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7.0.0  DOCUMENTATION OF CONSTRUCTION HISTORIES AND SITE DEVELOPMENT

7.1.0  Construction histories of buildings substantially completed at one period in time
7.2.0  Buildings exhibiting evidence of major changes in form at specific points in time
7.3.0  Site development over time

7.1.0  CONSTRUCTION HISTORIES OF BUILDINGS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED AT ONE PERIOD IN TIME

7.1.1  This type of structure can be recognized through its relatively homogeneous form; in other words, most of the changes have been to divide spaces with new partitions, remove interior walls, alter the scheme of ornamentation, or block or create openings. 

Information on such structures can be assembled through a combination of on-site sleuthing and research in available photographs, deeds and other court records, diaries and other personal records, and oral history.  Repair, reconstruction and alterations are often indicated by paint shadows, material discoloration, changes in material and workmanship, unusual framing such as a wall located too close to a window, and the presence of incongruous materials or hardware such as mismatched baseboards or remnants of flashing.

7.1.2  Changes on these structures can be indicated on the existing condition drawings--to the extent that the drawings do not become so cluttered with historical information that they become unusable for future research, maintenance or restoration.  Use poché patterns and dashed lines to denote alterations in plan.  Stippling can indicate paint shadows, and dashed lines can show former detail profiles and the outline of building elements no longer extant.  Use notes when appropriate.
 

7.2.0  BUILDINGS EXHIBITING EVIDENCE OF MAJOR CHANGES IN FORM AT SPECIFIC POINTS IN TIME

7.2.1  Careful research into records and photographs, a knowledge of the history of construction technology, and an eye for differences in massing, space configuration and style will aid the analysis of these structures.  The resulting information is usually best represented in the following way:

1)  The construction phases are drawn separately from existing conditions;

2)  the representations are schematic, focusing on the major changes in form with less emphasis on detail;

3)  the scale is reduced;

4)  Use idealized forms, but retain as much dimensional accuracy as possible.  Do not simply trace design drawings unless their translation into built forms can be confirmed;

5)  if possible, use a reduced number of line weights; a heavy line weight and poché can emphasize the historic form, while a lighter line weight or dashed line will reference the current form;

6)  annotate the drawings.

7.3.0  SITE DEVELOPMENT OVER TIME

7.3.1  Documenting the development of a site over time can involve a great deal of research, sometimes resulting in conflicting information.  When architects undertake this level of research, they must work with historians in planning the final graphic product.

7.3.2  In addition to sources mentioned above, maps from the Sanborn Fire Insurance Company are fairly accurate surveys of historic properties.  In directing research:

1)  an architectural supervisor should request maps drawn at or near the most significant historical periods of the site.  For example, the historical development of a fort may be best explained through maps depicting it during each war in its history.  (A 1987 HABS team at Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virginia, produced maps showing the state of the fort at the time of its completion, at the end of the Civil War, at the end of the two world wars as well as 1987.);

2)  focus on eras for which the most reliable information is available, and date individual buildings;

3)  avoid mixing eras on one map, especially by showing multiple building locations and configurations, changes in land and water forms;

4)  for a series of overlays, use the most recent maps as a base map, trace unchanged features, then record the changes backwards in time;

5)  to save time, if only a portion of the site has changed, consider drawing only the altered areas. 
 

Figure 7.1:  Fourth in a series of five developmental maps of Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virignia.

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