The Issues and Management of Historic Preservation Projects

Historic preservation is a topic that is well known throughout the United States today and many people believe that they completely understand it in full. However, historic preservation is much more detailed and confusing than most people realize. This confusion has led to the research of issues and management of historic preservation projects and renovations. One must study all of the rules and regulations to truly understand the meaning of “historic preservation”. How does a building become important enough to be preserved? What are the qualifications a building must meet to undergo renovations instead of being demolished? After realizing there is not one specific answer to these questions, research has shown that in many cases there are not clear rules per building or project. Each is renovated under different circumstance and is sometimes left up to its own interpretation, whether law abiding or not. After exploring the process of renovating historic buildings and the dos and don’ts of each project, case studies of specific projects have helped gain further understanding and explanation of special preservation situations. This project seeks to separate the rules that are always followed from the ones that can be left up to the interpretation of the renovators.