Summary

Stucco on historic buildings is especially vulnerable not only to the wear of time and exposure to the elements, but also at the hands of well-intentioned "restorers," who may want to remove stucco from eighteenth and nineteenth century structures, to expose what they believe to be the original or more "historic" brick, stone or log underneath. Historic stucco is a character-defining feature and should be considered an important historic building material, significant in its own right. While many eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings were stuccoed at the time of construction, others were stuccoed later for reasons of fashion or practicality. As such, it is likely that this stucco has acquired significance over time, as part of the history and evolution of a building. Thus, even later, non-historic stucco should be retained in most instances; and similar logic dictates that new stucco should not be applied to a historic building that was not stuccoed previously. When repairing historic stucco, the new stucco should duplicate the old as closely as possible in strength, composition, color and texture.

Selected Reading

Ashurst John, and Nicola Ashurst. Practical Building Conservation, English Heritage Technical Handbook, Volume 3. Mortars, Plasters and Renders. New York: Halsted Press, 1988

Conway, Brian D. Illinois Preservation Series Number 2: Stucco. Springfield, IL: Illinois Department of Conservation, Division of Historic Sites, 1980.

Grimmer, Anne E. Keeping it Clean: Removing Exterior Dirt, Paint, Stains and Graffiti from Historic Masonry Buildings. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1988.

Hodgson, Frederick T. Plaster and Plastering. Mortars and Cements, How to Make, and How to Use . . . with An Illustrated Glossary of Terms. New York: The Industrial Publication Company, 1901.

Johnson, LeRoy, Jr. (editor). Handbook of Maintenance Techniques for Building Conservation in the Strand Historic District, Galveston, Texas. (Revised edition originally published in 1980 as Preservation Maintenance Handbook, prepared by Michael Emrick, AIA, for the Galveston Historical Foundation.) Austin, TX: Texas Historical Commission, 1984.

Jowers, Walter. "Bungalow Building Materials: How to Repair Stucco." The Old-House Journal. Vol. XIII, No. 4 (May 1985), pp. 8083.

MacDonald, Marylee. Preservation Briefs 21: Repairing Historic Flat Plaster-Walls and Ceilings. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1989.

Mack, Robert C., AIA, de Teel Patterson Tiller, and James S. Askins. Preservation Briefs 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Brick Buildings. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1980.

McKee, Harley J., FAIA. Introduction to Early American Masonry--Stone, Brick, Mortar and Plaster. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation and Columbia University, 1973.

Matero, Frank G., Mary Hardy, Antonio Rava and Joel Snodgrass. Conservation Techniques for the Repair of Historical Ornamental Exterior Stucco. (With a Case Study for the Repair of the Cabildo Pedimental Sculpture). Report prepared for the Division of Historic Preservation, Office of Cultural Development, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Development by The Center for Preservation Research, Columbia University, New York. January 1990.

Portland Cement Plaster (Stucco) Manual. Skokie, IL: Portland Cement Association, 1980.

Van Den Branden, F., and Thomas L. Hartsell. Plastering Skills. Second edition. Homewood, IL: American Technical Publishers, Inc., 1984.

Vieux Carre Masonry Maintenance Guidelines. Revised from the initial report prepared by Mary L. Oehrlein in 1977. New Orleans, LA: Vieux Carre Commission, 1980.

Whitewash & Coldwater Paints. Bulletin No. 304G. Washington, D.C.: National Lime Association, 1955.

Worsham, Gibson. "Exterior Plaster Restoration at the Lord Morton House, Lexington, Kentucky." Association for Preservation Technology Bulletin. Vol. XIII, No. 4 (1981), pp. 2733.

Acknowledgements