So… you bought an old house and you want to …. what exactly is it that you want to do? Restore? Renovate? There are so many approaches to the treatment of a historical property I thought it best to clearly lay out the four most common. 

While the desire to clearly identify a treatment is mostly needed when referring to historical properties that are owned or used by the public I believe that understanding why one may be chosen over the other can help navigate the vast world of options when considering a treatment for your own home.

The 4 approaches to the treatment of historical properties

Preservation

Preservation is defined as the act or process of applying measures necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of an historic property. Work, including preliminary measures to protect and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon the ongoing maintenance and repair of historic materials and features rather than extensive replacement and new construction. New exterior additions are not within the scope of this treatment; however, the limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a preservation project.

Preservation is all about, as the name suggest ‘preserving what is existing’. While modern upgrading is considered within this scope it is done sensitvely. In this approach great care is taken to maintain, through regular repair and maintenance, the historic materials used

Restoration

Restoration determines a POS or a ‘period of significance’ and then strives to recreate what the property looked like then. Believe it or not, you’re certainly not the first person to make changes to your home, even when it seems to be filled with ‘original features’. Your home may have been built in 1869, but the ‘original’ bathroom was added in 1910. You may choose to determine the POS to be 1910, you would then only be concerned with matching your wall color to what it was in the early 1900’s, even though it may have been something different in 1869.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is the most closely aligned with how most modern home owners approach the treatment of their home. While this approach values preserving the features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values this approach allows for modern use through repair, alterations and additions.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction is essentially new construction that depicts the form, features and details of a non-surviving site, landscape, building, structure or object. Within the context of some historical sites it may be a necessary approach to allow the public to get a grasp of a historical context. Think ‘historical district’.

I hope this side by side break down could shed some light on the many ways you can choose to honor your historical home. While there is no right or perfect way to approach design in a historical home, understanding the aims of those whose job is to care for our nation's greatest architectural treasures may give you pause for how to honor you own. 

Please let us know a bit about your journey with your older home. Is there an approach you enjoy using more?