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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 74
<br />For More Information: Planning a Project
<br />What Gives Your Building its Historic Look and Feel?
<br />Projects involving historic buildings include a range of activities, such as maintenance of existing historic elements, repair of deteriorated materials, replacement of missing features and construction of new additions . When planning a preservation project consider the following steps:
<br />• What is the historic significance of the building and the various building parts that will be part of the project?
<br />• How much has the building changed over time- something
<br />called integrity .
<br />• What historic elements are important for preservation during the project?
<br />• Determine use requirements of the building prior to outlining a
<br />strategy and project scope .
<br />It is often helpful to take this approach to help you figure out the important aspects of the building and district that might be impacted by a project . Of course, for simple repairs and small changes some of these steps might not be necessary .
<br />• Look from a distance . Stand across the street and look at the
<br />building—what stands out to you about its design, size, shape,
<br />materials? From down the street note the same things .
<br />• Get closer . From the site, look at the building, its materials, size, shape, and placement . What stands out to you?
<br />• Get up close and detailed . What materials, shapes (profiles),
<br />finishes (flat, curved, etc.), and placements impact your feel of the
<br />design of the building? What changes can you see evidenced by
<br />different materials, breaks in the materials lines, missing pieces,
<br />or parts?
<br />This National Park Service briefs help you learn more about how to read a building, go here .
<br />What is Historic Significance?
<br />When developing the survey of sites within the City of South Bend and St . Joseph County, the following criteria were used:
<br />• At least 50 years old —exceptions do exist when a more recent property has clear architectural or historical association value .
<br />• Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history—for example, the neighborhood was constructed all out of kit houses .
<br />• Association with the lives of significant persons in our past.
<br />• Distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction or,
<br />• A structure that yields or may be likely to yield archaeology
<br />discoveries .
<br />• A structure, property, object, site, or area with sufficient integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship to make it worthy of preservation or restoration, or
<br />• An established and familiar natural setting or visual feature of the community .
<br />Assess Integrity
<br />In addition to being historically significant, a property’s integrity
<br />plays a role in the development of a project plan . Integrity is a
<br />measure of how much change a building has had since it was
<br />constructed . A building with little change is considered to have a
<br />high level of integrity . One with a lot of change will be
<br />considered to have a low level of integrity .
<br />Most of the building’s structural system and materials should be from the period of its construction or other important changes, and its character-defining features should remain intact. These may include architectural details such as storefronts, cornices, moldings and upper-story windows on commercial buildings, and dormers, porches, ornamental brackets, and moldings on residential buildings . The overall building form and materials should also be preserved intact . These elements allow a building to be recognized as a product of its own time . Integrity is the basis of these guidelines in determining to what degree alterations, substitute materials, and new construction may be appropriate .
<br />The Commission staff is available to assist you in this assessment and to help map out a project plan . Contact:
<br />Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin .gov
<br />Phone: 574-235-7478
<br />Return to the Table of Contents
<br />Planning a Project
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