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 COASTAL CURRENTS |
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| January 2009 Update |
Engineering News and Information from
Coastal Engineering Company |
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Preserving Our Historical Structures
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
-- Philosopher George Santayana
One way to learn from history is to preserve tangible landmarks and artifacts related to the past. To this day, memorials have been erected to commemorate significant events in our country's history and heritage. Buildings also serve as memorials, providing continuity to earlier times.
On Cape Cod, the Islands and throughout Massachusetts, we have a rich heritage of historic structures that connects us to our past and links us to the future. Recognizing the importance of preserving our heritage, the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) is charged with identifying, evaluating, and protecting the Commonwealth's significant historic and archeological resources - providing and administering grant funding to preserve and restore historically significant structures.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a rich heritage of historic structures that connects us to our past and links us to the future.
Whether "rehabbing" old mill buildings or restoring older churches and museums, many of our state's great old buildings with historic preservation value are finding new life through restoration and rehabilitation efforts. Taking special care and interest in the analysis and preservation of our magnificent older structures will ensure that these buildings maintain their historical significance to the local community and to society as a whole. |
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| Defining historical structures
As part of the MHC's stewardship of the Commonwealth's historic building oversight, the Commission has developed guidelines and standards for providing grants for historical building preservation projects.
For an historical structure to qualify for MHC grant funding, the following criteria must be met:
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the structure must be at least 50 years old;
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the structure must have a significant historic or cultural value to the community, have prominent architectural features that represent a significant architectural style or period, or have had a significant historical event occur at the site; and
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the organization applying for the grant must have nonprofit status. |
Historical restoration and repair
There are many ways of approaching a rehabilitation, preservation, or restoration project. While the main goal is to preserve historic structures, it is also important to maintain the structure for continual use, so buildings are not just moth-balled as museum pieces but function as useful assets to the community.
Although there are technical differences between the terms rehabilitation, restoration, and preservation*, each type of project typically involves a team of qualified professionals with expertise in the architectural features, craftsmanship, construction techniques, and building system assessments of historic structures. When beginning a restoration project, a thorough structural assessment of the existing building conditions - including a structural load analysis to determine if the building is safe for public use - provides the basis for the historic survey report detailing the scope of the project and the costs of the recommended restoration/repair work. Often times, the building's structural system is decaying, or has been otherwise damaged by the ravages of time and the elements.
* Read more about the technical differences in these definitions. |
| Special building code exemption for historic structures
Maintaining the integrity and historical significance of antique structures - while meeting all building code requirements - often posed a significant challenge in years past. However, within Chapter 34 of the Massachusetts Building Code, there is a special exemption for totally preserved and partially preserved historic buildings that allows economically feasible development of such culturally and historically important buildings.
For totally preserved historic buildings, modifications can be made to improve viewing access or to enhance use of the facility to generate revenue in support of the building's preservation. For, the partially preserved classification of structures, expansion may be desired to accommodate higher occupancy loads. |
Use of historic materials 
Historic restoration projects require the use of building materials that are compatible with those used in the original construction. For the most part, historically correct materials are still available for brick work, wood framing, and shingling.
Some historic materials can be replicated. For example, mortar used generations ago can be sent to a laboratory for chemical analysis and replication, and wood can be trimmed at a modern mill to fit a profile from an historic period. In other cases, however, historic materials are unavailable or impractical because of building code requirements. Modern building materials, such as reinforcing steel and concrete, may be used, provided they are designed with sensitivity to the existing architecture.
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Tax credit for preservation projects
The Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program provides an incentive for preservation to help support the state's revitalization efforts and contribute to the vitality of our economy. Under the program, certified rehabilitation projects are eligible to receive a tax credit of up to 20% of the cost of the rehabilitation costs.
Applications submitted for preservation projects are evaluated based on nine selection criteria that include factors such as the historic significance of the property, the level of public support, and the overall challenge of the preservation issues in the project. This state rehabilitation tax credit can be used in tandem with the federal investment tax credit to help fill the equity gaps that so often make worthwhile preservation projects economically infeasible. Additional information and application materials are available at the MHC website at: www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhctax/taxidx.htm. |
Featured Project - "Preserving the Past" at the Brooks Academy 
Museum in Harwich
Located in the Harwich Historic District, Brooks Academy was originally opened in 1844 as a two-room private school - offering courses in surveying and navigation, English, French, Latin, Greek, piano, and drawing. An ambitious building restoration project was recently completed, which included foundation underpinning and historical structural renovations to the portico, columns and cornices.
Click here to read more about this historic building restoration project on our website. The Harwich Historical Society website contains additional information about the history of the Brooks Academy and the Town of Harwich. | |
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