[MassHistPres] preservation award guidelines

[James Hadley]

Dennis:
Our philosophy here in Orleans, on Cape Cod (where preservation is locked in 
a battle with vacation-ism, retirement-ism and consumerism, and lacks firm 
roots) is to use our awards program to help build the constituency for 
preservation. The good will of the community is a very important tool in 
making our case.  So we have not been doctrinaire in making selections of 
projects. Nothing with vinyl windows, no bad modernizations of older 
buildings, but no use of the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines, either. 
Yet. Naturally with this goal we give the award to the persons responsible.
I believe that every community needs to take its own position on this. Where 
there is a clear understanding of the value of preservation I can see 
refining the level of quality by being picky with awards. But where you are 
starting from ground zero, I believe there should be a broader approach.
Bytheway, we also include an award for environmental preservation here.
James W.Hadley AIA, Pres. Orleans Historical Society, Chair, Orleans 
Historical Commission

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis De Witt" <djdewitt at rcn.com>
To: "MHC listserve" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 11:31 PM
Subject: [MassHistPres] preservation award guidelines


> We are thinking about Preservation Award guidelines.
>
> Assuming Chris has not already done so, I am very interested in
> collecting any and all examples of guidelines that may be in use
> relating to preservations awards.
>
> In addition here are some basic philosophical questions.  I'd be
> interested in any literature or practice (examples) that might bear on
> these questions.
>
> a) In the case of an award relating to a building, does the award go
> to a building or to the people responsible for the project?
>
> b) Should you ever give an award to a new building just because it
> fits well in its context?
>
> c) Should you ever give an award to a new building in an LHD just
> because it fits well in its context even tho it has done little more
> than successfully follow the guidelines?
>
> d) Should you ever give an award to someone who genuinely has done
> some significant restoration work on an important building even though
> they may have vigorously opposed some other unrelated preservation/
> project?
>
> e) Should you ever given an award to someone who has worked long and
> hard to "beautify" and economically strengthen part of an NRD without
> ever having really done anything related to historic fabric that could
> be called preservation?
>
> f) Should you ever give an award to someone for a project relating to
> a particular property even tho they have demolished a structure on
> that property which had a demolition stay imposed on it?
>
> If nothing else.  Please feel free to "vote." -- briefly or at
> length.  If there are enough responses, I'll tally them
>
> Dennis De Witt
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