Summary

After rehabilitation, this severly deteriorated space was returned to its original elegance. Plaster was repaired and repainted; scagliola colums were restored to match marble; and missing decorative metalwork was re-installed in front of the windows. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith.

In many cases, the interior of a historic building is as important as its exterior. The careful identification and evaluation of interior architectural elements, after undertaking research on the building's history and use, is critically important before changes to the building are contemplated. Only after this evaluation should new uses be decided and plans be drawn up. The best rehabilitation is one that preserves and protects those rooms, sequences of spaces, features and finishes that define and shape the overall historic character of the building.

Selected Reading

There are few books written exclusively on preserving historic interiors, and most of these tend to focus on residential interiors. Articles on the subject appear regularly in The Old-House Journal, the Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, and Historic Preservation Magazine.

Ferro, Maximilian L., and Melissa L. Cook. Electric Wiring and Lighting in Historic American Buildings. New Bedford, Massachusetts: AFC/A Nortek Company, 1984.

Fisher, Charles E. "Temporary Protection of Historic Stairways During Rehabilitation Work." Preservation Tech Note. Washington, D.C.: Preservation Assistance Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1985.

Jennings, Jan, and Herbert Gottfried. American Vernacular Interior Architecture 1870-1940. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1988.

Johnson, Ed. Old House Woodwork Restoration: How to Restore Doors, Windows, Walls, Stairs and Decorative Trim to Their Original Beauty. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1983.

Labine, Clem, and Carolyn Flaherty (editors). The Old-House Journal Compendium. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press, 1980.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Washington, D.C.: Preservation Assistance Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, rev. 1983.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Rehabilitation Guidelines, volume 111. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1980-84.

Winkler, Gail Caskey, and Roger W. Moss. Victorian Interior Decoration: American Interiors 1830-1900. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1986.

Acknowledgements

This Preservation Brief is based on a discussion paper prepared by the author for a National Park Service regional workshop held in March, 1987, and on a paper written by Gary Hume, "Interior Spaces in Historic Buildings," October, 1987. Appreciation is extended to the staff of Technical Preservation Services Branch and to the staff of NPS regional offices who reviewed the manuscript and provided many useful suggestions.

Washington, D.C. October, 1988