park that 150 Bank Street has little or no president of the Art Deco Society of Service, 1990. See " Guidelines for significance to the traditional Washington. Professor Striner Evaluating and Nominating Proper- heritage of the City, and so it can wishes to thank the following ties That Have Achieved Signifi- be redesigned without endangering individuals for their help in prepar- cance Within the Last Fifty Years." the preservation of the history of Burlington." The ruling overturned ing this booklet: Richard Longstreth, Peter Brink, Diane "Underage Landmarks," Susan the decision of the Burlington Wray, Barbara Hoff, Mary Benjamin. Inland Architect, Planning Commission. Neustaedter, Maribeth Demma, January/February 1988. Arnold Berke, Rodney Wheaton, Preservationists across the state Byrd Wood, and Katherine Adams. "Bungalows in Trouble," Marc protested the court's decision and Denchez. Canadian Heritage, pleaded with Vermont National Winter 1989. Bank to reconsider its plans. The Burlington Free Press, in an open "Remember Our Not-So-Distant letter to the bank's president, Past," Chester H. Liebs. Historic stated in February 1990 that Preservation, January-March 1978. "there's already enough red brick in this city to reconstruct the Berlin â€ž "The Lost Shopping Center, Wall. But what you've got right Richard Longstreth. The Forum, now is unique-literally.... Beauty Bulletin of the Committee on is in the eye of the beholder... Preservation, Society of Architec- Please take another look." But the rural Historians, October 1992. bank remained committed to the m ... "The Significance of the Recent Miami Design Preservation League The Society for Industrial Archeol- Past," Richard Longstreth. Associa- (MDPL) has done pioneering work ogy is an all volunteer organization tion for Preservation Technology in establishing a 20th-century which studies, interprets, and Bulletin, Vol. XXIII, No. 2, 1991. historic district in the Art Deco works to preserve the physical precinct of south Miami Beach. remains of industry. Its scope of "Sign Controls for Historic Signs," Contact: MI)PL, Post Office Bin L, interest includes, but is not limited Peter H. Phillips, AICP. P.A. S. Miami Beach, Fla. 33119. (305) to, factory buildings, bridges, Memo, American Planning Associa- 672-2014. worker housing and other engineer- tion, November 1988. ing sites and structures. For more National Council on Preservation information contact: Society for S.C.A. News Iournal, Society for Education (NCPE) can provide Industrial Archeology, Room 5014- CommercialArcheology, c/o Room references to scholars pursuing MRC629, c/o National Museum of 5010, National Museum of Ameri- research on historic resources from American History, Smithsonian can History, Smithsonian Institu- the recent past. Contact: Prof. Institution, Washington, D.C. tion, Washington, D.C. 20506. Michael Tomlan, Director, Gradu- 20560. Editor-in-Chief: Katherine ate Programs in Historic Preserva- Hamilton-Smith, Curt Teich tion, Department of Planning, 210 Society for American City and Postcard Archives, Lake County West Sibley Hall, Cornell Univer- Regional Planning History is a Museum, Lakewood Forest Pre- sity, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853. (607) 255- membership organization that serve, Wauconda, Ill. 60084. 7261. promotes education, research and publications in the area of Ameri- Organizations: Society of Architectural Historians can city and regional planning (SAH) is the principal scholarly history. For more information Art Deco Society of Washington organization in the field of architec- contact: Society of American City (ADSW) is a regional preservation tural history. Inquiries should be and Regional Planning History, and cultural organization in the directed to: Preservation Chair., 3655 Darbyshire Drive, Hilliard, nation's capital. ADSW has SAH, 1232 Pine Street, Philadel- Ohio, 43026. (614) 876-2319. campaigned to save severalimpor- phia, Pa. 19107-5944. (215) 735- tant examples of 20th-century 0224. motor-age architecture, including the Washington Greyhound Termi- Society for Commercial Archeology nal and the Silver Spring Shopping (SCA) is an information and Center. Contact: Art Deco Society publicity network for efforts to of Washington, P.O. Box 11090, preserve 2,0th-century commercial Washington, D.C. 20008. (202) architecture, particularly roadside 298-1100. and vernacular architecture. Con- tact: SCA, c/o Room 5010, National Los Angeles Conservancy has Museum of American History, established a Fifties Task Force to Smithsonian Institution, Washing- identify significant post-World War ton, D.C. 20560. (202) 882-5424. II historic resources in the Los Angeles area. Contact: Los Angeles Vernacular Architecture Forum Conservancy, 727 West Seventh keeps track of important scholar- Street, Suite 955, Los Angeles, ship in the realm of vernacular Calif. 90017. (213) 623-CITY. architecture. Contact: Vernacular Architecture Forum, c/o Peter Modern Architecture Preservation Kurtze, 109 Brandon Road., Balti- League (MAPL) is a new preserva- more, Md. 21212. (410) 828-1644. tion organization taking on the challenge of saving important examples of modernist architecture. Contact: MAPL, P.O. Box 9782, _,/A Denver, Colo. 80209. (303) 761- ~ 8979 m 5, .