People come to me when they have an old house that needs work, they know it’s special, and they desperately don’t want to f&%# it up.

How do you bring a 50- or 100- or 200-year-old house into the 21st century without destroying its historic character? 

That is the essential question of historic rehabilitation, defined as:

the process of returning a property to a state of utility, through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions and features [that] are significant to its historic, architectural, and cultural values (US Secretary of the Interior Standards)

Rehabilitation differs from “restoration” in that it doesn’t aim to recreate the appearance of a house as it existed at a particular moment in time. Rehab offers much more flexibility in deciding which features to keep, remove and reconstruct. “Renovation” can involve all kinds of changes, including complete removal of all historic features.

The National Park Service not only looks after our country’s great monuments and natural resources but also advises on best practices to preserve the historic fabric that surrounds us in our everyday lives. The standards they use are detailed in The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties With Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings.  

Rehab Principles 

1. A property will be used as it was historically (e.g., a single-family house) or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its character (e.g., a train depot adapted into a single-family house!). 

2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. 

3. Changes should not create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties. 

4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved. 

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

6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. When replacement is necessary, the new feature will match the old. 

7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. 

8. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy character-defining features. The new work will be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the property’s historic character. 

Clearly, there’s a lot of nuance and room for interpretation. Don’t be overwhelmed! Here’s where expert advice tailored to your special place can be so useful, saving you time, money and stress.

Speaking of savings, have you heard about state and federal tax incentives for historic rehabilitation? Here’s my post explaining financial incentive programs for property owners. And please reach out to set up a call if you have questions! I’m here for you.