Brookfield Township Design Guidelines Prepared for the Brookfield Township Historic Commission August, 2010 Guidelines Written and Illustrated by Jeffrey Darbee and Nancy Recchie Benjamin D. Rickey & Co. 393 Library Park South Columbus, Ohio 43215 Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the Brookfield Township Clerk and members of the Brookfield Township Historic Commission for their dedication to the historic character of the Brookfield Historic District and for their assistance in the development of these design guidelines. Thanks also to the Brookfield Township Trustees who provided matching funds for the Certified Local Government grant that funded the project. This publication is made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the Ohio Historical Society. This program receives federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination in departmental federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or disability. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility operated by a recipient of federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. Table of Contents Introduction Purpose of the Design Guidelines 1 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards 2 Using the Brookfield Township Guidelines 3 Working with the Brookfield Historic Commission 3 Certificate of Appropriateness Procedure 5 Brief History of Brookfield Township 7 Character-defining Features of Brookfield Buildings 9 Guidelines for Residential Buildings Exterior Materials 15 Roofs, Gutters and Downspouts 18 Windows 21 Entrances and Doors 24 Porches 26 Architectural Trim and Details 27 Additions 28 New Construction 30 Fences, Patios and Satellite Dishes 31 Guidelines for Commercial and Institutional Buildings Exterior Materials 32 Commercial Storefronts 36 Windows and Doors 38 Awnings and Canopies 42 Commercial Signs 43 Architectural Trim and Details 47 Additions 49 New Construction 50 Access for People with Disabilities 51 Appendix Application for Certificate of Appropriateness 55 Glossary of Terms 56 Sources of Information 58 Introduction Purpose of the Guidelines These guidelines will assist Brookfield Township's homeowners, commercial building owners, and business owners when they renovate their houses, commercial buildings, or storefronts. The guidelines are intended to be a source of information both for these owners and for the Brookfield Township Historic Commission as it reviews proposed exterior work on older buildings in Brookfield and across the township. Brookfield Township is a historic community with roots in the Western Reserve region once owned by the state of Connecticut and settled in the late 18th and early 19th centuries by New England emigrants. The village of Brookfield has examples of some of Ohio's earliest architecture, as well as later 19th century styles, and also some traditionally-designed 20th century commercial buildings. As many other communities have discovered, preserving historic architecture can be an important step in maintaining the village's and the township's attractive appearance as a desirable place to live and work. A view across the green in Brookfield shows the well-kept lawns, plantings, trees, and historic architecture that give the community its unique character. This is not a set of rigid rules. The guidelines in this publication suggest appropriate ways to rehabilitate historic buildings while preserving their character, but the goal is still to allow flexibility in solving problems so buildings can be made safe, efficient, and functional. 1 Rehabilitation Standards The rehabilitation recommendations in these guidelines are consistent with the following ten standards adopted by the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service, to guide preservation projects nationwide. The Standards pertain to historic buildings of all materials and construction types. The Standards also encompass related landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent or related new construction. The Standards are a useful general guide for anyone considering rehabilitation of an older building. Their goal is two-fold: preservation and continued use of the maximum amount of historic building materials; and avoiding the creation of a false "historic" appearance. The Brookfield Township Design Guidelines build on the framework established by the Standards, providing specific guidance tailored to the age, style, and type of buildings typical of Brookfield Township. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation 1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment. 2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. 3. Each property shall 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 architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken. 4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved. 5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsman- ship that characterize a property shall be preserved. 6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence. 7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. 2 8. Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken. 9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. 10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired. Rehabilitation standards seek to preserve traditional design features such as stone steps, original doors, ornamented entries, and landscape features such as painted wood fences. Using the Brookfield Township Design Guidelines Brookfield Township is fortunate to have the village of Brookfield at its center. The village's physical form reflects the strong New England influence of the Connecticut Western Reserve, with the community's commercial, residential, and institutional buildings arranged around a central public green. In the Midwest, this 200-year-old form of town planning is unique to the northeastern Ohio region, and Brookfield has one of the best-preserved examples. 3 The community wants to encourage orderly growth in the township while protecting the characteristics that make Brookfield attractive and livable. To aid this effort, the Brookfield Township Trustees produced these design guidelines to help building owners and the township's Historic Commission as planning for building renovation and new construction go forward. The guidelines are primarily educational. They define the characteristics that make Brookfield's architecture significant and suggest appropriate ways to maintain, repair, rehabilitate, and enlarge existing buildings while protecting important historical and design characteristics. They also suggest how newly-built structures can be designed to fit appropriately into the context of existing historic buildings. The focus is on the village of Brookfield, but the guidelines can help property owners anywhere in the township find good information about current preservation practices. Anyone proposing work on a building designated as historic by the Brookfield Township Historic Commission must submit an application form to the Commission, along with photos, drawings and other documentation about the building and the proposed work. The guidelines should be consulted early on by anyone considering renovation of a designated building, construction of an addition to such a building, or construction of a new building in the Brookfield Historic District. Working with the Brookfield Township Historic Commission By action of the Brookfield Township Trustees, the Brookfield Township Historic Com- mission is empowered to designate as historic various buildings that meet the criteria