Historic District Design Guidelines


"Historic Houses in Haddonfield: A Preservation Guide":
(also available in hardcopy at the Haddonfield Library)


Design Guidelines
 for maintaining & rehabilitating historic buildings & landscapes within the Borough of Haddonfield.





The Secretary of the Interior's (National Park Service) Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties

The purpose of The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings is to provide guidance to historic building owners and building managers, preservation consultants, architects, contractors, and project reviewers prior to beginning work. It is always recommended that preservation professionals be consulted early in any project.

The Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties address four treatments: preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. As stated in the regulations (36 CFR Part 68) promu Standards, “one set of standards …will apply to a property undergoing treatment, depending upon the property’s significance, existing physical condition, the extent of documentation available, and interpretive goals, when applicable. The Standards will be applied taking into consideration the economic and technical feasibility of each project.” These Standards apply not only to historic buildings but also to a wide variety of historic resource types eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This includes buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts.

The Guidelines are intended as an aid to assist in applying the Standards to all types of historic buildings. They are not meant to give case-specific advice or address exceptions or unusual conditions. They address both exterior and interior work on historic buildings.There are four sections, each focusing on one of the four treatment Standards: Preservation, Rehabilitation, Restoration, and Reconstruction. Each section includes one set of Standards with accompanying Guidelines that are to be used throughout the course of a project.



Secretary of the Interior's Historic Preservation Briefs

Preservation Briefs (#1-50) provide information on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings. These publications help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to work. The briefs are especially useful to Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program applicants because they recommend methods and approaches for rehabilitating historic buildings that are consistent with their historic character.

Standard 6 of the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards for Rehabilitation” states that “deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible.  In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities.”  Therefore, the Secretary’s Standards and their accompanying Guidelines never recommend resurfacing frame buildings with any new material that does not duplicate the historic material because of the strong potential of altering the character of the historic building.



The following briefs provide guidance regarding the most frequently proposed projects within Haddonfield's Historic District.

Preservation Brief #4: Roofing for Historic Buildings
Preservation Brief #8: Aluminum and Vinyl Siding on Historic Buildings
Preservation Brief #9: The Repair of Historic Wood Windows
Preservation Brief #29: The Repair, Replacement, & Maintenance of Historic Slate Roofs
Preservation Brief #45: Preserving Historic Wood Porches

 

“Preservation of a building or district and its historic character is based on the assumption that the retention of historic materials and features and their craftsmanship are of primary importance.  Therefore, the underlying issue in any discussion of replacement materials is whether or not the integrity of historic materials and craftsmanship has been lost.  Structures are historic because the materials and craftsmanship reflected in their construction are tangible and irreplaceable evidence of our cultural heritage.  To the degree that substitute materials destroy and/or conceal the historic fabric, they will always subtract from the basic integrity of historically and architecturally significant buildings.” pg. 4 of Preservation Briefs 8: Aluminum and Vinyl Siding on Historic Buildings