Secretary of Interior Standards

The Historic Preservation Commission ( HPC) considers the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings when reviewing certificates of approval for properties in the Cranbury Historic District or its buffer zone. The Secretary of the Interior developed the Standards to provide guidelines for the preservation of historic properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The intent of the Standards is to assist the long-term preservation of a property's historic, architectural, and cultural significance through the preservation of historic materials and features.

The HPC uses the Secretary of the Interior Standards as a guideline when considering work proposed to the exterior of historic buildings of all materials, construction types, and sizes and to the building's site and environment, as well as proposed attached, adjacent, or related new construction in the historic district. The Standards are meant to be applied in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.

The Secretary of the Interior devised ten Standards to consider when rehabilitating historic buildings.

1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

This introduction and the ten Secretary of the Interior Standards are excerpts from the National Park Service website, “Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.” For more information about the Secretary of the Interior Standards and how to use them visit http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/rhb/index.htm. Furthermore, consult Chapter 93 of the Cranbury Code for the certificate of approval application process and additional considerations for review used by HPC.

 

 

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