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  • Restore Oregon

Preservation Resources

Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation

  1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
     

  2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved.  The removal of historic materials or alterations of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.
     

  3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use.  Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other building, shall not be undertaken.
     

  4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
     

  5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
     

  6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced.  Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials.  Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
     

  7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used.  The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
     

  8. Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved.  If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
     

  9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property.  The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
     

  10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment will be unimpaired.

Rehabilitation Credit Planning Checklist

  1. Determine whether the building is listed in the National Register or is located in a National Historic District. 
     

  2. Check the Benton County assessor’s records and determine when the building was first placed in service.  Generally, buildings younger than 50 years are not considered historic resources.
     

  3. Plan for the building to be income-producing either as industrial, commercial, or rental residential.
     

  4. Develop plans and generate cost estimates for rehabilitation.  Determine if these costs when compared to the adjusted base of building are substantial.
     

  5. Consult with the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office to make sure that the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines are met.
     

  6. Complete a Historic Preservation Certification Application in cooperation with the State Historic Preservation Office to secure certification from the Secretary of Interior that:
     

    • The building is historic, and

    • The proposed rehabilitation work is in keeping with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
       

  7. Submit the application to the State Historic Preservation Office for review and recommendations.  The State Historic Preservation Office will submit the application to the National Park Service for the final certification decision.
     

  8. Pay the National Park Service a fee for reviewing the rehabilitation certification request.  The fee is based on the cost of rehabilitation.
     

  9. Preliminary approval of proposed work before construction begins is recommended.

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