The historic character...
The interior of this late 19th-century Gothic-Revival style house had survived with a remarkable degree of integrity. Doors and their surrounds, window sash and trim, stair balusters, parquet flooring, baseboards and floor moldings, mantels, built-in cabinetry (bookcases in the living room and clothes cupboards in the bedrooms, a decorative transom screen, and original wood curtain rods) were all intact. Together, the interior features and the way they were finished contributed to the distinctive character of the house, and were typical of Victorian Gothic house interiors of the period.
House with intact interior. National Park Service Photos.
...and how it was lost in the rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation of the house for continued use as a single-family residence consisted primarily of work to update the kitchen and bathrooms, mechanical systems and utilities, and included some cosmetic refurbishing of the interior. In an effort to "brighten up" the historic interior and make it more compatible with contemporary life-styles, all the previously unpainted wood trim was painted white. Because the existing interior trim, with its unpainted natural-colored finish, was such an important feature, painting it white resulted in a dramatic change to the historic character of the house. The woodwork--and its typical tone and grain--had also underscored the sense of time and place associated with the historic district. Changing its appearance substantially altered the character of this virtually intact late 19th-century house, and, as a result, the work failed to meet Standards 2 and 5.
Distinctive natural finishes
After rehab, white paint.
What should you know?
Interior features are important in determining the overall character of historic buildings. This includes the architectural and decorative features themselves, as well as the manner in which they are finished. Applying paint to traditionally unpainted interior surfaces can change a building's historic character as quickly as removing paint from traditionally painted surfaces. Either approach does not meet Standards 2 and 5 of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
Suggestions from the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation:
Standard 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.
Standard 5: Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
Source of Story: National Park Service
