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Preservation documentation in the NPS

By November 9, 2017 No Comments

What is a Historic Structure Report?  As the National Park Service explains in Preservation Brief 43, “A historic structure report provides documentary, graphic, and physical information about a property’s history and existing condition. Broadly recognized as an effective part of preservation planning, a historic structure report also addresses management or owner goals for the use or re-use of the property. It provides a thoughtfully considered argument for selecting the most appropriate approach to treatment, prior to the commencement of work, and outlines a scope of recommended work. The report serves as an important guide for all changes made to a historic property during a project-repair, rehabilitation, or restoration-and can also provide information for maintenance procedures. Finally, it records the findings of research and investigation, as well as the processes of physical work, for future researchers.”

Sites contemplating having such a report prepared may want to review one of the many that the NPS History program has made available online.  These include the reports for the 1891 Clara Barton house(Clara Barton National Historic Site) in Montgomery County, Maryland, and the c.1830s Stanton House(Women’s Rights National Historic Park) in Seneca Falls, New York, and many others from throughout the nation as well.