Reconciling the Concept of Significance in American Historic Preservation
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2014
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MA in Historic Preservation
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To view a complete copy of this thesis please contact Goucher College Special Collections & Archives at archives@goucher.edu or (410) 337-6075.
Abstract
Historic preservation in the United States is facing new challenges. In the
beginning preservation philosophies and methods developed focused on addressing
resources with more clearly defined time frames. Preservation now deals with sites of
evolving contexts, layered physical development, and complex histories. The struggle to
quantify and define what we know by experience and correlate it to a historic resource is
becoming increasingly challenging. As preservation evolves to address a more complex
conceptualization of significance, the methods by which it is analyzed and supported
have developed demonstrated gaps in their ability to support that complexity. This thesis
asks: can we reconcile the disparity that has developed between our concept of
significance and the conceptual framework it operates in to meet these challenges?
To define and frame these challenges the treatise first considers the role
significance now plays measured against the backdrop of what was intended and what is
possible. Identifying known issues and debates frames the dialogue, establishes a
vocabulary for analysis, and outlines development of the concept and how it is
administrated. To understand the effect determination of significance has for a resource,
a review of journal articles and papers representing commentary on influences and factors
in American historic preservation is made, with discussion of the successes and failures
of its procedures. Finally case studies are presented highlighting aspects of significance
not addressed or well served by current practices, illustrating unresolved challenges to the
stewardship of our historic resources.
This thesis finds that while the definition of significance is still sound, there are
refinements in how it is supported that would improve our ability to manage historic
resources in the United States, primarily by augmenting and refining the language and
framework of the National Register to recognize experiential attributes as potentially
integral to the integrity of a historic resource; to guide management decisions without
specifying them; and to examine associated activities, cultural practices, and building
traditions and where appropriate facilitate their protection through recordation and, if
appropriate, by way of exception.