306 E nv i ronm e n ta l C once r ns, C odes, a nd Regu lations

Figure 10.20 The original window façade of this old building remains and becomes part of the interior décor, reflecting the
historical character of the original building.
Courtesy of Knoll, Inc./Adrian Wilson

Background
Preservation was first undertaken in Europe in the 1800s; the impetus spread to the United States, where the
movement has become very important. A considerable amount of literature exists showing both how earlier peri-
ods saw the need to preserve buildings and the methods they used.
In the United States, a private group was organized in 1853 to save the home of George Washington; eventually,
in 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act was established, setting historic preservation as a national policy
and providing incentives for preservation activities. Now, the National Register of Historic Places includes national,
state, and local historic sites and buildings. Guidelines are published for rehabilitating historic buildings and must
be followed to achieve National Register designation.
The “National Standards for Rehabilitation,” published in a section of The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for
Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, “are used to determine whether a rehabilitation
project qualifies for Federal consideration and funding.”

Landmarks: Districts and Buildings

Historic preservation involves historic landmarks, whether they are districts, buildings, or both. For example, a
building located in a historic district might not qualify for inclusion on the National Register if it is not itself of
historical significance in its construction or place in history. On the other hand, a building could have historical
significance but not be located in a historic district.

Historic Buildings and Interiors

The preservation of a historic building involves two main areas: the historical character or context of a building in
time and the building’s historical materials. If these two can be saved, the structure will continue to serve as a