History of historic preservation: A national and global

perspective

Historical Museums and Historic Preservation

Preservation Goals• Commemoration - 1800s+• Recordation - 1930s +• Evaluation - 1970s +• Protection

– Acquisition– Deaccession – Adaptation – Conservation

Historical Museums and Historic Preservation

Museum Goals

• Collection - 1800s - 1950s

• Description - 1950s - 1960s

• Analysis - 1970s - present

1786 - 1827

Peale Museum in Philadelphia, opened by Charles Willson Peale, painter and collector

Collections include:• Art• Natural history• American Indian

artifacts • American history

exhibits

1813

• Philadelphia State House (Independence Hall) saved from demolition

1824

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania founded in Philadelphia

Library holdings include:

• Genealogical information

• Manuscripts• Printed historical

information

1835

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc appointed to supervise the restoration of the basilica of St. Madeleine in Vézelay, France

1846

Smithsonian Institution established as national museum by act of US Congress

• Main building, the “Castle,” designed by James Renwick, finished in 1855

1853

Mount Vernon Ladies' Association formed to save Mount Vernon by Ann Pamela Cunningham and volunteers

1872

Yellowstone National Park designated a federally protected area

1876

Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia

• Celebrates 100 anniversary of US

• Introduces telephone, telegraph, linoleum, typewriter

• “New England Kitchen of 1776” exhibit

New England Kitchen of 1776

1877

Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings founded by William Morris and Philip Webb in London, England

Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Manifesto, 1877."A society coming before the public with such a name as that above written must needs explain how, and why, it proposes to protect those ancient buildings which, to most people doubtless, seem to have so many and such excellent protectors. This, then, is the explanation we offer. No doubt within the last fifty years a new interest, almost like another sense, has arisen in these ancient monuments of art; and they have become the subject of one of the most interesting of studies, and of an enthusiasm, religious, historical, artistic, which is one of the undoubted gains of our time; yet we think that if the present treatment of them be continued, our descendants will find them useless for study and chilling to enthusiasm. We think that those last fifty years of knowledge and attention have done more for their destruction than all the foregoing centuries of revolution, violence and contempt…”

…It is for all these buildings, therefore, of all times and styles, that we plead, and call upon those who have to deal with them, to put Protection in the place of Restoration, to stave off decay by daily care, to prop a perilous wall or mend a leaky roof by such means as are obviously meant for support or covering, and show no pretence of other art, and otherwise to resist all tampering with either the fabric or ornament of the building as it stands; if it has become inconvenient for its present use, to raise another building rather than alter or enlarge the old one; in fine to treat our ancient buildings as monuments of a bygone art, created by bygone manners, that modern art cannot meddle with without destroying. Thus, and thus only, shall we escape the reproach of our learning being turned into a snare to us; thus, and thus only can we protect our ancient buildings, and hand them down instructive and venerable to those that come after us.” Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Manifesto, 1877.

1879

• Boston Antiquarian Club founded to save the Old State House from being moved to Chicago for World's Fair

• Reorganized as Bostonian Society in 1881 to operate museum in Old State House

1880

The Seven Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin published in London

• In the “Lamp of Memory” he advocated for conservation instead of restoration of old buildings

Neither by the public, nor by those who have the care of public monuments, is the true meaning of the word restoration understood. It means the most total destruction which a building can suffer: a destruction out of which no remnants can be gathered: a destruction accompanied with false description of the thing destroyed. Do not let us deceive ourselves in this important matter; it is impossible, as impossible as to raise the dead, to restore anything that has ever been great or beautiful in architecture.

John Ruskin, “The Lamp of Memory,” Seven Lamps of Architecture, 1880.

1882

Ancient Monuments Act enacted by UK parliament.

• Provides for government to have the authority and funding for maintaining monuments, the appointment of monument inspectors, a “schedule” list of monuments and legal penalties for persons who deface monuments

1889

• First national funding for historic preservation in US

US Congress appropriates $2,000 to preserve Casa Grande ruin in Arizona

1895

National Trust founded in Great Britain as a charity to acquire and protect threatened coastline, countryside and buildings

1898

Fanueil Hall (1762/1806) in Boston, rebuilt to make fireproof

1899

John Dewey in The School and Society, encourages teachers to provide students with direct experience of history by visiting historic places

• “The aim of education is to enable individuals to continue their education.”

1901

William Sumner Appleton founded the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA), now known as Historic New England

Appleton’s Five Principles

1. Proceed slowly and when in doubt, wait2. Hire experienced professionals to do the

work3. Document every stage, taking plenty of

pictures4. Save samples of the originals as evidence

when anything must be replaced5. Mark new work so that it cannot be later

confused with the original

1906

Antiquities Act • first national

preservation legislation in the US

• designated national monuments on federal land

• imposes penalties for destroying federally owned sites

1911

Parks Canada founded

• world's first national park service

• Currently an agency in Environment Canada

Parks Canada

• Mandate: On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places for present and future generations.

1913

Wallace Nutting (1861-1941) minister, photographer and preservationist, publishes Old New England Pictures

• Over the next several years he acquires and restores a “Chain of Colonial Picture Houses” which are open to the public for a fee and serve as backdrops for his photographs

• 1918 - publishes first catalog of reproduction furniture

• 1922 - publishes Beautiful Vermont

Wallace Nutting

“The acquisition of old paneling and its installation in rooms which perhaps never had any, is legitimate. If the dwelling is substantial there is nothing but praise in the effort to give it good dress.” 1936

1916

• National Park Service established in the US

1926

• John D. Rockefeller, Jr. begins funding support for the restoration of Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg

• Project lead by Rev. W. A. R. Goodwin

• Buildings on the 130 acre site, “weeded” to preserve 18th century structures, with important missing buildings added as replicas, including the 1770 Courthouse recreated in 1932.

1927 - 1931

• Storrowton Village erected at Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, MA, as a recreated antique village using disassembled buildings from Massachusetts and New Hampshire

• Named for Helen Storrow, benefactor and trustee of Eastern States Exposition

1929

• Henry Ford establishes Edison Institute, renamed Greenfield Village, in Dearborn, Michigan with relocated and replicated historic buildings, including a replica of Independence Hall

1931

• Historic Maryland founded in 1931 as the Society for the Preservation of Maryland Antiquities. Purpose: preserving historic buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes and archaeological sites through outreach, funding and advocacy

1931

• Charleston, South Carolina establishes its "Old and Historic District," the country's first designated historic district

1931

• The Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments adopted at the First International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments in Athens, Greece

At the Congress in Athens the following seven main resolutions were made and called "Carta del Restauro":

1. International organizations for Restoration on operational and advisory levels are to be established.2. Proposed Restoration projects are to be subjected to knowledgeable criticism to prevent mistakes which will cause loss of character and historical values to the structures.3. Problems of preservation of historic sites are to be solved by legislation at national level for all countries.4. Excavated sites which are not subject to immediate restoration should be reburied for protection.5. Modern techniques and materials may be used in restoration work.6. Historical sites are to be given strict custodial protection.7. Attention should be given to the protection of areas surrounding historic sites.

1933

• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) authorized by President Franklin Roosevelt

1935

• Historic Sites Act passed by US Congress to establish historic preservation policy; it "established policy ...to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States."

Historic Sites Act of 1935[ PUBLIC– N o . 2 9 2 – 74TH CONGRESS]

[ S. 2 0 7 3 ]AN ACT

To provide for the preservation of historic American sites, buildings, objects, and antiquities of national significance, and for other purposes.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Americain Congress assembled, That it is hereby declared that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States.

1936

• Vieux Carré established as historic district in New Orleans, Louisiana

1941

Lewis Mumford, encourages architects to seek a new direction for the future within the context of regionalism, rather than just reproducing historical designs in The South in Architecture.

Lewis Mumford

“Let us be clear about this, the forms that people used in other civilizations or in other periods of our own country’s history were intimately part of the whole structure of their life. There is no method of mechanically reproducing these forms or bringing them back to life; it is a piece of rank materials to attempt to duplicate some earlier form, because of its delight to the eye, without realizing how empty a form is without the life that once supported it. There is no such thing as a modern colonial house any more than there is such a thing as a modern Tudor house.

Lewis Mumford

“If one seeks to reproduce such a building in our own day, every mark on it will betray the fact that it is a fake, and the harder the architect works to conceal that fact, the more patent the fact will be…The great lesson of history–and this applies to all the arts–is that the past cannot be captured except in spirit. We cannot live another person’s life; we cannot, except in the spirit of a costume ball… Our task is not to imitate the past, but to understand it, so that we may face the opportunity of our own day and deal with them in an equally creative spirit.”

From The South in Architecture, 1941.

1946

Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts opened to public

• Recreated village used to display collection of antiques with guides in period costume

• Mixture of moved and reassembled buildings and recreated conjectural historic buildings

1947

• Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, founded by Electra Havemeyer Webb, collector of American folk art.

• Of 39 exhibition buildings, 25 are historic. Most were relocated to the site.

1949

National Trust for Historic Preservation established by an act of the US Congress as membership-based organization partially supported by federal appropriation

• Headquartered in Washington, D.C.

• Currently has 270,000 members, 6 regional offices, 28 historic sites

1952

Historic Deerfield incorporated by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Flynt of Greenwich, CT, to preserve the historic Deerfield, MA village with some relocated houses as a public museum

Mission Statement

Historic Deerfield, Incorporated, is dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Connecticut River Valley.  Its museums and programs provide today's audiences with experiences that create an understanding and appreciation of New England's historic villages and countryside.

1958

Upper Canada Village, Morrisburg, Ontario, established as a heritage park as part of the St. Lawrence Seaway project. It depicts a historic village of 1866, using buildings relocated from areas flooded by the construction.

1963

• Destruction of Pennsylvania Station in New York City mobilizes preservation movement in US

"Any city gets what it admires, will pay for, and, ultimately, deserves. Even when we had Penn Station, we couldn’t afford to keep it clean. We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.”

- "Farewell to Penn Station," New York Times editorial, October 30, 1963

1964

• First university degree in Historic Preservation established at Columbia University by James Marston Fitch

1964

• International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (Venice Charter) adopted by the Second Congress of Architects and Specialists of Historic Buildings

Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations of people remain to the present day as living witnesses of their age-old traditions. People are becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard ancient monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility to safeguard them for future generations is recognized. It is our duty to hand them on in the full richness of their authenticity.Preamble, Venice Charter, 1964

1965

• International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an international non-governmental organization of professionals dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and sites, was established by UNESCO

1966

National Historic Preservation Act passed by US Congress established:

• preservation roles for federal, state and local levels of government

• the National Register of Historic Places

• the concept of historic districts

• the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

1967

Civil Amenities Act passed in England• Provides for local authorities to designate conservation areas• Extends concept of heritage conservation to move beyond

preservation (i.e. protection) to the management of change (i.e. enhancement)

• Currently over 8,000 conservation areas and 500,000 heritage buildings are listed in England

• Application, review and approval from local authorities required for:– Demolitions– Minor developments and exterior alterations– Tree cutting or lopping

1968

• Association for Preservation Technology (APT) was founded by US and Canadian preservationists.Operating in English and in French, it grows to 1500 members from 19 countries by 1998.

1972

• Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO, establishing the World Heritage Site program

1973

• Heritage Canada Foundation started as a registered charity and membership-based organization

Heritage Canada

Mandate "...preserve and demonstrate and to encourage the preservation and demonstration of the nationally significant historic, architectural, natural and scenic heritage of Canada with a view to stimulating and promoting the interest of the people of Canada in that heritage."

1976

US Bicentennial • Major patriotic

cultural event celebrated at national and local levels

1977

Main Street Project launched by National Trust for Historic Preservation to help advocate for downtown revitalization

• National Main Street Center established in 1980 with financial support from various federal agencies

• Evolves into a fee-based consulting service

1978

• US Congress passes Revenue Act that established investment tax credits for rehabilitation of historic buildings

• Revised in 1986• Certification regulations

codified in 36 CFR 67

1978

• The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects developed by the National Park Service and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations 36 CFR 68

• Revised in 1983

1979

• National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) established

1982

CHARTER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF

QUEBEC'S HERITAGE(Deschambault

Declaration)• Adopted by the Conseil

des monuments et des sites du Québec, ICOMOS Canada French-Speaking Committee, April 1982

Deschambault Declaration

• DEFINITION OF HERITAGE AND PRESERVATION

• Heritage is defined as "the combined creations and products of nature and man, in their entirety, that make up the environment in which we live in space and time.Heritage is a reality, a possession of the community, and a rich inheritance that may be passed on, which invites our recognition and our participation."(Quebec Association for the Interpretation of the National Heritage, Committee on Terminology, July 1980).

Deschambault DeclarationArticle VIII THE REVIVAL OF OUR HERITAGE MUST

BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE MAINTENANCE, AND EVEN THE IMPROVEMENT, OF ITS SPECIFIC IDENTITY, INTEGRITY AND CULTURAL VALUES

Article VIII-B We must promote the continuous use of our heritage, without any interruption of occupation.

Article VIII-C Whenever we decide to make new use of heritage material, we must ensure the preservation of all the important characteristics of that material.Any changes that are made must, at all times, be reversible.

Article VIII-D The selection of a new function for heritage material must avoid excessive use and the deterioration that would result from such use.

Deschambault DeclarationArticle IX THE PRESERVATION OF THE DYNAMIC

AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTER OF OUR HERITAGE IS ENSURED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT HERITAGE AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS PROTECTION AND ITS VITALITY

Article IX-A In using our heritage, we must preserve or reintroduce everyday life rather than the artificial life of museums and tourist centres. Preference should be given to traditional occupations; and we must, in any case, respect the needs and legitimate aspirations of the inhabitants, even if this requires us to adopt uses that are different from the original uses.

Deschambault DeclarationArticle IX THE PRESERVATION OF THE DYNAMIC

AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTER OF OUR HERITAGE IS ENSURED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT HERITAGE AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS PROTECTION AND ITS VITALITY

Article IX-B In other words, it is necessary to encourage respect for the established rights of the local population. The housing function should take precedence over all other uses and be given first priority.

Deschambault DeclarationArticle X OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MUST

PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT EVERYONE HAS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESERVING THE NATIONAL HERITAGE

Article X-A Our educational system must disseminate knowledge pertaining to our heritage, to make people aware of its value and of the need to preserve it.

Article X-B The educational system must ensure that traditions are passed on, and thereby encourage the training of artisans, technicians and professionals who will be able to work to safeguard our heritage.

Deschambault DeclarationArticle X OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

MUST PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT EVERYONE HAS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESERVING THE NATIONAL HERITAGE

Article X-C Other educational authorities (the family, newspapers and magazines, radio and TV, etc.) must also do their part in furthering heritage education. In particular, heritage practitioners and specialists increase awareness through the communication of their knowledge to the general public.

1983

• English Heritage established under National Heritage Act. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, it is the statutory adviser to the government on the historic environment.

English Heritage

Partially funded by government and partially from revenues from its properties and services, English Heritage works in partnership with the central government departments, local authorities, voluntary bodies and the private sector to:•Conserve and enhance the historic environment •Broaden public access to the heritage•Increase people's understanding of the past

English HeritageMeets those responsibilities by:  

•acting as a national and international champion for the heritage•giving grants for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes•maintaining registers of England's most significant historic buildings, monuments and landscapes•advising on the preservation of the historic environment•encouraging broader public involvement with the heritage•promoting education and research•caring for Stonehenge and over 400 other historic properties on behalf of the nation•maintaining the National Monuments Record as the public archive of the heritage•generating income for the benefit of the historic environment

1984

Statue of Liberty restoration begins

• Listed on World Heritage site

• $62 million federal project with substantial private fund raising

• American Express promotion raises $1.7 million

• Reopened to public in 1986

1988

11 Most Endangered Places annual list launched by National Trust for Historic Preservation

• Soon many statewide and local preservation organizations develop similar lists to drawn public attention to preservation threats

• Entire state of Vermont listed in 1993 and 2004

1990

Town & Country Planning Act and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act enacted in England & Wales

• Listed buildings designated if of national importance• Consent required for demolitions and alterations of listed buildings from

local authority's planning department• Reviewed by planning or conservation officer (and occasionally by

English Heritage)• Local authorities can designate conservation areas of 'special

architectural or historic interest' worth protecting or enhancing with character or appearance assessed according to local and regional criteria

• Demolitions and alterations to buildings in conservation area require local consent

• Violations considered criminal offences

1991

• New Orleans Charter drafted jointly by members of The Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) and American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)

New Orleans Charter Arising from a concern for the coexistence of historic structures and the artifacts housed within them;Recognizing our responsibility as stewards to provide the highest levels of care for the structures and other artifacts placed in our care;Recognizing that many significant structures are used to house, display and interpret artifacts;Recognizing that historic structures and the contents placed within them deserve equal consideration in planning for their care;Recognizing that technologies and approaches will continue to change; and Recognizing that those involved in preservation are part of a continuum, and are neither the first nor the last to affect the preservation of historic structures and artifacts;

We, therefore, adopt these principles as governing the preservation of historic structures and the artifacts housed in them:

1.Institutions' statements of mission should recognize the need to preserve the unique character of both the historic structure and artifacts.2.The preservation needs of the historic structure and of the artifacts should be defined only after study adequate to serve as the foundation for the preservation of both.3.Requisite levels of care should be established through the interdisciplinary collaboration of all qualified professionals with potential to contribute.4.Appropriate preservation must reflect application of recognized preservation practices, including assessment of risk before and after intervention, and the expectation of future intervention.5.Measures which promote the preservation of either the historic structure or the artifacts, at the expense of the other, should not be considered.

6.Regarding public use, the right of future generations to access and enjoyment must outweigh immediate needs.7.Appropriate preservation strategies should be guided by the specific needs and characteristics of the historic structure and artifacts.8.Appropriate documentation of all stages of a project is essential, and should be readily accessible and preserved for the future.9.The most appropriate action in a particular case is one which attains the desired goal with the least intervention to the historic structure and the artifacts.10.Proposed preservation strategies should be appropriate to the ability of the institution to implement and maintain them.

1995

• The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects were revised as the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations 36 CFR 68

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY CHAPTER I-NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORPART 68--THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES

• s68.1 Intent The intent of this part is to set forth standards for the treatment of historic properties, preservation, containing standards for preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. These standards apply to all proposed grant-in-aid development projects assisted through the National Historic Preservation Fund. s68.2 Definitions The standards for the treatment of historic properties will be used by the National Park Service and State historic preservation officers and their staff members in planning, undertaking, and supervising grant-assisted projects for preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction.

• For the purposes of this part:(a) Preservation means the act or process of applying measures necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of an historic property. Work, including preliminary measures to protect and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon the ongoing maintenance and repair of historic materials and features rather than extensive replacement and new construction. New exterior additions are not within the scope of this treatment; however, the limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a preservation project.

(b) Rehabilitation means the act or process of making possible an efficient compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values.

(c) Restoration means the act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a restoration project.

(d) Reconstruction means the act of process of depicting, by means of new construction, the form, features, and detailing of a non-surviving site, landscape, building, structure, or object for the purpose of replicating its appearance at a specific period of time and in its historic location.

• s68.3 Standards. The set of standards--preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, or reconstruction--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.

(a) Preservation. (1) A property will be used as it was historically, or be given a new use that maximizes the retention of distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships. Where a treatment and use have not been identified, a property will be protected and, if necessary, stabilized until additional work may be undertaken.(2) The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The replacement of intact or repairable historic materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.(3) Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Work needed to stabilize, consolidate, and conserve existing historic materials and features will be physically and visually compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and properly documented for future research.(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) The existing condition of historic features will be evaluated to determine the appropriate level of intervention needed. Where the severity of deterioration requires repair or limited replacement of a distinctive feature, the new material will match the old in composition, design, color, and texture.(7) Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.(8) Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.

(b) Rehabilitation. (1) A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships.(2) The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.(3) Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken.(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. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.(7) Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.(8) Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.(9) New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work will be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and its environment.(10) New additions and adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in a such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired

(c) Restoration. (1) A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use which reflects the property's restoration period.(2) Materials and features from the restoration period will be retained and preserved. The removal of materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize the period will not be undertaken.(3) Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Work needed to stabilize, consolidate and conserve materials and features from the restoration period will be physically and visually compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and properly documented for future research.(4) Materials, features, spaces, and finishes that characterize other historical periods will be documented prior to their alteration or removal.(5) Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize the restoration period will be preserved.

(6) Deteriorated features from the restoration period will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials.(7) Replacement of missing features from the restoration period will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence. A false sense of history will not be created by adding conjectural features, features from other properties, or by combining features that never existed together historically.(8) Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.(9) Archeological resources affected by a project will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.(10) Designs that were never executed historically will not be constructed.

(d). Reconstruction. (1) Reconstruction will be used to depict vanished or non-surviving portions of a property when documentary and physical evidence is available to permit accurate reconstruction with minimal conjecture, and such reconstruction is essential to the public understanding of the property.(2) Reconstruction of a landscape, building, structure, or object in its historic location will be preceded by a thorough archeological investigation to identify and evaluate those features and artifacts which are essential to an accurate reconstruction. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.(3) Reconstruction will include measures to preserve any remaining historic materials, features, and spatial relationships.

(4) Reconstruction will be based on the accurate duplication of historic features and elements substantiated by documentary or physical evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different features from other historic properties. A reconstructed property will re-create the appearance of the non-surviving historic property in materials, design, color, and texture.(5) A reconstruction will be clearly identified as a contemporary re-creation.(6) Designs that were never executed historically will not be constructed.

1995

Preserving The Recent Past conference held in Chicago

• Sponsored by the National Park Service, the Association for Preservation Technology International and others

• Follow-up conference in 2000 in Philadelphia

1995

National Trust for Historic Preservation ceases publication of Preservation News, which since 1961 had served as the official journal to "keep members and the public informed about preservation issues and activities"

1998

Termination of federal appropriation for support of National Trust for Historic Preservation

1999

Burra Charter adopted by Australia ICOMOS

• The Burra Charter advocates a cautious approach to change: do as much as necessary to care for the place and to make it useable, but otherwise change it as little as possible so that its cultural significance is retained.

Burra Charter Conservation Principles 

Article 2Conservation and management 2.1 Places of cultural significance should be conserved. 2.2 The aim of conservation is to retain the cultural significance of a place. 2.3 Conservation is an integral part of good management of places of cultural significance. 2.4 Places of cultural significance should be safeguarded and not put at risk or left in a vulnerable state. 

Burra Charter Conservation Principles 

Article 3Cautious approach 3.1Conservation is based on a respect for the existing fabric, use, associations and meanings. It requires a cautious approach of changing as much as necessary but as little as possible.The traces of additions, alterations and earlier treatments to the fabric of a place are evidence of its history and uses which may be part of its significance. Conservation action should assist and not impede their understanding.3.2 Changes to a place should not distort the physical or other evidence it provides, nor be based on conjecture. 

2005

• 1897 Century Building in St. Louis, MO demolished despite local and national preservation efforts

• National Trust for Historic Preservation criticized for supporting demolition while profiting from project

When Preservation Equals Demolition By BRADFORD McKEE New York Times, March 31, 2005

St. Louis. FOR 108 years the neo-Classical style Century Building, with its 10-story marble facades accented by ornate friezes and pilasters, graced half a block in downtown St. Louis.But after 15 years of fighting by local preservationists it was razed in February to make way for a garage.The battle for the Century, with its familiar plot and cast of characters - preservationists squaring off against developers and politicians - resembled a typical preservation dispute. Yet it had an unusual twist: for the first time anyone involved can remember, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's most powerful preservation group, sided with the wreckers. In fact the redevelopment project that led to the Century's demise was financed with the national trust's help.Although the circumstances surrounding the Century are unusual, critics say the national trust, a private nonprofit organization with more than 200,000 members, has set a dangerous precedent.

“When Preservation Equals Demolition”For Carolyn Hewes Toft, the president of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, which has become an improbable adversary of the trust, its position was a violation of its mission to preserve historic structures. Ms. Toft suggested that the national trust had lost its integrity and said that of all the demolitions she had witnessed, "this loss is by far the most difficult to accept.”

Officials at the national trust said that its part in the demolition reflects the changing role of preservation, which they said includes fighting urban sprawl and reviving entire downtown areas, as well as saving historic buildings and sites. Increasingly, the national trust is "using preservation as a tool for community revitalization," said Richard Moe, its president. Sacrificing the Century, he added, was in line with the trust's efforts to broker the renewal of historic but rundown neighborhoods like downtown St. Louis, even at the occasional expense of a treasured building.

But for many preservationists, like Michael Tomlan, the director of the graduate program in historic preservation at Cornell University, that price is too high. What the national trust did, Mr. Tomlan said, was wrong. "It's morally and in any number of senses ethically inappropriate. It violates preservation's Hippocratic oath: if you can't be supportive, for gosh sakes shut up."

2006

• English Heritage introduces Conservation Principles for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment 

Conservation Principles for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment

2007-2008

• National Trust for Historic Preservation addresses sustainability

2007-2008

• National Trust for Historic Preservation addresses sustainability

2007-2008

• National Trust for Historic Preservation addresses sustainability