Glossary of Historic Preservation Terms

Adaptive Reuse: Refers to the process of retains a high degree of integrity. reusing an old site or building for a purpose other Contributing: A classification applied to an than which it was built or designed for area, property, structure, site or object within a Addition: New construction added to an existing district signifying that it contributes generally to building or structure. the qualities that give the district historic, cultural, Alteration: Any act or process requiring a architectural or archaeological significance as building permit or demolition permit, or any act embodied in the criteria for designating a district. or process that changes one or more of the An area, property, structure, site or object can historic, cultural, architectural or archaeological be contributing even if it has been altered, as features of an area, property, structure, site or long as it maintains the character defined for the object, including, but not limited to, the erection, district. construction, reconstruction or relocation of Demolition: Any act or process that destroys any property, structure or object, or any part of all or any part of an exterior wall, foundation, a property, structure or object, or land-altering interior or exterior column or load-bearing wall of activities. a landmark or a property, structure, site or object Appropriate: Especially suitable or compatible. within a district. Balance: An important quality that is easily upset Design Guidelines: Created to serve as a by building alterations or additions that disrupt framework that allows for understanding the the symmetry of a building with ill-planned Standards of Review. They operate together garages, porches or room additions. informing each other in the design of a project. . Building: A building, such as a house, barn, District: An identifiable area with definable church, hotel, or similar construction is created boundaries designated as a “Historic principally to shelter any form of human activity. District” and in which a significant number of the “Building” may also be used to refer to a properties, structures, sites or objects have a historically and functionally related unit, such high degree of historic, cultural, architectural or as a courthouse and jail or a house and barn. archaeological significance and integrity. Examples include: carriage house, church, Directional Orientation: Compatibility of a courthouse, house, library, shed, stable, store, structure with properties and structures to which theater, train station, garage, detached kitchen, it is visually related in its directional character, barn, or privy. whether vertical or horizontal. Certificate of Appropriateness: A certificate Enlarge: To extend a building, structure, or issued by the Commission indicating review and resource beyond its existing footprint, usually authorization of plans for alteration, construction, through the construction of an addition or new demolition or relocation of a landmark, or exterior feature. property, structure, site or object within a district. Exterior Architectural Appearance: The Compatible: In harmony with location, context, architectural character and general composition setting, and historic character. of the exterior of a property, structure or object, Construction: The act of adding an addition to visible from a public street or public way, a structure or the erection of a new principal or including but not limited to the kind and texture accessory structure on a property or site that of the building material and the type, design requires a building permit. and character of all architectural details and Contemporary: Reflecting characteristics of elements, including, but not limited to, windows, the current period. Contemporary denotes doors, light fixtures, trim and signs. characteristics that illustrate that a building, Historic District: A Historic District is an area structure, or detail was constructed in the present with definable boundaries where a considerable or recent past. number of properties have been designated Context: Conceptual framework or physical as having historic, cultural, architectural, or surroundings for a building or site. archaeological significance and integrity. Contributing Structure: A property which Historic District (Local): An area designated as a “historic district” by ordinance and which may Lot of Record: Parcel of land that is part of a contain, within definable geographic boundaries, subdivision, the plat of which has been recorded landmarks and other structures that contribute to in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Cook the overall historic or architectural characteristics County, or a parcel of land, the deed to which of the district. has been recorded in the office of the Recorder Historic District (National): An area designated of Deeds of Cook County. as a “historic district” by listing on the National Maintain: To keep in an existing state of Register of Historic Places. National Register preservation or repair. districts, like local districts, contain landmarks Mitigation: The act of lessening a negative and other structures that contribute to the overall impact. historic or architectural characteristics of the Mothball (Stabilization): Temporariy measures district. to protect a building from the weather as well as Historic Integrity: The ability of a property to secure it from vandalism; the act or process of to convey its significance; the retention of applying measures essential to the maintenance sufficient aspects of location, design, setting, of a deteriorated building, establishing structural workmanship, materials, feeling, or association soundness. for a property to convey its historic significance. National Register of Historic Places: The Historic Material: Material from which the nation’s official list of buildings, sites, and building was originally built. districts that are important in our history or Historic Preservation: According to the culture. Created by Congress in 1966 and National Historic Preservation Act, includes administered by State Historic Preservation identification, evaluation, recordation, Officers. documentation, curation, acquisition, protection, Nomination: Official recommendation for listing management, rehabilitation, restoration, a property or district on the National Register of stabilization, maintenance, research, Places or as a local landmark property or district. interpretation, conservation, and education and Noncontributing: A designation applied to a training regarding the foregoing activities or a property, structure, site or object within a district combination of the foregoing activities. indicating that it is not a representation of the Historic Significance: Determines why, where, qualities that give the district historic, cultural, and when a property is important. Historic architectural or archaeological significance as significance is the importance of a property with embodied in the criteria for designating a district. regard to history, architecture, engineering, or the Object: Constructions that are primarily artistic in culture of a state, community, or nation. nature or are relatively small in scale. Integrity: Adherence to a high level of historical, Obscured: Covered, concealed, or hidden from architectural accuracy and relatively unchanged view. since originally constructed. The Secretary of Period of Significance: The length of time Interior recognizes a property’s integrity through when a property was associated with important seven aspects or qualities: location, design, events, activities, or person, or attained the setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and characteristics that qualify it for National Register association. listing. Period of significance usually begins with Landmark: A property, structure, site or object a date when significant activities or events began designated as a “landmark” that has a high giving the property its historic significance; this is degree of historic, cultural, architectural or often a date of construction. archaeological significance. All such designations Preservation: The act or process of applying include the lot(s) of record associated with the measures necessary to sustain the existing structure or object designated as a landmark. form, integrity, and materials of an historic Listing: The formal entry of a property in the property. Preservation can include the limited National Register of Historic Places; also referred and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, to as registration. and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate time by means of the removal of features from within a preservation project. other periods in its history and reconstruction of Primary Façade: The front elevation of a missing features from the restoration period. structure, usually facing a street and containing Retain: To keep secure and intact In the the main entrance. guidelines, “retain” and “maintain” describe the Proportion: Refers to the ratio of one dimension act of keeping an element, detail, or structure to another. Generally we use the word to indicate and continuing the same level of repair to the relationship between height and width of a aid in the preservation of elements, sites and door or window. The proportions of an entire structures. building are often referred to in the context of Rhythm: Regular occurrence of elements or scale, the relationship between the size of the features such as spacing between buildings. building and the size of a person. On structures, the repetition of rooflines, siding Project: Any alteration, construction, demolition treatment, window placement or any number of or relocation of an area, property, structure, site visual elements. or object. Scale: A term used to define the proportions of Reconstruction: The act or process of a building in relation to its surroundings or the depicting, by means of new construction, the proportional elements that demonstrate the size, form, features, and detailing of a non-surviving materials and style of buildings. site, landscape, building, structure, or object for Setback: The placement of a structure on a the purpose of replicating its original appearance. parcel in relationship to the lot lines and other Refurbish: To renovate, or make clean, fresh, elements such as the street and other buildings. or functional again through a process of major Significant: Having particularly important maintenance or minor repair. associations within the contexts of architecture, Rehabilitation: The process of making possible history and culture. a use for a property through repair, alterations, Site: The location of a significant event, a and additions while preserving those portions or prehistoric or historic occupation or activity, or a features which convey its historical, cultural, or building or structure, whether standing or ruined, architectural values. or vanished, where the location itself possesses Remodel: To change a building without regard historic, cultural, or archeological value to its distinctive features or style. Often involves regardless of the value of any existing structure. changing the appearance of a structure by Solid to Void: A relationship involving the removing or covering original details and proportionate amount of solid wall area to the substituting new materials and forms. void areas created by windows, doors, gables or Renovate: To repair a structure and make arches. it usable again. Although this word is widely Stabilization: The act or process of applying accepted outside the preservation community, measures to sustain the existing form, integrity historic preservationists prefer to use the term and material of a building or structure, and the “rehabilitate” since it incorporates careful existing form and vegetative cover of a site. retention of historic architectural, or cultural Standards of Review: The City of Evanston features. has established four separate and distinct sets Repair: Any change to an area, property, of Standards for Review of all projects that come structure, site or object that is not alteration, before the Preservation Commission. These construction, relocation or demolition. standards are based upon whether the project Replication: Constructing a building so that represents: alteration, construction (both new it is an exact replica or imitation of an historic and additions), relocation, or demolition. architectural style or period. Streetscape: The combination of building Restore: The act or process of accurately facades, sidewalks, street furniture, etc. that depicting the form, features, and character of a define the street. property as it appeared at a particular period of Structure: Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires, directly or indirectly, a permanent location on or in the ground, including without limitation buildings, garages, fences, gazebos, signs, billboards, antennas, satellite sending or receiving dishes, swimming pools, walks, walls, steps, sidewalks and works of art. Style: A type of architecture distinguished by special characteristics of structure and ornament and often related in time; also a general quality of a distinctive character. Visible from the Street: Able to be seen by a person walking on the public street, alleys or sidewalks on which a building is located. In the case of a building located on a corner lot, the street means both streets on which the building is located. Walls of Continuity: Facades and other site structures such as masonry walls, fences and landscape masses that form cohesive walls of enclosure that demonstrate visual compatibility with properties and structures to which they are related.