Preservation Brief 14, New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: Preservation Concerns

Summary

This is number fourteen of 42 preservation briefs prepared by the Technical Preservation Services of the National Park Service. This brief focuses on the new exterior additions to historic buildings.

Because a new exterior addition to a historic building can damage or destroy significant materials and can change the building's character, an addition should be considered only after it has been determined that the new use cannot be met by altering nonsignificant, or secondary, interior spaces. If the new use cannot be met in this way, then an attached addition may be an acceptable alternative if carefully planned. A new addition should be constructed in a manner that preserves significant materials and features and preserves the historic character. Finally, an addition should be differentiated from the historic building so that the new work is not confused with what is genuinely part of the past.

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Cultural Resource Office, Joint Base San Antonio

Contributor(s): H. Ward Jandl

Repository(s): Fort Sam Houston

Prepared By(s): Technical Preservation Services, Heritage Preservation Services Program, National Park Service

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