History of historic preservation:

A national and global

perspective
 Historical Museums and
Historic Preservation
Preservation Goals
• Commemoration - 1800s+
• Recordation - 1930s +
• Evaluation - 1970s +
• Protection
– Acquisition
– Deaccession
– Adaptation
– Conservation
 Historical Museums and
Historic Preservation
Museum Goals
• Collection - 1800s - 1950s
• Description - 1950s - 1960s
• Analysis - 1970s - present
 1786 - 1827
Peale Museum in
Philadelphia, opened by
Charles Willson Peale,
painter and collector
Collections include:
• Art
• Natural history
• American Indian
artifacts
• American history
exhibits
 1813
• Philadelphia State
House
(Independence Hall)
saved from
demolition
 1824
The Historical
Society of
Pennsylvania
founded in
Philadelphia
Library holdings include:
• Genealogical
information
• Manuscripts
• Printed historical
information
 1835
Eugène Viollet-le-
Duc appointed to
supervise the
restoration of the
basilica of St.
Madeleine in
Vézelay, France
 1846
Smithsonian Institution
established as
national museum by
act of US Congress
• Main building, the
“Castle,” designed
by James Renwick,
finished in 1855
 1853
Mount Vernon
Ladies'
Association formed
to save Mount
Vernon by Ann
Pamela
Cunningham and
volunteers
 1872
Yellowstone
National Park
designated a
federally protected
area
 1876
Centennial Exposition in
Philadelphia
• Celebrates 100
anniversary of US
• Introduces telephone,
telegraph, linoleum,
typewriter
• “New England Kitchen
of 1776” exhibit
New England Kitchen of 1776
 1877
Society for the
Protection of Ancient
Buildings founded by
William Morris and
Philip Webb in
London, England
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Manifesto, 1877.
"A society coming before the public with such a name as that above
written must needs explain how, and why, it proposes to protect those
ancient buildings which, to most people doubtless, seem to have so
many and such excellent protectors. This, then, is the explanation we
offer. No doubt within the last fifty years a new interest, almost like
another sense, has arisen in these ancient monuments of art; and they
have become the subject of one of the most interesting of studies, and
of an enthusiasm, religious, historical, artistic, which is one of the
undoubted gains of our time; yet we think that if the present treatment
of them be continued, our descendants will find them useless for
study and chilling to enthusiasm. We think that those last fifty years
of knowledge and attention have done more for their destruction than
all the foregoing centuries of revolution, violence and contempt…”
…It is for all these buildings, therefore, of all times and styles, that
we plead, and call upon those who have to deal with them, to put
Protection in the place of Restoration, to stave off decay by daily
care, to prop a perilous wall or mend a leaky roof by such means as
are obviously meant for support or covering, and show no pretence of
other art, and otherwise to resist all tampering with either the fabric or
ornament of the building as it stands; if it has become inconvenient
for its present use, to raise another building rather than alter or
enlarge the old one; in fine to treat our ancient buildings as
monuments of a bygone art, created by bygone manners, that modern
art cannot meddle with without destroying. Thus, and thus only, shall
we escape the reproach of our learning being turned into a snare to us;
thus, and thus only can we protect our ancient buildings, and hand
them down instructive and venerable to those that come after us.”
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Manifesto, 1877.
 1879
• Boston Antiquarian Club
founded to save the Old
State House from being
moved to Chicago for
World's Fair
• Reorganized as
Bostonian Society in
1881 to operate
museum in Old State
House
 1880
The Seven Lamps of
Architecture by John
Ruskin published in
London
• In the “Lamp of
Memory” he
advocated for
conservation instead
of restoration of old
buildings
 John Ruskin, “The Lamp of Memory,” Seven
Lamps of Architecture, 1880.

Neither by the public, nor by those who have the care

of public monuments, is the true meaning of the word
restoration understood. It means the most total
destruction which a building can suffer: a destruction
out of which no remnants can be gathered: a
destruction accompanied with false description of the
thing destroyed. Do not let us deceive ourselves in
this important matter; it is impossible, as impossible
as to raise the dead, to restore anything that has
ever been great or beautiful in architecture.
 1882
Ancient Monuments Act
enacted by UK parliament.
• Provides for government
to have the authority and
funding for maintaining
monuments, the
appointment of monument
inspectors, a “schedule”
list of monuments and
legal penalties for persons
who deface monuments
 1889
• First national
funding for historic
preservation in US

US Congress
appropriates $2,000
to preserve Casa
Grande ruin in
Arizona
 1895
National Trust
founded in Great
Britain as a charity
to acquire and
protect threatened
coastline,
countryside and
buildings
 1898
Fanueil Hall
(1762/1806) in
Boston, rebuilt to
make fireproof
 1899
John Dewey in The
School and Society,
encourages teachers to
provide students with
direct experience of
history by visiting
historic places
• “The aim of education is
to enable individuals to
continue their
education.”
 1901
William Sumner
Appleton founded
the Society for the
Preservation of New
England Antiquities
(SPNEA), now
known as Historic
New England
 Appleton’s Five Principles
1. Proceed slowly and when in doubt, wait
2. Hire experienced professionals to do the
work
3. Document every stage, taking plenty of
pictures
4. Save samples of the originals as evidence
when anything must be replaced
5. Mark new work so that it cannot be later
confused with the original
 1906
Antiquities Act
• first national
preservation legislation
in the US
• designated national
monuments on federal
land
• imposes penalties for
destroying federally
owned sites
 1911
Parks Canada
founded
• world's first national
park service
• Currently an agency
in Environment
Canada
 Parks Canada
• Mandate: On behalf of the
people of Canada, we protect
and present nationally
significant examples of
Canada's natural and cultural
heritage, and foster public
understanding, appreciation
and enjoyment in ways that
ensure the ecological and
commemorative integrity of
these places for present and
future generations.
 1913
Wallace Nutting (1861-1941)
minister, photographer and
preservationist, publishes Old
New England Pictures
• Over the next several years he
acquires and restores a “Chain
of Colonial Picture Houses”
which are open to the public
for a fee and serve as
backdrops for his photographs
• 1918 - publishes first catalog
of reproduction furniture
• 1922 - publishes Beautiful
Vermont
 Wallace Nutting
“The acquisition of old
paneling and its
installation in rooms
which perhaps never
had any, is legitimate. If
the dwelling is
substantial there is
nothing but praise in the
effort to give it good
dress.” 1936
 1916
• National Park
Service established
in the US
 1926
• John D. Rockefeller,
Jr. begins funding
support for the
restoration of
Williamsburg,
Virginia
 Colonial Williamsburg
• Project lead by Rev. W.
A. R. Goodwin
• Buildings on the 130
acre site, “weeded” to
preserve 18th century
structures, with
important missing
buildings added as
replicas, including the
1770 Courthouse
recreated in 1932.
 1927 - 1931
• Storrowton Village
erected at Eastern States
Exposition, West
Springfield, MA, as a
recreated antique village
using disassembled
buildings from
Massachusetts and New
Hampshire
• Named for Helen Storrow,
benefactor and trustee of
Eastern States Exposition
 1929
• Henry Ford establishes
Edison Institute,
renamed Greenfield
Village, in Dearborn,
Michigan with relocated
and replicated historic
buildings, including a
replica of Independence
Hall
 1931
• Historic Maryland
founded in 1931 as the
Society for the
Preservation of
Maryland Antiquities.
Purpose: preserving
historic buildings,
neighborhoods,
landscapes and
archaeological sites
through outreach,
funding and advocacy
 1931
• Charleston, South
Carolina establishes
its "Old and Historic
District," the
country's first
designated historic
district
 1931
• The Athens Charter for
the Restoration of Historic
Monuments adopted at the
First International
Congress of Architects
and Technicians of
Historic Monuments in
Athens, Greece
At the Congress in Athens the following seven main resolutions were made
and called "Carta del Restauro":

1. International organizations for Restoration on operational and advisory

levels are to be established.
2. Proposed Restoration projects are to be subjected to knowledgeable
criticism to prevent mistakes which will cause loss of character and historical
values to the structures.
3. Problems of preservation of historic sites are to be solved by legislation at
national level for all countries.
4. Excavated sites which are not subject to immediate restoration should be
reburied for protection.
5. Modern techniques and materials may be used in restoration work.
6. Historical sites are to be given strict custodial protection.
7. Attention should be given to the protection of areas surrounding historic
sites.
 1933
• Historic American
Buildings Survey
(HABS) authorized
by President
Franklin Roosevelt
 1935
• Historic Sites Act Historic Sites Act of 1935
passed by US Congress [ PUBLIC– N o . 2 9 2 – 74TH CONGRESS]
[ S. 2 0 7 3 ]

to establish historic AN ACT

To provide for the preservation of historic American sites,

preservation policy; it buildings, objects, and antiquities of national significance,

and for other purposes.

"established policy ...to

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America
in Congress assembled, That it is hereby declared that it is a
preserve for public use national policy to preserve for public use historic sites,
buildings and objects of national significance for the
historic sites, buildings inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States.

and objects of national

significance for the
inspiration and benefit
of the people of the
United States."
 1936
• Vieux Carré
established as
historic district in
New Orleans,
Louisiana
 1941
Lewis Mumford,
encourages architects
to seek a new direction
for the future within the
context of regionalism,
rather than just
reproducing historical
designs in The South in
Architecture.
 Lewis Mumford
“Let us be clear about this, the forms that people used
in other civilizations or in other periods of our own
country’s history were intimately part of the whole
structure of their life. There is no method of
mechanically reproducing these forms or bringing
them back to life; it is a piece of rank materials to
attempt to duplicate some earlier form, because of its
delight to the eye, without realizing how empty a form
is without the life that once supported it. There is no
such thing as a modern colonial house any more than
there is such a thing as a modern Tudor house.
 Lewis Mumford
“If one seeks to reproduce such a building in our own
day, every mark on it will betray the fact that it is a
fake, and the harder the architect works to conceal
that fact, the more patent the fact will be…The great
lesson of history–and this applies to all the arts–is that
the past cannot be captured except in spirit. We
cannot live another person’s life; we cannot, except in
the spirit of a costume ball… Our task is not to imitate
the past, but to understand it, so that we may face the
opportunity of our own day and deal with them in an
equally creative spirit.”
From The South in Architecture, 1941.
 1946
Old Sturbridge Village in
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
opened to public
• Recreated village used to
display collection of antiques
with guides in period
costume
• Mixture of moved and
reassembled buildings and
recreated conjectural historic
buildings
 1947
• Shelburne Museum in
Shelburne, Vermont,
founded by Electra
Havemeyer Webb,
collector of American
folk art.
• Of 39 exhibition
buildings, 25 are
historic. Most were
relocated to the site.
 1949
National Trust for
Historic Preservation
established by an act of
the US Congress as
membership-based
organization partially
supported by federal
appropriation
• Headquartered in
Washington, D.C.
• Currently has 270,000
members, 6 regional
offices, 28 historic sites
 1952
Historic Deerfield
incorporated by Mr.
& Mrs. Henry Flynt
of Greenwich, CT, to
preserve the historic
Deerfield, MA village
with some relocated
houses as a public
museum
 Mission Statement
Historic Deerfield,
Incorporated, is dedicated to
the heritage and preservation
of Deerfield, Massachusetts,
and the Connecticut River
Valley.  Its museums and
programs provide today's
audiences with experiences
that create an understanding
and appreciation of New
England's historic villages and
countryside.
 1958
Upper Canada Village,
Morrisburg, Ontario,
established as a heritage
park as part of the St.
Lawrence Seaway project. It
depicts a historic village of
1866, using buildings
relocated from areas flooded
by the construction.
 1963
• Destruction of
Pennsylvania
Station in New York
City mobilizes
preservation
movement in US
"Any city gets what it admires,
will pay for, and, ultimately,
deserves. Even when we had Penn
Station, we couldn’t afford to
keep it clean. We want and
deserve tin-can architecture in a
tinhorn culture. And we will
probably be judged not by the
monuments we build but by those
we have destroyed.”

- "Farewell to Penn Station," New

York Times editorial, October 30,
1963
 1964
• First university
degree in Historic
Preservation
established at
Columbia University
by James Marston
Fitch
 1964
• International Charter on
the Conservation and
Restoration of
Monuments and Sites
(Venice Charter)
adopted by the Second
Congress of Architects
and Specialists of
Historic Buildings
Imbued with a message from the past, the historic
monuments of generations of people remain to the
present day as living witnesses of their age-old
traditions. People are becoming more and more
conscious of the unity of human values and regard
ancient monuments as a common heritage. The
common responsibility to safeguard them for future
generations is recognized. It is our duty to hand them
on in the full richness of their authenticity.
Preamble, Venice Charter, 1964
 1965
• International Council on
Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS), an
international non-
governmental organization
of professionals dedicated
to the conservation of the
world's historic
monuments and sites, was
established by UNESCO
 1966
National Historic
Preservation Act passed
by US Congress
established:
• preservation roles for
federal, state and local
levels of government
• the National Register of
Historic Places
• the concept of historic
districts
• the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation
 1967
Civil Amenities Act passed in England
• Provides for local authorities to designate conservation areas
• Extends concept of heritage conservation to move beyond
preservation (i.e. protection) to the management of change (i.e.
enhancement)
• Currently over 8,000 conservation areas and 500,000 heritage
buildings are listed in England
• Application, review and approval from local authorities required
for:
– Demolitions
– Minor developments and exterior alterations
– Tree cutting or lopping
 1968
• Association for
Preservation
Technology (APT) was
founded by US and
Canadian
preservationists.
Operating in English
and in French, it grows
to 1500 members from
19 countries by 1998.
 1972
• Convention Concerning
the Protection of World
Cultural and Natural
Heritage, adopted by the
General Conference of
UNESCO, establishing
the World Heritage Site
program
 1973
• Heritage Canada
Foundation started
as a registered charity
and membership-based
organization
 Heritage Canada
Mandate
"...preserve and demonstrate and to encourage the
preservation and demonstration of the nationally
significant historic, architectural, natural and scenic
heritage of Canada with a view to stimulating and
promoting the interest of the people of Canada in
that heritage."
 1976
US Bicentennial
• Major patriotic
cultural event
celebrated at
national and local
levels
 1977
Main Street Project
launched by National Trust
for Historic Preservation to
help advocate for downtown
revitalization
• National Main Street
Center established in 1980
with financial support from
various federal agencies
• Evolves into a fee-based
consulting service
 1978
• US Congress passes
Revenue Act that
established investment
tax credits for
rehabilitation of historic
buildings
• Revised in 1986
• Certification regulations
codified in 36 CFR 67
 1978
• The Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for
Historic Preservation
Projects developed by the
National Park Service and
codified in the Code of
Federal Regulations 36
CFR 68
• Revised in 1983
 1979
• National Council for
Preservation
Education (NCPE)
established
 1982
CHARTER FOR THE
PRESERVATION OF
QUEBEC'S HERITAGE
(Deschambault
Declaration)
• Adopted by the Conseil
des monuments et des
sites du Québec, ICOMOS
Canada French-Speaking
Committee, April 1982
 Deschambault Declaration
• DEFINITION OF HERITAGE AND PRESERVATION
• Heritage is defined as "the combined creations and products
of nature and man, in their entirety, that make up the
environment in which we live in space and time.Heritage is a
reality, a possession of the community, and a rich
inheritance that may be passed on, which invites our
recognition and our participation."(Quebec Association for
the Interpretation of the National Heritage, Committee on
Terminology, July 1980).
 Deschambault Declaration
Article VIII THE REVIVAL OF OUR HERITAGE MUST BE
COMPATIBLE WITH THE MAINTENANCE, AND EVEN THE
IMPROVEMENT, OF ITS SPECIFIC IDENTITY, INTEGRITY
AND CULTURAL VALUES
Article VIII-B We must promote the continuous use of our heritage,
without any interruption of occupation.
Article VIII-C Whenever we decide to make new use of heritage
material, we must ensure the preservation of all the important
characteristics of that material.Any changes that are made must, at
all times, be reversible.
Article VIII-D The selection of a new function for heritage material
must avoid excessive use and the deterioration that would result
from such use.
 Deschambault Declaration
Article IX THE PRESERVATION OF THE DYNAMIC AND
FUNCTIONAL CHARACTER OF OUR HERITAGE IS
ENSURED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO ARE AN
INTEGRAL PART OF THAT HERITAGE AND
CONTRIBUTE TO ITS PROTECTION AND ITS VITALITY

Article IX-A In using our heritage, we must preserve or

reintroduce everyday life rather than the artificial life of
museums and tourist centres. Preference should be given to
traditional occupations; and we must, in any case, respect the
needs and legitimate aspirations of the inhabitants, even if this
requires us to adopt uses that are different from the original
uses.
 Deschambault Declaration
Article IX THE PRESERVATION OF THE DYNAMIC AND
FUNCTIONAL CHARACTER OF OUR HERITAGE IS
ENSURED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO ARE AN
INTEGRAL PART OF THAT HERITAGE AND
CONTRIBUTE TO ITS PROTECTION AND ITS VITALITY

Article IX-B In other words, it is necessary to encourage

respect for the established rights of the local
population. The housing function should take
precedence over all other uses and be given first
priority.
 Deschambault Declaration
Article X OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MUST
PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT EVERYONE HAS TO TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESERVING THE NATIONAL
HERITAGE

Article X-A Our educational system must disseminate knowledge

pertaining to our heritage, to make people aware of its value and
of the need to preserve it.

Article X-B The educational system must ensure that traditions are
passed on, and thereby encourage the training of artisans,
technicians and professionals who will be able to work to
safeguard our heritage.
 Deschambault Declaration
Article X OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MUST
PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT EVERYONE HAS TO TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESERVING THE NATIONAL
HERITAGE

Article X-C Other educational authorities (the family,

newspapers and magazines, radio and TV, etc.) must
also do their part in furthering heritage education. In
particular, heritage practitioners and specialists
increase awareness through the communication of their
knowledge to the general public.
 1983
• English Heritage
established under National
Heritage Act. Officially
known as the Historic
Buildings and Monuments
Commission for England,
it is the statutory adviser
to the government on the
historic environment.
 English Heritage
Partially funded by government and partially from revenues
from its properties and services, English Heritage works in
partnership with the central government departments, local
authorities, voluntary bodies and the private sector to:
•Conserve and enhance the historic environment 
•Broaden public access to the heritage
•Increase people's understanding of the past
 English Heritage
Meets those responsibilities by:  
•acting as a national and international champion for the heritage
•giving grants for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments
and landscapes
•maintaining registers of England's most significant historic buildings,
monuments and landscapes
•advising on the preservation of the historic environment
•encouraging broader public involvement with the heritage
•promoting education and research
•caring for Stonehenge and over 400 other historic properties on
behalf of the nation
•maintaining the National Monuments Record as the public archive of
the heritage
•generating income for the benefit of the historic environment
 1984
Statue of Liberty
restoration begins
• Listed on World Heritage
site
• $62 million federal project
with substantial private
fund raising
• American Express
promotion raises $1.7
million
• Reopened to public in
1986
 1988
11 Most Endangered
Places annual list
launched by National Trust
for Historic Preservation
• Soon many statewide and
local preservation
organizations develop
similar lists to drawn public
attention to preservation
threats
• Entire state of Vermont
listed in 1993 and 2004
 1990
Town & Country Planning Act and the Planning (Listed
Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act enacted in
England & Wales
• Listed buildings designated if of national importance
• Consent required for demolitions and alterations of listed buildings from
local authority's planning department
• Reviewed by planning or conservation officer (and occasionally by English
Heritage)
• Local authorities can designate conservation areas of 'special architectural
or historic interest' worth protecting or enhancing with character or
appearance assessed according to local and regional criteria
• Demolitions and alterations to buildings in conservation area require local
consent
• Violations considered criminal offences
 1991
• New Orleans Charter
drafted jointly by
members of The
Association for
Preservation Technology
International (APT) and
American Institute for
Conservation of Historic
and Artistic Works (AIC)
New Orleans Charter
Arising from a concern for the coexistence of historic structures and the
artifacts housed within them;
Recognizing our responsibility as stewards to provide the highest levels of
care for the structures and other artifacts placed in our care;
Recognizing that many significant structures are used to house, display
and interpret artifacts;
Recognizing that historic structures and the contents placed within them
deserve equal consideration in planning for their care;
Recognizing that technologies and approaches will continue to change;
and Recognizing that those involved in preservation are part of a
continuum, and are neither the first nor the last to affect the preservation of
historic structures and artifacts;

We, therefore, adopt these principles as governing the preservation of

historic structures and the artifacts housed in them:
1.Institutions' statements of mission should recognize the need to preserve
the unique character of both the historic structure and artifacts.
2.The preservation needs of the historic structure and of the artifacts
should be defined only after study adequate to serve as the foundation for
the preservation of both.
3.Requisite levels of care should be established through the
interdisciplinary collaboration of all qualified professionals with potential
to contribute.
4.Appropriate preservation must reflect application of recognized
preservation practices, including assessment of risk before and after
intervention, and the expectation of future intervention.
5.Measures which promote the preservation of either the historic structure
or the artifacts, at the expense of the other, should not be considered.
6.Regarding public use, the right of future generations to access and
enjoyment must outweigh immediate needs.
7.Appropriate preservation strategies should be guided by the specific
needs and characteristics of the historic structure and artifacts.
8.Appropriate documentation of all stages of a project is essential, and
should be readily accessible and preserved for the future.
9.The most appropriate action in a particular case is one which attains the
desired goal with the least intervention to the historic structure and the
artifacts.
10.Proposed preservation strategies should be appropriate to the ability of
the institution to implement and maintain them.
 1995
• The Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for
Historic Preservation
Projects were revised as
the Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for
the Treatment of
Historic Properties and
codified in the Code of
Federal Regulations 36
CFR 68
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS
TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY CHAPTER I-
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
PART 68--THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR
THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES

• s68.1 Intent The intent of this part is to set forth standards for the
treatment of historic properties, preservation, containing
standards for preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and
reconstruction. These standards apply to all proposed grant-in-aid
development projects assisted through the National Historic
Preservation Fund.
s68.2 Definitions The standards for the treatment of historic
properties will be used by the National Park Service and State
historic preservation officers and their staff members in planning,
undertaking, and supervising grant-assisted projects for
preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction.
• For the purposes of this part:
(a) Preservation means the act or process of applying measures
necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of an
historic property. Work, including preliminary measures to protect
and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon the ongoing
maintenance and repair of historic materials and features rather than
extensive replacement and new construction. New exterior additions
are not within the scope of this treatment; however, the limited and
sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
and other code-required work to make properties functional is
appropriate within a preservation project.

(b) Rehabilitation means the act or process of making possible an

efficient compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and
additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its
historical, cultural, or architectural values.
(c) Restoration means the act or process of accurately depicting the
form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a
particular period of time by means of the removal of features from
other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from
the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of
mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required
work to make properties functional is appropriate within a restoration
project.

(d) Reconstruction means the act of process of depicting, by means of

new construction, the form, features, and detailing of a non-surviving
site, landscape, building, structure, or object for the purpose of
replicating its appearance at a specific period of time and in its
historic location.
• s68.3 Standards. The set of standards--preservation,
rehabilitation, restoration, or reconstruction--will apply to a
property undergoing treatment, depending upon the
property's significance, existing physical condition, the
extent of documentation available, and interpretive goals,
when applicable. The Standards will be applied taking into
consideration the economic and technical feasibility of each
project.
(a) Preservation.
(1) A property will be used as it was historically, or be given a new
use that maximizes the retention of distinctive materials, features,
spaces, and spatial relationships. Where a treatment and use have not
been identified, a property will be protected and, if necessary,
stabilized until additional work may be undertaken.
(2) The historic character of a property will be retained and
preserved. The replacement of intact or repairable historic materials
or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that
characterize a property will be avoided.
(3) Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time,
place, and use. Work needed to stabilize, consolidate, and conserve
existing historic materials and features will be physically and
visually compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and properly
documented for future research.
(4) Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in
their own right will be retained and preserved.
(5) Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction
techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property
will be preserved.
(6) The existing condition of historic features will be evaluated to
determine the appropriate level of intervention needed. Where the
severity of deterioration requires repair or limited replacement of a
distinctive feature, the new material will match the old in
composition, design, color, and texture.
(7) Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be
undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause
damage to historic materials will not be used.
(8) Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place.
If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be
undertaken.
(b) Rehabilitation.
(1) A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new
use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features,
spaces, and spatial relationships.
(2) The historic character of a property will be retained and
preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of
features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property
will be avoided.
(3) Each property will 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 elements from
other historic properties, will not be undertaken.
(4) Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in
their own right will be retained and preserved.
(5) Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction
techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property
will be preserved.
(6) Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the
severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new
feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials.
Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and
physical evidence.
(7) Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the
gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will
not be used.
(8) Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such
resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
(9) New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy
historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property.
The new work will be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the
historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the
integrity of the property and its environment.
(10) New additions and adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in
a such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of
the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired
(c) Restoration.
(1) A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use
which reflects the property's restoration period.
(2) Materials and features from the restoration period will be retained
and preserved. The removal of materials or alteration of features, spaces,
and spatial relationships that characterize the period will not be
undertaken.
(3) Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time,
place, and use. Work needed to stabilize, consolidate and conserve
materials and features from the restoration period will be physically and
visually compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and properly
documented for future research.
(4) Materials, features, spaces, and finishes that characterize other
historical periods will be documented prior to their alteration or removal.
(5) Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques
or examples of craftsmanship that characterize the restoration period will
be preserved.
(6) Deteriorated features from the restoration period will be repaired
rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires
replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the
old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials.
(7) Replacement of missing features from the restoration period will
be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence. A false
sense of history will not be created by adding conjectural features,
features from other properties, or by combining features that never
existed together historically.
(8) Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be
undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause
damage to historic materials will not be used.
(9) Archeological resources affected by a project will be protected
and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed,
mitigation measures will be undertaken.
(10) Designs that were never executed historically will not be
constructed.
(d). Reconstruction.
(1) Reconstruction will be used to depict vanished or non-surviving
portions of a property when documentary and physical evidence is
available to permit accurate reconstruction with minimal conjecture,
and such reconstruction is essential to the public understanding of the
property.
(2) Reconstruction of a landscape, building, structure, or object in its
historic location will be preceded by a thorough archeological
investigation to identify and evaluate those features and artifacts
which are essential to an accurate reconstruction. If such resources
must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
(3) Reconstruction will include measures to preserve any remaining
historic materials, features, and spatial relationships.
(4) Reconstruction will be based on the accurate
duplication of historic features and elements substantiated
by documentary or physical evidence rather than on
conjectural designs or the availability of different features
from other historic properties. A reconstructed property
will re-create the appearance of the non-surviving historic
property in materials, design, color, and texture.
(5) A reconstruction will be clearly identified as a
contemporary re-creation.
(6) Designs that were never executed historically will not
be constructed.
 1995
Preserving The Recent
Past conference held in
Chicago
• Sponsored by the
National Park Service,
the Association for
Preservation Technology
International and others
• Follow-up conference
in 2000 in
Philadelphia
 1995
National Trust for
Historic Preservation
ceases publication of
Preservation News,
which since 1961 had
served as the official
journal to "keep members
and the public informed
about preservation issues
and activities"
 1998
Termination of
federal appropriation
for support of
National Trust for
Historic Preservation
 1999
Burra Charter adopted
by Australia ICOMOS
• The Burra Charter
advocates a cautious
approach to change: do as
much as necessary to care
for the place and to make
it useable, but otherwise
change it as little as
possible so that its cultural
significance is retained.
 Burra Charter
Conservation Principles 
Article 2
Conservation and management 
2.1 Places of cultural significance should be conserved. 
2.2 The aim of conservation is to retain the cultural
significance of a place. 
2.3 Conservation is an integral part of good management of
places of cultural significance. 
2.4 Places of cultural significance should be safeguarded
and not put at risk or left in a vulnerable state. 
 Burra Charter
Conservation Principles 
Article 3
Cautious approach 
3.1Conservation is based on a respect for the existing
fabric, use, associations and meanings. It requires a
cautious approach of changing as much as necessary but as
little as possible.The traces of additions, alterations and
earlier treatments to the fabric of a place are evidence of its
history and uses which may be part of its significance.
Conservation action should assist and not impede their
understanding.
3.2 Changes to a place should not distort the physical or
other evidence it provides, nor be based on conjecture. 
 2005
• 1897 Century Building
in St. Louis, MO
demolished despite
local and national
preservation efforts
• National Trust for
Historic Preservation
criticized for supporting
demolition while
profiting from project
 When Preservation Equals Demolition
By BRADFORD McKEE New York Times, March 31, 2005
St. Louis. FOR 108 years the neo-Classical style Century Building, with
its 10-story marble facades accented by ornate friezes and pilasters,
graced half a block in downtown St. Louis.But after 15 years of fighting
by local preservationists it was razed in February to make way for a
garage.The battle for the Century, with its familiar plot and cast of
characters - preservationists squaring off against developers and
politicians - resembled a typical preservation dispute. Yet it had an
unusual twist: for the first time anyone involved can remember, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's most powerful
preservation group, sided with the wreckers. In fact the redevelopment
project that led to the Century's demise was financed with the national
trust's help.Although the circumstances surrounding the Century are
unusual, critics say the national trust, a private nonprofit organization
with more than 200,000 members, has set a dangerous precedent.
 “When Preservation Equals Demolition”
For Carolyn Hewes Toft, the president of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis,
which has become an improbable adversary of the trust, its position was a violation of
its mission to preserve historic structures. Ms. Toft suggested that the national trust had
lost its integrity and said that of all the demolitions she had witnessed, "this loss is by
far the most difficult to accept.”

Officials at the national trust said that its part in the demolition reflects the changing
role of preservation, which they said includes fighting urban sprawl and reviving entire
downtown areas, as well as saving historic buildings and sites. Increasingly, the
national trust is "using preservation as a tool for community revitalization," said
Richard Moe, its president. Sacrificing the Century, he added, was in line with the
trust's efforts to broker the renewal of historic but rundown neighborhoods like
downtown St. Louis, even at the occasional expense of a treasured building.

But for many preservationists, like Michael Tomlan, the director of the graduate
program in historic preservation at Cornell University, that price is too high. What the
national trust did, Mr. Tomlan said, was wrong. "It's morally and in any number of
senses ethically inappropriate. It violates preservation's Hippocratic oath: if you can't
be supportive, for gosh sakes shut up."
 2006
• English Heritage
introduces
Conservation Principl
es for the Sustainable
Management of the H
istoric Environment
 
Principles for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Env
 2007-2008
• National Trust for
Historic Preservation
addresses
sustainability
 2007-2008
• National Trust for
Historic Preservation
addresses
sustainability
 2007-2008
• National Trust for
Historic Preservation
addresses
sustainability