[MassHistPres] Contemporary materials in Historic Districts

[Patricia Kelleher]

The Salem Historical Commission is also considering the appropriateness of new materials in the City’s historic districts and would be interested in hearing about the experience of other commissions in reviewing these materials.  Of particular interest is the appropriateness of fiberglass gutters as a replacement for deteriorated wood gutters.  The Commission is considering hosting a workshop on this topic next year and will forward information to the listserve when scheduled.

Patti Kelleher

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Patti Kelleher
Preservation Planner, City of Salem
Department of Planning & Community Development
120 Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978-619-5685/ Fax: 978-740-0404
pkelleher at salem.com<mailto:pkelleher at salem.com>
www.salem.com<http://www.salem.com>
Office Hours: Mon 8-3:30, Wed 8-3:30, Thurs 8-2:30




From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Chris Warner
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 1:07 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] Contemporary materials in Historic Districts

Hello,

This June, I was appointed to the Falmouth Historical Commission, so the learning curve is steep. In discussion at our last meeting, Chris Skelly's name came up as someone who may have helpful information as we try to evaluate the introduction of newer materials into the palatte that building owners can choose from as they renovate, especially for buildings newer than say 1950, as well as new buildings that are in Historic Districts.

In particular, for a Cape style house, an Architect proposed a deck railing system made of PVC. The manufacturer, Intex has a reputation, profiles and pricing targeted at the higher end. Owners like the lower maintenance vs. painted wood that is popular in non-historic parts of town.

Thinking big picture and long term, as newer buildings and structures are recognized as significant, can you steer us toward guidelines that might allow for newer materials? We also discussed cross pollination with other waterfront communities such as Nantucket, New Bedford, Boston, Salem, etc. for consistency, so as to avoid the trap of special cases.
Chris Skelly felt "this would be a great question to ask on our masshistpres listserve.  Are you a subscriber to the listserve?" I was not, so, I signed up and am reaching out to the larger group for input. Is there any history of, or precedent for this topic?

Thanks,
Chris Warner, Architect
Falmouth Historic Commission
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