Is My Property Historic?

Generally, buildings over 50 years old are considered historic.  This means that every year, a new batch of architecture comes under the historic umbrella. Historic integrity, along with age, is considered in order to determine the overall significance of a building.  Historic integrity is the ability of a property to convey its historical associations or attributes.

Steps to Take:

  • Site visit & Survey
  • Research the property
    • History
    • Ownership
    • Government Records
    • Architectural Design
  • Evaluate architectural details
  • Evaluate structural safety

Historic Integrity is determined by:

  • Location: Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred.
  • Setting: Setting is the physical environment of a historic property.
  • Design: Design is the combination of elements that create the historic form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property.
  • Materials: Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.
  • Workmanship: Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history.
  • Feeling: Feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.
  • Association: Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property.

Next

What Historic Architecture Style is My House?