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Written: Based on HABS Survey

Goals:

  • To write an architectural description in the style of National Register 'description' but based on the graphic (drawings) and photographic documentation of a HABS level-1 survey of a property.
  • To determine the different information available from drawings: floor plans, elevations, sections, details.
  • To understand the level of identification obtained from 'title blocks' and 'photograph captions'

Review: Format for a National Register 'description' (see Written: National Register 'description' - outline assignment).

For a detailed, instructive example, look at a the documentaton (particularly the written description) of the Isaac Bell, Jr. House in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island.

  • Architectural Description of Isaac Bell House (1886). Lewis, Arnold. American Country Houses of the Gilded Age, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1982, pp.xv-xvi and fig.7. (Reprint of Sheldon's Artistic Country Seats, 1886.). This is a period description published shortly after construction of the structure. Note: it is not entirely accurate.
  • National Register description (under 'Describe Present and Historic Physical Appearance') at NPS Focus. This nomination was updated following completion of a Historic Structure Report (HSR) for the house.
  • HABS documentation at Built in America. An early (1969) recording by a 'student architect'.

Assignment

Peruse the HABS/HAER/HALS database, Built in America, American Memory, Library of Congress.

Find a (relatively simple) building recorded to HABS level-1 that includes a full set of architectural drawings (interior and exterior; plans, elevations, sections and details) and photographs.

To relate to American Architecture course, select a building that is on of the following styles:

  • Georgian
  • Federal
  • Greek Revival

Do not choose a building that has been nominated to the National Register as an individual property. . .or do not look at the nomination, if one exists.

Download:

  1. 'larger reference images' JPGs (of the photographs) and TIFFs (of the drawings) for reference in writing your 'description;
  2. smaller JPGs (of drawings) and GIFs (of drawings) for inclusion as an appendix to your description, which you will hand in..

In some cases an architectural description is available as 'data' pages. Importanly, this is not the format that is needed for this assignment. Only use the information in th e'data' pages with extreme care. In particular, information on the evolution of the property is not part of this assignment — you are only writing an architectural description that will be written in the format of a National Register 'description'.

Write a four-page (approximate) architectural description of the exterior and interior.

In the description, parenthetically reference any drawings and photographs. For example:

  • (Drawing, West Elevation, sheet 3)
  • (Photograph, Front and Side Elevations, 15-1)

With full citation in 'Works Cited' at the end. As an example:

For drawings, obtain information from the 'title block' and name of the sheet (under the drawing). For example:

  • Linden Place (Dewolf House), 500 Hope Street, Bristol, Bristol County, Rhode Island. Historic American Building Survey, National Park Service, HABS Survey No. RI-263. Historic Preservation Group Project, Roger Williams College. Drawn by Jerome J. Harcar. n.d. [no date]. West Elevation, sheet 3 of 12.

For photographs, obtain information from the 'caption' associated with each photograph on the Web site. (Remove the CAPS — capitalized letters in the description — from the title.) Obtain the photographer name(s) and date from the 'Photo Caption Pages' For example:

  • Linden Place (Dewolf House), 500 Hope Street, Bristol, Bristol County, Rhode Island. Historic American Building Survey, National Park Service, HABS Survey No. RI-263. 1. Historic American Buildings Survey, Arthur W. Leboeuf, Photographer, 1937 Front and Side Elevations, 15-1, Laura Barbeau and Julian Sniderman, photographer, 1979. [I do not know what this number is but will find out. 090216 pm]