Teaching > HP175 Documentation > Assignments >

Written Description: Building Exterior (see notes — Written Description: Paragraph)

Goal: Introduction to examining a building; organizing a description; terminology of building elements; and use of photographs to augment field work. This project will be the foundation for several later assignments.

  • Develop a brief, one paragraph, written architectural description of the exterior of one building. (This is similar to short descriptions developed for state surveys, which will be considered later for the Bristol survey assignment.)
  • Take photographs. While you need to submit only the best three photographs, take more to help check/write your description once you return from Bristol.
  • Product
    • Hand in the description in as a one-page double-spaced document. Do not email.
    • Include three 'small' photographs to best represent the exterior. Post large images on your Panoramio account (see Photography: Townscape assignment), identifying the building by street address.
      • Tag with <175_Description_Building_Exterior>.
    • Email me the Web address (URL) of your Panoramio site.

References

  • Historical and Architectural Resources of Bristol, Rhode Island. Providence, Rhode Island: Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission, 1990. (Available as 48 mb PDF file)
    • Hope Street Survey Descriptions provides the text including the description in the survey. Please excuse: The texthas not been formatted, but it allows you to peruse the descriptions. Keep in mind, these brief descriptions include a physical description (the subject of this assignment) and historical material (beyond the scope of this work).
  • Other examples include the Newport surveys (and others) available at State Survey.
  • Historic Property Users Manual (as 13.56 mb PDF file), Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, State of Washington. This entire document will be used for a later assignment, Bristol Survey. Hold off on reading for now. However download this PDF file, which includes a selection pertinent pages: Entering Data, pp. 37-47, and Appendix 1: Field Survey Form .

Example

Nelson W. Aldrich House, Providence, RI (NR nomination)