By Chuck Ross
"Location" may be the key word in a real-estate agent's vocabulary, but it can play just as big a part in a contractor's life when it comes to working with historic houses. Exterior modifications to homes located within locally designated historic districts will require local historic commission approval. And if the house itself is historic, commissioners may be even more demanding with regard to design and materials.
Designation as to what is considered "historic" can vary from town to town, according to Drane Wilkinson, program coordinator for the Athens, Ga.-based National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. While the National Register for Historic Places requires a structure to be at least 50 years old before it can be included on the national registry, links to more recent history–such as the civil-rights movement, for example–can motivate local commissions to declare younger buildings equally significant.
Wilkinson lists a number of factors that can play a role in a commission's decision to declare a structure "historic," regardless of age:
- Architectural significance or quality. The structure is a good example of a particular architectural movement or style.
- Association with a historically important person
- Association with a historically important event
Additionally, Wilkinson notes, many local commissions are beginning to consider the potential of a structure or site to yield historically important information in the future through archeological findings.
Historic or not?
Learning whether a structure falls under a local historic commission's jurisdiction is up to the contractor, says David Carpenter, president of Dedham, Mass.-based David L. Carpenter, Inc., a remodeling firm with a specialty in historic restoration. This education begins with a trip to town hall.
"The contractor has to be willing to be informed and gain the information that's idiosyncratic to each town," he says. "You really have to walk in [to the building department] and see what particular regulations might apply and whether there are any historic issues."
Plans to change major exterior design elements will attract especially close scrutiny, Wilkinson notes. Because original windows are both major architectural-style indicators and frequent targets for energy-conscious renovators, they can be a point of contention between contractors and commissions, he says. Commissioners may require contractors take another look at renovating existing windows before approving new-window plans.
"Windows are a big element, because the tendency is to want to rip out old wooden windows, when the truth is you can often rehabilitate the original windows," Wilkinson says.
Using modern materials
Moves to incorporate modern materials also can raise commission concern, both Wilkinson and Carpenter say.
"The general rule of thumb is, does it look like the material it's replacing and is it at least as durable as the material it's replacing?" Wilkinson says. "And is it reversible without damaging the building?"
Cement-fiber siding, such as James Hardie's Hardiplank product, is one synthetic alternative that many commissions are beginning to accept, according to Wilkinson. The question, he says, is how the material is intended to be used–as a spot replacement or to finish an entire addition wall. In many cases, he notes, an entire wall installation would be favored over a spot-replacement job, Wilkinson says.
In all cases, though, he urges contractors to begin conversations with commissioners early in the design and specification process. Such an approach also can help builders catch potential conflicts between a town's historic guidelines and any building codes that may be in force.
One common conflict for Carpenter involves the height of porch handrails and balustrades. Historic guidelines often specify a historically correct 24-inch height for these elements, while modern building codes require heights as high as 36 inches, he says.
Building inspectors may be willing to accept some sort of compromise or to make an exception for historic buildings, Carpenter says. But again, the best chance for reaching such an agreement is if you begin having those conversations before you even pull out a crowbar.
"You really want to talk to that person right at the outset," he says.
While location may be a major factor in historic renovation, so is timing. But since you are dealing with a piece of history, a sense of time is crucial anyway. Just don't wait until your hopes for productive discussions are history.
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