Q. We just moved in to
a local historic district with many wood frame houses from the late 19th
and early 20th century. We have a 1970s utility shed in back of our historic
house. The wood siding on it is rotting and needs to be replaced. We want
to use a synthetic (concrete) siding. Do we need permission to change
materials on the shed?
A. First, unless there is federal money involved,
this would not be a federal decision. You will probably have to take your
proposal to the local review board or historic preservation commission
to get permission. The board
weighs it against criteria in the preservation ordinance your city or
county has adopted. Even though the review board may use the Secretary
of the Interior’s Standards developed by the National Park Service,
this is still a local project, not subject to federal review. Since the
outbuilding is not historic and not visible from the public way, we would
find your proposal acceptable, but your municipality may not. If the district
has written a local design guideline, there may be specific information
on the topic.
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