Significance How important is it? Thoughts on historical - PDF document

Item No. 11A Page 1 of 3 Significance How important is it? Thoughts on historical significance  A property must have enough integrity to reflect its significance .  What is a property’s history & context?  What is its story? What can it tell us? Green Gables, Woodside 1 2 Historic Preservation Historic Preservation  What we choose to preserve varies by country,  It’s not about looking pretty. region and locality.  It’s not about feeling good.  It’s about remembering & understanding our history.  What we choose to preserve depends on our culture, history and legal system . Gasworks Park, Seattle Barn, King County 3 4 International Context U.S. Preservation Typically began with very old monuments and religious buildings Abu Simbel 1816 1853 . City of Philadelphia purchased Mount Vernon Ladies Association Independence Hall raised funds when federal & state Reims Cathedral Governments refused to help. 5 6

Item No. 11A Page 2 of 3 National Register Threshold U. S. Natural & Prehistoric Wonders 1864 Yosemite deeded to state 1872 Yellowstone made a federal  Must be 50 years old park 1889 Federal funds to preserve unless of “exceptional Mesa Verde ruins. importance.” 1906 Antiquities Act established national monuments  Age is a threshold— 1916 National Park Service not the most important established 1930s New Deal recording programs criterion 1950s Urban Renewal 1966 National Historic Preservation Act/NRHP Space Needle & U.S Pavilion 1970s Bicentennial activities Seattle Mesa Verde National Park 7 8 National Register/State Criteria National Register/State Criteria  Associated with the lives of persons important to national, state or  Associated with events that have made a significant local history. contribution to the broad patterns of local, regional or  Related to significant events in the life of a significant person national history.  Whose history? Move beyond rich white men. Doc Ricketts’ Lab Old Monterey County Jail Panama Hotel Cooper-Molera Adobe 9 10 National Register/State Criteria National Register/State Criteria  Embodies the distinctive characteristics of type, period or method of  Usually “high style” or architect-designed buildings. construction.  Most common criterion as it is easiest to use  or represents the work of a master or possesses high artistic value.  Vernacular and commonplace buildings deserve a look too  Should be a notable example. Cannery workers’ cottages Mt. Angel Library Alvar Aalto Christian Science Church Bernard Maybeck Shaker building 11 12

Item No. 11A Page 3 of 3 Into the future… Layers of significanceria Social/Cultural Value  The more criteria that apply, the higher the significance  Integrity requirement Recognizes social/cultural associations of may be flexible,  properties Continuity of use to present  Opens up input on significance to ethnic  groups and others Asilomar Del Monte Hotel 13 14 Resources Challenges Requires a lot of information/evidence  Pacific Grove Context Statement  How do you regulate/preserve use?  Not tied to integrity—what do you protect?  NR Bulletin 15: How ti Apply the National  Register Criteria for Evaluation Norman Tyler, et al. Historic Preservation: An  Introduction to Its History, Principles and Practice Bohemian Beer Garden, Queens 15 16