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VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1, SPRING 2013 A Newsletter from the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Offi ce West Virginia Division of Culture and History OOldld SweetSweet Springs,Springs, MonroeMonroe CountyCounty DETAILS • 1 Th e Glamorization of Preservation By Susan Pierce, Deputy State Historic Preservation Offi cer State of West Virginia EARL RAY TOMBLIN I subscribe to several popular mag- New additions, exterior altera- Governor azines that show off beautiful his- tions, or related new construc- Dept. of Education and the Arts toric homes. Despite my aff ection tion shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the KAY GOODWIN for their beautiful color spreads, I Cabinet Secretary sometimes growl with frustration property. Th e new work shall at the feature stories that discuss be diff erentiated from the old the restoration of historic homes. and shall be compatible with the RANDALL Th e “how-to manual” for preser- massing, size, scale, and archi- tectural features to protect the REID-SMITH vation professionals is the Secre- Commissioner historic integrity of the property tary of the Interior’s Standards for and its environment. Rehabilitation, but it’s pretty clear State Historic that magazines oft en showcase a When I look at the photo from the Preservation Offi ce beautiful home redesigned to fi t magazine article, it isn’t clear at all a 21st century lifestyle rather than where the new starts and the old SUSAN M. PIERCE, Director promote historic preservation. Th e Deputy State Historic Preservation Offi cer ends. It also looks like the massing, Ext. 158 - [email protected] “centerfold” house project is usu- size, and scale of this building was JENNIFER BRENNAN, Assistant ally a renovation. Th e article oft en Director, Tax Credit and Certifi ed Local pumped up to fi t our 21st century Government Program Coordinator implies that the historic character Ext. 156 - [email protected] expectation of square footage. To of the building is preserved. In re- JOHN ADAMIK, Editor confi rm my suspicions, I Googled Education and Planning Coordinator ality, the text reveals that historic Ext 122 - [email protected] the architectural fi rm and found the fabric was destroyed in order to PAMELA BROOKS house project highlighted on their Grants Coordinator accommodate our modern living Ext. 720 -- [email protected] website. I also contacted the neigh- SHIRLEY STEWART BURNS expectations. Th e house now has Structural Historian boring state historic preservation Review and Compliance a redesigned kitchen space or open Ext. 157 -- shirley.l.stewartburns@ offi ce and asked if a historic prop- wv.gov living area with new circulation pat- erty inventory form was completed BETHANY CANFIELD terns. Consider the following ex- National Register/Survey Historian before the house makeover. It was Ext. 712 -- bethany.d.canfi [email protected] ample from a recent magazine issue: .... and wow! What a diff erence a EMILY DALE Archaeologist renovation makes on a building. Review and Compliance “A little more than a decade ago, Ext. 726 - [email protected] Th e form included photographs Sue and her husband decided to BELINDA GRAY of the original building, which has Secretary II enlarge the farmhouse built by Section 106/Assistant to Director his grandfather ... so seamless is now tripled in size. Th e architect Ext. 722 - [email protected] the home’s addition .... that you MICHAEL KYNE refers to this project on his website Historian - Review and Compliance can’t tell where the old house as a major renovation and addi- Ext. 138 - [email protected] stops and the new one begins.” CAROLYN KENDER tion. Th e building is indeed beau- Archaeologist tiful and architecturally impressive, Review and Compliance Th ey are right; I can’t tell by the Ext. 719 -- [email protected] but it is not an example of “by- TAMI KOONTZ two-page photo spread of the new Information System Coordinator the-book” historic preservation. Ext. 140 - [email protected] exterior where the 1870s house LORA LAMARRE-DEMOTT is anymore. I would like to see Feature spreads such as these tend Senior Archaeologist Review and Compliance what it was, but it’s not appar- to confuse the public about the Ext. 711 - [email protected] ent anymore. For comparison, diff erence between historic ERIN RIEBE National Register Coordinator consider the following standard. continued on page 3 Architectural Survey Coordinator Ext. 725 -- [email protected] The activity that is the subject of this newsletter has been fi nanced with Federal funds from the National Park Service, KRISTIN SCARR Department of the Interior. The program receives Federal funds from the National Park Service. Regulations of the Archaeologist U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on Review and Compliance the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated Ext. 716 -- [email protected] against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of federal assistance should write to: Offi ce of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. 2 • DETAILS continued from page 2 matched with the documenta- preservation and renovation. If the • If I am building an addi- tion in our fi les, such as survey owner wants to preserve and pro- tion, can I tell the diff erence forms, reports, National Register tect the original building, then the between the original and the new? nominations, and photographs. standards will direct and guide the Previous to the WV SHPO GIS, proposed construction and repairs • Is the proposed addition public patrons or consultants to ensure that the new addition is larger than the original, over- scheduled offi ce appointments distinct from the historic building whelming its appearance? to view the same information. and protects the original character. • Am I changing the appear- When property owners begin a tax ance of the landscaping How was the WV SHPO GIS credit or development grant project, around my home? Will those created? staff at the SHPO must challenge changes overwhelm the visual the public’s idea of what it means to appearance of the building? In 1998 the SHPO started the protect the historic fabric of a build- • Am I working with an archi- process of making resource in- ing. We provide a quick course on tect who is familiar with the formation available to the pub- the philosophy of the standards. standards? lic, when we received a West Sometimes, the owner understands Virginia Department of Trans- and is willing to work within the Th is line of questioning will help portation Enhancement grant. standards; other times, not. If the you get started. Please contact our Th is grant was used to purchase owner contacts our offi ce aft er the offi ce; we will assist in your eff orts. an in-house GIS program and completion of a project that did not Th e buildings highlighted in popu- developed by the National Park follow the standards, we explain that lar magazines are beautiful and pro- Service and customized for State the changes made to a home have al- vide great ideas, but the standards Historic Preservation Offi ces. tered its historic integrity. We can’t won’t let you down. Th ey will give In the same year, by Execu- list it in the National Register of His- you a beautiful and historic home. tive Order 4-93, the State GIS toric Places or approve the tax credit. - Susan Pierce Th is usually disappoints the owner. Technical Center was created in cooperation with West Vir- To avoid disappointment, if you are ginia University. Th e new cen- contemplating a home improvement Q & A - SHPO GIS project, take time before you start to Survey Forms, ter provided technical services ask yourself the following questions: to support the development and Reports and Na- operation of GIS in West Vir- • How are my plans going to tional Register ginia, as it still does today. Most aff ect the original character of Nominations are recently we’ve contracted with my building? Online! the center to design, update, • What are the important fea- and house our new online GIS. tures of my home? What is the WV SHPO GIS? Th e SHPO has contracted with Th e West Virginia State His- • Am I removing and/or replac- Marshall University’s geog- ing historic materials? For toric Preservation Offi ce’s Geo- raphy department to digitize example, consider the win- graphical Information System architectural sites and con- dows or wall fi nish. Do they (WV SHPO GIS) is an interac- tinues to hire students really need to be replaced or tive web application which al- will repair be suffi cient? Am to digitize in-house. I removing the baseboard and lows the offi ce to share cultural resource information with the plaster work to insulate the In 2007, we received another interior? Do I plan to return public. Resources include his- grant from the WV Depart- the baseboards to their origi- toric buildings, National Regis- ment of Transportation and nal location? ter listed buildings and districts, a legislative appropriation archaeological sites and sur- • Am I removing interior walls to scan our inventory forms veys, cemeteries, and Civil War and opening up rooms that continued on page 7 were originally separate? sites. Location information is DETAILS • 3 NNATIONALA T I O N A L RREGISTERE G I S T E R OOFF HHISTORICI S T O R I C PPLACESL A C E S The following historic resources and districts were listed in the Na- Old Pine Church tional Register of Historic Places between August 2011 and January 2 Purgitsville Vicinity 2013.