The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

Rather than maintaining and preserving a building as it has evolved over time, the expressed goal of the Standards for Restoration and Guidelines for Restoring Historic Buildings is to make the building appear as it did at a particular-and most significant-time in its history. As opposed to other treatments, the scope of work in Restoration can include removal of features from other periods; missing features from the restoration period may be replaced based on documentary and physical evidence, using traditional materials or compatible substitute materials. The final guidance emphasizes that only those designs that can be documented, as having been built should be re-created in a restoration project.

The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for establishing professional standards and providing advice on the preservation and protection of all cultural resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, apply to all proposed development grant-in-aid projects assisted through the National Historic Preservation Fund, and are intended to be applied to a wide variety of resource types, including buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts. They address four treatments: Preservation, Rehabilitation, Restoration, and Reconstruction. The treatment Standards, developed in 1992, were codified as 36 CFR Part 68 in the July 12, 1995 Federal Register (Vol. 60, No. 133).

This (four-hour) course will be specifically based on the portion of those standards and guidelines which concern "Restoration" of historic buildings. Restoration is defined as the act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a restoration project.

Most buildings represent continuing occupancies and change over time, but in Restoration, the goal is to depict the building as it appeared at the most significant time in its history. Thus, work is included to remove or alter existing historic features that do not represent the restoration period. This could include features such as windows, entrances and doors, roof dormers, or landscape features. Prior to altering or removing materials, features, spaces, and finishes that characterize other historical periods, they should be documented to guide future research and treatment.

Please note that The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties are only regulatory for projects receiving federal grant-in-aid funds; otherwise, the Standards and Guidelines are intended only as general guidance for work on any historic building.

This course is based entirely on the selected "Restoration" portion of The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings published by the U.S. Department of the Interior-National Park Service.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-four (24) questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course will specifically review "Restoration" of historic buildings, and will cover the following topics:

  · Building Exterior: Materials
  · Masonry/ Wood
  · Architectural Metals
  · Building Exterior: Features
  · Roofs
  · Windows
  · Entrances and Porches
  · Storefronts
  · Building Interior
  · Structural Systems
  · Spaces, Features, and Finishes
  · Mechanical Systems
  · Building Site -Setting (District/Neighborhood)
  · Special Requirements
  · Energy Efficiency
  · New Additions to Historic Buildings
  · Accessibility Considerations
  · Health and Safety Considerations

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.