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Evaluating Historic Significance

"Evaluating Historic Significance" -- Presented at the Western Massachusetts Conference on the Community Preservation Act in Northampton, Massachusetts on May 8, 2010. The presentation was given by Michael Steinitz of the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Michele Plourde-Barker of Preservation Massachusetts and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

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118 views39 pages

Evaluating Historic Significance

"Evaluating Historic Significance" -- Presented at the Western Massachusetts Conference on the Community Preservation Act in Northampton, Massachusetts on May 8, 2010. The presentation was given by Michael Steinitz of the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Michele Plourde-Barker of Preservation Massachusetts and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Uploaded by

Lee Wright
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Evaluating Historic Significance

Western MA Conference on the Community Preservation Act Northampton, MA - May 8, 2010


Michael Steinitz Massachusetts Historical Commission Michele Plourde-Barker Preservation Massachusetts & National Trust for Historic Preservation

The Massachusetts Historical Commission


Established in 1963 as the Commonwealths historic preservation agency Partners with local historical commissions and local historic district commissions Maintains the statewide inventory of historic and archaeological resources (~185K properties and sites) Administers the National Register of Historic Places program in Massachusetts (65K+ properties and sites - #2 in the country!) Maintains the State Register of Historic Places (~75K properties)

The Massachusetts Historical Commission


Under state and federal laws, reviews the effects of public projects on historic resources and sites. Provides matching grants for both planning and bricks-and-mortar preservation. Administers state and federal tax incentive programs for historic preservation. Staff reviews thousands of projects every year and evaluates the historical significance of hundreds of properties every year.

A Primer for CPCs


What are historic resources? What is historical significance? What properties qualify as historic resources under CPA? How can you CPA projects affect the historical significance of properties?

Historic Resources and The Community Preservation Act


M.G.L. Chapter 44B, section 2, defines Historic Resources as: a building, structure, vessel, real property, document or artifact that is listed or eligible for listing on the state register of historic places or has been determined by the local historic preservation commission to be significant in the history, archeology, architecture or culture of a city or town.

Listed in the State Register of Historic Places The State Register of Historic Places was established in 1982 as a comprehensive listing of properties and sites that have received local, state or national designations based on their historical or archaeological significance.

Designations included in the State Register of Historic Places


National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places Districts National Historic Landmarks Massachusetts Historic or Archaeological Landmarks Local Historic Districts Local Landmarks Preservation Restrictions (MGL Ch 184, s 31-33)

CPA Historic Resources Listed in the State Register of Historic Places

CPA Historic Resources Not Listed in the State Register of Historic Places

Buildings Structures (Objects) Real Property


(Archaeological Sites) (Landscapes) (Cemeteries) (Districts)

Documents Moveable Artifacts Not discussing these today

Vessels

Inventory vs. State Register


The Inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth MHC inventory forms fully completed and filed with the MHC. State Register of Historic Places only properties with official designations. The Inventory and the State Register are not the same.

AN MHC INVENTORY FORM

A page from the State Register of Historic Places

www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc

What does eligible for Listing on the State Register of Historic Places mean?
The State Register of Historic Places is a compendium of specified local, state and federal designations. Properties are only included in the State Register when they receive one of these designations. There are no criteria for establishing whether or not a property is eligible for listing in the State Register of Historic Places.

Under CPA then, if the property is not listed in the State Register, then the local historic preservation commission must determine whether or not it is significant in the history, archeology, architecture or culture of a city or town.

Whats best established means of evaluating the significance of Historic Resources?


The standards for eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Register of Historic Places

Established in 1966 as part of the National Historic Preservation Act. MA has more than 65,000 properties on the National Register, including over 900 National Register districts. The official national list of significant historic places. Maintained in MA by the MHC for the National Park Service.

The National Register includes a variety of properties

Structures and Objects

Parks and Landscapes

Topsfield

Boston Common

Individual Properties and Districts

Westport Point Historic District

Shirley Eustis House Boston

The NR Evaluation Process


An evaluation of a property for eligibility for listing in the National Register considers: 1. The Four National Register significance criteria 2. The Seven Aspects of Integrity 3. The Period of Significance 4. The Level of Significance 5. The Boundaries 6. Contributing and Non-contributing Resources

http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15

There are 4 criteria for evaluating National Register eligibility:


A: Association with broad patterns of history. B: Association with the lives of significant individuals in the past. C: Examples of representative or outstanding architecture or design. D: Potential to yield information archaeology.

NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION


Criterion A: Properties associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.

Shirley Center School

Providence St Three Deckers, Worcester

Patterns of History
Princeton Center HD

Fish Flake Hill HD - Beverly

NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION


Criterion B: Properties that are associated with the lives of significant persons in our past.

Longfellow House - Cambridge

Fitz Henry (Hugh) Lane House - Gloucester

NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION


Criterion C: Properties that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.

H.H. Richardson Ames Gatehouse, Easton

Fletcher Steele Unity Close Garden, Easton

Representative Examples of a Type or Period


Chestnut Hill HD Newton

Machine Shop Village HD North Andover

NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION


Criterion D: Properties that have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.
Barn Ruins Shaker Village HD, Harvard

Richmond Furnace Historic & Archaeological District

The Seven Aspects of Integrity


Districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects should possess integrity of Location Design Setting Materials Workmanship Feeling Association

The evaluation should consider the Period of Significance


Construction date Role in community history over time Physical evolution of the building Early and later history 50 years old - 1960

Consider the Level of Significance


Most Properties are eligible for their significance in local history

State Significance

National Significance

Consider Boundaries

Consider Contributing and Noncontributing Resources

Get help! Contact the MHC for a National Register Eligibility Opinion
Could require CPA applicants to provide an eligibility opinion from MHC, or The Local Historical Commission could request an eligibility opinion from the MHC Need to provide documentation: inventory form, parcel map, current photos Allow time

MHC Evaluation Group staff meets every other week to evaluate properties

MHC Responses
1. Eligible 2. Not-eligible 3. More information needed MHCs staff opinion is advisory Under CPA the decision on significance is made by the local historic preservation commission.

Questions?

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