There are many methods to protect historic properties. Here's a quick primer.
National Register of Historic Places: The National Register- contrary to popular belief- does not provide that much protection to historic houses. NR listed houses can be altered or demolished at will by their owners unless they are protected by one of the tools listed below. The only protection that NR listing provides is that if federal or state funds are involved in a project (such as widening a road) and NR properties will be affected, the project must be reviewed to see if there are ways to minimize or eliminate any negative impact.
State Register: Most states have state registers of historic properties. The protection that this provides varies by state. Most building codes, including ours in Massachusetts, exempt national or state listed properties from having to meet the building code in its entirety. For example, when renovating a state register-listed property, the inspector may waive the requirement to replace a non-compliant set of stairs.
The other benefit of being listed on either the National or a state register is that the property is eligible for historic tax credits.
Local Historic Districts (LHDs) are one of the most effective tools used to preserve the appearance of historic buildings and landscapes. Massachusetts and most other states have enabling legislation allowing local communities to create LHDs. Typically if someone wants to renovate a property in an LHD, the LHD commission has the authority to review any proposed changes that would be visible from a public way. So if an owner wants to replace the original windows or build an addition,those changes would be subject to review prior to the owner receiving a building permit.
The tools listed above are all "public" tools in that they involve governmental bodies. One private tool is the easement or deed restriction. This means that a legal interest in the property is donated to either a private preservation organization or a public entity. This easement requires that the present owner and all future owners of the protect the property as per the terms of the easement.
Many communities also have demolition delay by-laws which allow the local historic commission to review any building permit applications involving demolition of historic properties. While these by-laws can't prevent demolition (courts have determined that this would constitute a "taking") they can be used to find other solutions. Sometimes a buyer steps forward who is willing to move the building. Sometimes the owner is convinced that demolition is not the best choice.
For more information on any of these tools check with the National Truse for Historic Preservation or your state historic preservation office.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.
Last time we did a survey of the Greek Revival houses in my town of Medway, Mass. There are some great examples of the style in town, ranging from humble to high style. Now let's take a look at the potential pitfalls of altering the original siding and trim details.
It's pretty clear to me that the average home builder in the 18th and 19th centuries had a much better grasp of the basics of architectural styles than their modern day counterparts. Architectural styles had rules. Carpenters did not simply make things up as they went along. They used either pattern books or local examples to guide them as they built up cornices, columns, and other architectural elements. A quick look at some of Asher Benjamin's pattern books will reveal some of the rules used by the master carpenters to produce their millwork.
As a result these old places are still pleasing to the eye all these years later. The proportions are "right". On the new houses of today moldings of different styles are mixed and matched randomly. Windows are often out of scale with the facade; either too big or too small. You'd be hard pressed to find a carpenter who could tell you the difference between an architrave and a capital.
So let's look at what happens when ill-informed alterations are made to historic houses. First we'll look at a fairly intact Greek Revival here in town.
As we discussed in the last post, this house is based on the Greek temple form. The triangular gable (also called the pediment) is supported by the wide, horizontal band of trim (the architrave) which, in turn, is visually supported by the wide "columns" (which are represented by the wide cornerboards, called pilasters). The pilasters have capitals at the top, just as true columns do.
Visually it all makes sense. There is a logic to it. The wide pilasters look as if they can carry the weight of the architrave and pediment above. It's simple yet quite elegant.
So let's look at what happens when this sense of order and proportion is disrupted (with apologies in advance if I offend any of the homeowners).
Our first test case is the house below. A quick look will reveal two changes. First, the wide horizontal trim band (called the architrave, remember?) made up of several boards in the original has been replaced with a single board so that it is now much narrower. It feels less substantial and out of proportion with the pediment above. The second floor window trim no longer touches the trim boards above so the composition feels less unified.
Even more troubling is the fact that the pilasters have been replaced with simple cornerboards. Gone is the detail of the recessed panels on the pilasters. Gone are the capitals. And because the cornerboards are so narrow gone, too, is the sense of proportion. These narrow cornerboards seem incapable of supporting the visual weight of the pediment above- they look like they may crumple at any time- so the whole effect is much less pleasing to the eye (and it doesn't help that the shutters have been removed either). Still a nice looking house, but not as cohesive as our original example.
Our next example has been altered even more. First, the triangular pediment looks less substantial because the wide trim boards that once followed the slope of the roof were removed when the clapboards were replaced with shingles (take a look at the two houses above to see what I mean). Second, there are absolutely no pilasters or cornerboards. These, too, they were removed when the siding was replaced. There is nothing to visually support the pediment and roof. Next, of course, is the siding. I've seen few, if any, Greek Revivals that look better with shingles than the original clapboards. With no cornerboards, no shutters, and shingles instead of clapboards, this house looks a little naked compared to our original example.
Our next case displays the unfortunate result when a nice historic house is covered with vinyl siding and aluminum trim. The installers were intent on covering everything in sight. Look at how bad the horizontal architrave looks when treated with siding. It loses its decorative function, which is to visually support the roof. Fortunately, it looks like most of the trim is probably still under the vinyl and metal wrapping so this house could be more easily restored to its former glory than some of the other examples.
Our final example has been maintained and preserved to a larger extent than the three previous examples. In fact, apart from the porch addition, it would rival our original example. The porch (not original, but not bad) obscures the front door surround and also visually interrupts the pilasters, so that they no longer appear (at least from the street) to reach the foundation. All in all, though, this is a well preserved example.
This row of Greek Revivals illustrates why it's important to consider the intentions of the original builder and/or designer before undertaking renovations of historic house. If your house has been altered by a previous owner, don't despair. Study the houses in your neighborhood. Check the historic society for old photos of your house (we found a great 19th century photo of our place). There are a lot of great resources to help you figure out what your house may have looked like.
Not sure where to turn? Give us a call. We've been restoring and renovating historic houses in and around Massachusetts for over 20 years. We'd love to discuss your house.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.
The selection of exterior paint colors for historic houses is, admittedly, a very subjective topic. Color schemes that please some people might give their neighbors nightmares. As subjective and personal issue as this topic is, however, it is clear to me that some color schemes enhance the look of an old house while others can make a house look either too bland or clownishly over the top.
Some basic knowledge is helpful. Until the Industrial Revolution, most paints were mixed in small batches using naturally found earth pigments. Paint colors, therefore, tended to reflect these pigments: red oxide, yellow ocher, lamp black, red and white lead, etc. Common exterior colors were reds, yellows, and greens. I think that the colors from Old Village Paints represent 18th and 19th century paint colors fairly well. White was most often reserved as a trim color in the 18th century. Around 1820 or so it became a more popular body color. Greek Revivals, in particular, were often painted white - or had white trim and a body color such as straw yellow or a gray or tan meant to suggest stone. It should be noted, however, that the "white" that was used back then was more of an off white, not the super whites available these days.
Even after paints started being mass produced in the second half of the 19th century, exterior colors still favored earth tones such as ochres, various shades of green, browns, and deep reds. Roger Moss' book on historic colors captures this well. New colors were being introduced during this period, too, so the options were much greater
There are two common mistakes with exterior paint colors that I see. The first is to paint a house that would have had many colors just one color, usually white. Take a look at the two houses below (which sit side by side in a Boston suburb). The one painted all white really obscures the wonderful detail that was so important in this period. The multi-color scheme expresses the architectural detail. In point of fact, however, neither scheme is historically accurate. These houses would likely have had dark trim colors against medium body colors. Light (or white) trim colors were not commonly used until the 20th century.
Here's another case, this time with side by side Eastlake style houses in the town of Hudson, MA probably dating to the 1870s.. During this period color would have been used to pick out some of the architectural detail. Again you notice how the version painted in white- while a beautiful house- fails to do justice to the great carpentry.
The other common mistake is to make any late 19th century house look like a "Painted Lady". The books by that name are responsible for garish bright paint schemes from sea to shining sea. While purples, pinks, and aquas may please some people, in my opinion they look out of place, especially here in New England. Yes, some vibrant colors were used in the late 19th century, but earth tones still were the predominant palette.
Instead of this paint scheme ....
....for my money, I'd take either of these schemes any day:
Or this beautiful palette ...
Sometimes historic paint colors were used to suggest other materials, in particular to suggest that a wooden house was actually built of stone. I once worked on an 18th century house in western Massachusetts that had rusticated board siding (this is wood planks made to resemble blocks of stone by carving fake mortar joints into the wood). They used a reddish brown paint designed to look like the local brownstone and they actually added some brownstone dust into the paint. For the "joints" they used a white paint. George Washington used this same technique on Mount Vernon.
Of course the good thing about paint schemes is that- unlike getting rid of a house's original windows- they are not permanent. An inappropriate scheme can be painted over by a future owner.
There are two main options when it comes to selecting historic paint schemes:
1. Use the original colors. This requires an experienced paint consultant who can analyze the original colors by looking at paint samples taken from the house under a microscope. This is not inexpensive, but for some owners, the result justifies the expense. Paint analysis can also be used to determine the colors used in later renovations. For example, if an 18th century house was renovated in the Italianate period, an experienced consultant can sometimes determine what the Italianate colors were.
2. Use period appropriate colors. This can be done by either finding some good books and following the guidelines therein, or hiring a historic color specialist. Many of these consultants will work from a distance: you pay a feee, send them some photos of your house, and they provide some period appropriate color schemes. Some preservation organizations have commissioned lines of period-appropriate colors. These include The National Trust and Colonial Williamsburg. Here in Massachusetts, the Cambridge Historical Commission has published a guide to historically appropriate colors.
Some paint companies and websites offer online tools that allow you to upload a photo of your house and "try on" different colors on a computer monitor.
One more note: many historic houses in America had windows (and exterior shutters) that were painted dark. Black and green were the two most common colors in the 19th century. Painting your window sash a dark color will enhance the look of almost any historic house, while painting them white tends to detract from the look. Here's a window on my 1831 Greek Revival, below. The sash and shutters are painted Black Forest Green. Note the straw yellow body and the white trim.
Not sure where to turn? We've been renovating and restoring historic houses, barns, and churches for almost twenty years. We'd be glad to point you in the right direction, so give us a call or drop us a line.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.
As an old house renovation contractor I am often approached by homeowners who want to replace their old windows. Sometimes this is the first item on their list when they buy an old house. They reason that the old, drafty windows are inefficient and hard to use and- quite honestly- often they are correct. But is trading in the old windows for new ones the best option? I don't think so and I'll tell you why.
First, is the aesthetic argument. It is hard to overstate the contribution that windows make to the look of the house. Original, historic windows have the right proportions for the house and often have a delicacy that new windows lack. A contributing factor, too, is the character of the old glass with its waves and bubbles. Muntins (the slender pieces of wood between panes of glass) have profiles that are true to the period and style of the home. Georgian windows have a different profile, for example, than Greek Revival windows. Modern double glazed windows typically have fairly wide muntins that don't look right in most old houses. Whether you have an 18th century house or one that's only a few decades old, if you go with a replacement window your profile options are limited.
Also new windows come with spring balances or other mechanisms for holding the windows up. Many of the larger companies have improved the look of the balances and jamb liners, but still a lot of new windows have cheap looking vinyl jamb liners, like the one pictured below.
Second, keeping your old windows and restoring them is the green thing to do. Why throw the old windows into a landfill when they could be restored and given a new life? It's much more environmentally friendly to keep the old windows.
Third, the energy efficiency of restored and weather-stripped windows- when combined with a decent storm window- is usually pretty close to that of a typical replacement window.
Fourth, simple economics. The payback period for new replacement windows- the number of years it will take to recoup the expense of the windows through the energy savings- can be as long as 40-60 years becuase the energy savings per window is so small. It usually doesn't make sense economically to replace old windows.The payback period for weather-stripping and storm windows is much less.
Finally, new windows are much less reliable and less repairable than old windows. My house, for example, still has the original window sash from 1831. That's almost 180 years of service life and they're still going strong! Modern replacement sash, on the other hand will not last anything close to that long. Most insulated glass will fail in less than 25 years because the seal between sheets of glass will fail and the glass will fog up. Modern sash are not easy to repair. When one breaks it is often necessary to buy a replacement sash. What happens when replacement parts are no longer available? Historic windows have parts that are readily available and most handy homeowners can replace sash cords, fix a broken pane, or install weatherstripping.
Not convinced? Check out the Weatherization Guide put together by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. There's a lot more information there, including some case studies comparing the economics of restoration vs. replacement.
If you decide to keep your old windows you may wonder what to do next. If you're handy and feel up to doing the work yourself, there are a lot of resources on the web. A quick Google search on "window restoration tutorials" or "window restoration videos" will turn up some really helpful resources. If you decide to hire someone to do the work, ask your state historic commission if they can recommend an experienced window restoration company.
We're currently restoring the windows on a ca. 1870 house in Brookline, MA. As you can see in the photo below, we've removed the sash to strip the paint, repair broken glass, reglaze, prime and paint the sash. The sash will be re-installed but not before we weatherstrip the jambs with v-shaped bronze weatherstripping.
If you leave in or around Massachusetts, give us a call. One of our
restoration carpenters is a window restoration specialist. He's
restored windows for us on houses of every period. We can
also provide wood or metal storm windows and screens.
What have you done with your old windows? Let us know what you think.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.
We're involved in a project about 30 miles west of Boston, MA in which the clients have decided to build a new house. Therefore, their current house needs to be removed from the site. The house was built around 1750-1775. It's actually in very good condition and still has much of its original material: the post and beam frame (of course), doors, windows, flooring, wainscotting, fireplace surrounds, etc.
It was originally a two over two which means that it had two rooms on each floor. At some point in the late 18th/early 19th century the house was about doubled in size.
We would love to save the house from demolition. The house could be dismantled and re-assembled on a new site. The house is about 2600 square feet and of course additions could be added to it. It would make a wonderful house: lots of character and, because it would need to be rebuilt- it would have modern mechanical systems, wiring, and insulation.
The dismantling process involves carefully documenting the house through photos and drawings, labeling the components andthen taking it apart piece by piece.
If you are interested in taking on such a project- or know someone who may be- please let us know. Here's a look at a previous dismantling project that we did.
Landmark Services Inc has been restoring and renovating historic houses in Massachusetts for almost 20 years. Put our team of craftsman to work on your historic New England house!
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007 I'll be giving a talk at the Walpole Historical Society entitled "Artful Updates: Renovating and enlarging your historic home while maintaining its character". If you plan to come, bring pictures of your house and questions related to any aspect of renovations, restorations, or additions. All are welcome.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.
Take It Away - New York Times. Moving historic houses to save them is becoming a more common occurance around the country. Unfortunately, most developers place no value on these houses and they either get moved or torn down.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.