How to Restore Historic Buildings

Age

• 1

  Determine the age of the building. The year the building was constructed should be recorded on the original property deed, on file at your city or county property tax office. If the building is more than 100 years old, the deed might be on file in the archives department. Visit the office and prepare to spend several hours there. You may have to search through old, hand-written deed books or view deeds recorded on microfilm. If you want, call ahead to find out if you can pay to have the information researched and sent to you.

• 2

  Contact your local historical society. If the building is one of the oldest in its neighborhood, information on the year it was built, as well as old photos, may be available there.

• 3

  Drive around the neighborhood and look for old buildings with similar architectural features. Visit your local library for books such as "A Field Guide to American Houses." If you can't pinpoint the exact year your building was constructed, you can determine its construction period and style. Use this information for restoration guidance.

Retain

• 4

  Determine all interior and exterior building features that represent the building's construction period and architectural design -- for instance, "gingerbread" trim on a Victorian building. Take note of all these features. Any restoration work should be done to retain and preserve these features, as far as possible.

• 5

  Contact your local government office to find out if your town, city or county has any type of architectural review board. These boards often regulate historic building restoration, especially if your building is in a historic community. Obtain any existing regulations, in writing, and adhere to them during restoration. The website Preservation Directory can help you search for preservation organizations and resources in your area.

• 6

  Visit Old House Journal's website. It contains dozens of useful articles specifically geared toward recognizing and resolving common restoration problems.

Eliminate and Replace

• 7

  Determine all interior and exterior building features that were added after the building's original construction period. This might include roof dormers, entrance doors and additions.

• 8

  Remove or alter any features that do not represent the building's construction period. If removing any existing features, replace them with historically accurate ones. A list of historic-restoration material suppliers is available on Old House Journal's website.

• 9

  Re-create missing features you might discover in old photographs for a more thorough restoration. These might include a front porch, or a stone or cast-iron balustrade.