Someone recently asked about sanding floors in an old house. He was worried about losing the patina and damaging the wood. I asked historic architect, Doug Harnsberger (with John Milner & Assoc.), who's worked on many important restoration projects. Doug says: "I imagine that the owner has had experience with large, professional floor sanding equipment that can remove the age and patina of an historic floor far too readily. With 200 year old historic floors I'd go easy on the sanding - probably approach it by hand sanding if feasible - it would depend on the circumstances. For Greek Revival era floors I'd recommend using an "open" tung oil finish rather than a "closed" polyurethane."

Think the real estate market is uncertain?

"Here is what is certain: our past. For 300 years we built houses and neighborhoods that served our needs, not our fantasies. Cities works. Close-in suburbs worked. Sidewalks connected us as did public squares, small town post offices, neighborhood schools and our work places nearby.

These places stand now, durable, organically efficient, and proud. They stand in places where people want to be. They bring us together and represent certainty in uncertain times. These places need ongoing restoratio and renovation and new, contextual infill. This presents opportunities for traditional building professionals."

I couldn't agree more with these observations of Peter Miller, President of RestoreMedia, after attending a recent International Builder's Show is Las Vegas.

Steven Semes' New Book Argues for "New" Traditional Design

It won't come a minute too soon: Steven Semes' new book: The Future of the Past. Steven has argued eloquently about how our preservation standards and guidelines need to refocus on what they were were intended to do: preserve the style and character of historic buildings.

Richmond, VA--arguably one of America's most historic cities--is full of incompatible infill and historic buildings with inconguous contemporary features, which are required by local, state, and federal review boards. To add insult to injury, property owners--often developers--are rewarded with Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. The image on the left shows a new building that would look better on a beach than in an urban setting where it degrades its Colonial and antebellum era neighbors. Weren't our historic guidelines supposed to protect us from this?
Steven argues that context matters and that new buildings and additions to old buildings should be harmonious with their neighbours. Look for the book in October.

Historic Guidelines

It's time to rethink the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines, which many cities and counties have adopted for their local historic districts. First, the concept of "false historicism" --linked to Standards #3 and #9-- is used perversely to require contemporary design, when in fact there are other options for differentiating between old and new architectural features. Second, the ban on the use of architectural salvage --Standard #3--runs counter to the prevailing eco-conscious emphasis on recycling. In Richmond, VA jarringly incompatible (Modernist) infill has been mandated by review boards so that it will not be mistaken for having always been there. But isn't that the point? Shouldn't buildings in historic districts blend harmoniously? Modern design shouldn't be forced on people who don't want it and in neighborhoods where it doesn't belong. People are attracted to historic districts because of their special character, their ambience, their evocation of the past---all of which are being eroded by the very agencies, institutions and guidelines established to protec them. Compounding the problem is that many of these rehabilitation projects not only degrade surrounding historic properties, the owners are also rewarded for doing so with lucrative Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. See a video on this subject at: http://www.oldhouseauthority.com/archive/false_historicism.php

House History

Part of what I love about old houses is their history. But I don't know the history of my own house because physical and documentary evidence don't add up. The house doesn't appear on maps until 1876, but its construction and architectural details are earlier. I keep hoping we'll be visited by the spirit of a former resident who will give us the real story.