2016 District of Columbia Historic Preservation Plan Enriching Our Heritage 1 introduction 5 Enriching our heritage The district of columbia’s vision for historic preservation 2 dc history and heritage 13 People and progress A legacy of visionary plans Landmarks and milestones A succession of eras 3 preservation achievements 49 What works about preservation in dc 4 preservation challenges 59 Constituents talk about preservation Another round of public dialogue Evaluating government resources New opportunities for a growing city 5 goals, objectives, and actions 65 Setting shared goals Taking action together Recognizing historic resources Appreciating our history Protecting historic properties Planning for our heritage 6 implementation 77 Achieving our goals 7 resources and appendices 87 Bibliography Credits and acknowledgements introduction 1 Enriching our heritage Introduction A Path Forward to 2016 A Guide for Everyone Plan Organization Now almost 225 years old, the District of Columbia is This plan is a guide to a broad range of historic preservation This plan is intended for everyone in the District of The plan is organized in seven chapters: uncommonly fortunate in its cultural, historical, and efforts through 2016. It lays out a manageable list of goals Columbia. It is not merely a program plan for the architectural legacy. It is a heritage that is rich and varied, and suggests the actions the HPO, city agencies, federal operations of the DC Historic Preservation Office. On • First, it portrays images for a common vision, and reviews manifesting itself in the city’s majestic museums and partners, cultural organizations, preservation non-profits, its most basic level, preservation is a group activity. It our history and heritage — Chapters 1 and 2. monuments, cohesive neighborhoods, diverse places of and other partners can take collectively in the near term to is property owners—whether government agencies, work and worship, and scenic parks and landscapes. Its help achieve a long-range vision. It strives to include a wide businesses, or homeowners—who actually preserve the • Then it assesses our strengths and challenges, and layers of history extend well beyond the built environment, range of activities and be responsive to many opinions, District’s historic resources. Community organizations proposes the goals we should set and actions we to the stories of people, communities, and institutions that while also setting priorities that will allow us to focus on the and volunteers foster pride in our history and advocate should take to reinforce our strengths and confront our have contributed to the making of this place. most pressing of our needs. for the benefits of preservation through the democratic challenges — Chapters 3, 4, and 5. process. Schools, cultural institutions, and a multitude of This legacy survives not just by chance. It is the result of the Several major themes weave through this plan and underlie congregations preserve and pass on our heritage to the • In Chapter 6, it looks in depth at our goals and charts concerted efforts of citizens, organizations, business leaders, many of its recommendations. They reflect a critical next generation. Everyone enjoys our civic spaces and draws how to respond over the next four years to the and government officials advocating for the value of the assessment of where preservation stands now, based upon inspiration from the life of our city. preservation mandates of the District’s Comprehensive city’s historic resources. Fifty years ago, when an organized the public comments received and a thoughtful look at Plan. approach to preservation first began in the District, the what the city’s preservation community is doing well and Inevitably, most of the goals in this plan involve the • And finally, in Chapter 7, it includes a list of planning population was declining and traditional urbanism was not so well. Historic Preservation Office (HPO) and Historic Preservation resources and describes how to give critical feedback losing favor. Advocates for history fought not just the Review Board (HPRB), the government bodies responsible throughout the life of this plan. Your thoughts, random demolition of “obsolete” structures for parking lots, These five themes are: for implementing preservation laws. But government suggestions, observations, and participation are needed but massive renewal schemes that could destabilize whole officials cannot fulfill the purposes of these laws without as we move forward together. neighborhoods. They advanced an alternative vision that Preservation should get back to basics. Preservation the participation and support of the community at large. our communities are irreplaceable assets, and most of their 1 should concentrate on what most people Government relies on the commitment and contributions of fabric can be sustained and renewed rather than replaced. understand is valuable. many partners working for the common good of the city. During the past 50 years, preservation of our heritage has We should build from an understanding of history. become an inseparable part of the District’s revitalization. 2 Telling the story of our communities is the way to A Tens of thousands of historic buildings have been protected foster civic pride in the accomplishments of the past. and adapted to meet modern needs. There has not always beenA agreement in every case, but the general goal of Preservationists should work together. Partnerships respecting the city’s historic buildings and character enjoys 3 are essential to draw on all available talents and widespread support. resources, communicate effectively, and make progress toward common goals. Now, with a strong economy, surging population, and rising land and housing costs, the pressure for redevelopment in We should celebrate our achievements. Our historic the District has intensified. Smart growth and sustainability 4 environment is in remarkable condition overall, and are important policy goals, and must be accommodated preservationists can take credit for decades of solid along with preservation. New residents bring vitality, but accomplishment. perhaps different expectations about the city they now live in. And they may not share the same understanding or Preservation should consider new possibilities. A awareness of local heritage as long-time District residents. 5 changing city presents new opportunities, but new tools and approaches are also needed to address the In this changing environment, we cannot rely on the same challenges we face. assumptions and the past approaches to preservation alone. We can sustain and improve upon tools that work well, but we must also look for new strategies to ensure that the methods of preservation keep pace in a changing city. This plan aims to start down that road in order to ensure that our historic heritage remains a vital and valued part of our daily lives. 6 Duplex McGill House in LeDroit Park A Plan Methodology Connections to Long-Range Planning B Seeking Public Views This document is unlike, and we hope better than, any This plan builds on the broad vision outlined in the District’s Planning for this document began in earnest in early previous plan produced by the DC Historic Preservation Comprehensive Plan, Growing An Inclusive City: From Vision 2012. To help us with the effort, HPO convened a steering Office. With it we begin a new chapter in how we as a to Reality, which serves as the framework document for all committee of local preservation leaders and stakeholders. community plan cooperatively for the District’s cultural planning efforts in the city. The DC Council adopted the The committee met twice in the summer of 2012 to review resources, and how we communicate with each other about Comprehensive Plan in 2006 after substantial review by the the previous plan, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of preservation in the city. community at large—and for the Historic Features Element, local preservation efforts, and provide guidance on priorities by the preservation community in particular. for the future. A public working session was convened at In 2000, HPO became a part of the DC Office of Planning. the Sumner School Museum and Archives on September 13, That merger came from the recognition that protection of Since this Historic Preservation Plan fulfills the District’s 2012, open to all and attended by about 50 city residents. the city’s cultural heritage was more of a planning function requirement for the State Historic Preservation Office to Participants at the public meeting discussed ideas and than one of reviewing construction permits when plans prepare and periodically update a state historic preservation recommendations in a series of small-group sessions. reached the implementation stage—in other words, once plan, it has also been informed by National Park Service the train was already leaving the station. guidelines for preservation planning. Preparation of the The first draft of this plan was released for public comment plan has been further supported by a review of the recent in early 2013. This led to another round of revision and Some were initially skeptical about what that move might Annual Reports submitted to the Council of the District of consultation, described further in Chapter 4 mean for the integrity of the city’s historic preservation Columbia, describing achievements in implementing the program. In the dozen years since that merger, however, the DC historic preservation law. Recent accomplishments are We continue to welcome public comments about the 2016 city’s planning and preservation efforts have intermeshed summarized in an Implementation Report that accompanies DC Historic Preservation Plan, and yours are welcome: see in unforeseen ways that have strengthened both. We now this plan. Chapter 7 for how to share your thoughts. function as inseparable parts of a more inclusive planning process that is helping to propel the growth of the city by building on its natural strengths and competitive A advantages. We can now focus on attracting the kind of new economic engines that thrive in the cultural and physical D environment that the District of Columbia provides in abundance.