Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
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| Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation |
| Established | 1977 |
| Agency | National Park Service |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Purpose | Preservation guidance for historic properties |
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation The Standards provide guidance for the treatment of historic properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, managed by the National Park Service and implemented through state Historic Preservation Offices and federal agencies such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. They are used in conjunction with programs administered by the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, and financial incentives such as the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives and the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. The Standards inform reviews under statutes and regulations including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and federal grant programs.
Overview and purpose
The Standards offer a consistent set of principles for rehabilitating properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, properties in National Historic Landmarks program, and historic districts designated by State Historic Preservation Office nominations, balancing preservation for the National Mall-scale and local contexts such as the French Quarter or Skid Row revitalizations. They guide interventions to retain distinctive materials, features, and spatial relationships while permitting compatible contemporary uses that parallel projects at sites like Ellis Island, Independence Hall, Alcatraz Island, and Frank Lloyd Wright houses. Agencies including the General Services Administration and organizations such as the World Monuments Fund and the Getty Conservation Institute reference the Standards when funding or advising projects in urban centers like New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Historical development
Developed in 1977 by the National Park Service with input from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and state preservation offices, the Standards emerged amid legislative and programmatic shifts that followed the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the preservation activism surrounding sites like Penn Station and the Pittsburgh urban renewal debates. The Standards were refined through practice involving federal projects at Gettysburg National Military Park, rehabilitation of Cast-iron architecture in SoHo, Manhattan, and adaptive reuse in cities such as Portland, Oregon and Baltimore. Subsequent updates and guidance documents involved stakeholders including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, leading preservationists like Alice K. Jacobs-style practitioners, and academic centers at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Virginia.
The ten standards explained
The ten Standards articulate principles applied to rehabilitation projects on historic properties, reflecting precedents from work at properties like Monticello, Mount Vernon, and Biltmore Estate. They include (1) a use that requires minimal change to defining characteristics—analogous to adaptive reuse at High Line (New York City); (2) retention of historic character-defining materials similar to masonry conservation at Independence Hall; (3) avoidance of removal or alteration of historic features, as emphasized in restorations at Colonial Williamsburg; (4) repair rather than replacement, a practice used at Carnegie Hall and Library of Congress projects; (5) replacement matching historic materials and appearance, demonstrated in work at Beacon Hill brownstones; (6) preservation of historic spatial relationships found in French Quarter houses and Charleston, South Carolina plan types; (7) new additions that do not destroy historic materials, seen in annexes to Smithsonian Institution facilities; (8) reversibility and compatibility of new work, a principle applied at Guggenheim Museum additions and Tate Modern-style conversions; (9) new designs that are differentiated yet compatible, as executed at Museum of Modern Art expansions; and (10) preservation of archaeological resources relating to sites like Mesa Verde National Park and Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Guidance draws on conservation theory from figures such as John Ruskin-inspired debates and international charters like the Venice Charter.
Application and review process
Application involves project documentation submitted to State Historic Preservation Offices and, for federally assisted undertakings, review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act with consultation coordinated by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. For projects seeking the historic tax credit, applicants submit Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 applications to the National Park Service and state agencies, using standards-based evaluation comparable to reviews at sites receiving funding from the National Endowment for the Arts or the National Endowment for the Humanities. Federal agencies such as the General Services Administration and Department of Housing and Urban Development integrate Standards compliance into procurements and environmental reviews; local preservation commissions in cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and San Antonio apply the Standards in certificate of appropriateness proceedings.
Compliance, incentives, and legal implications
Compliance with the Standards is a condition for eligibility for the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives and many state rehabilitation tax credits, similar to requirements tied to grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and loans from programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture for rural revitalization. Legal implications arise in litigation and administrative appeals involving agencies such as the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, with disputes often hinging on interpretations used in high-profile projects at Pennsylvania Station (New York City) and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Compliance also affects loan underwriting by institutions like the Federal Housing Administration and tax credit syndicators in transactions involving developers such as The Related Companies or Forest City Enterprises.
Criticisms and controversies
Critics from advocacy organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and academic critics at MIT, Yale University, and Harvard University have argued the Standards can be rigid, privileging aesthetic authenticity over community needs in cases like adaptive reuse controversies in Detroit, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. Preservationists engaged with indigenous heritage at sites overseen by the National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs have contested applications of the Standards where intangible cultural practices are central, echoing debates tied to Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act implementation. Debates continue over balancing historic integrity and sustainability goals championed by organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council and the International Council on Monuments and Sites.