(a) Introduction to Guidelines.
(1) These design guidelines are intended to provide assistance to property owners and contractors looking to do work on existing buildings or new construction within the Avery Historic District. The guidelines are not to be considered unyielding rules, but rather strong suggestions of how construction and repair work should be done in order to preserve the character of the historic architecture found in the district. The Avery Historic District Architectural Review Board (ARB) will use these design guidelines as a resource guiding their decisions on whether or not to approve proposals. It is important to note that the guidelines will not require property owners to make improvements to existing structures within the district. The intent of the guidelines is to generate solutions that meet the needs of the property owner and protect the preservation interests of the Avery Historic District. In cases of economic hardship, the ARB can modify guidelines to facilitate a positive outcome for both the applicant and the historic district.
(b) Characteristics of the Avery Historic District.
(1) In 1986, the Avery Historic District was listed on the National Register of historic places and is considered Parkersburg's first suburb. The district is a primarily residential neighborhood and is comprised of 12 distinct styles of historical architecture. Those styles are: National Style, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, Folk Victorian, Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Craftsman, International Style, and Victorian Eclectic. These were all highly prevalent styles throughout the United States during the time period when the Avery Historic District was developed in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. However, there are very few true examples of these styles within the district. Instead, most of the buildings in the district demonstrate the creative merging of elements comprising of multiple different architectural styles.
(c) Design Guidelines.
(1) The design guidelines listed herein will apply uniformly to all the known architectural styles described above in the Avery Historic District, except in cases where abiding by the guidelines would cause undue economic hardship.
A. Original building materials and architectural details should not be covered up.
B. Historic materials and distinguishing features should not be removed. Attempt to preserve as much original architecture as possible.
C. Always try to repair rather than replace materials or distinguishing features whenever feasible.
D. When it is necessary to replace, attempt to replicate the original building material or distinguishing feature as closely as possible.
E. In cases where replication of original materials or features is not feasible, replacements should be congruent with the character of the structure.
F. During the restoration process, look for clues as to the appearance of the original structure. Oftentimes original details have simply been covered up by later work. For example, original siding is frequently covered with vinyl siding on historic homes.
G. When original details cannot be identified for reference, rehabilitation efforts should be simplistic and focused on making sure the new work is in character with the existing structure.
H. Restoration work should not make the building look older than the time period in which it was built. If a determination of age cannot be made from the building, look to surrounding buildings in the historic district for reference.
I. In order to help preserve the historic character of the building, the size of original doorways and windows should not be changed.
J. Any historic walls and fencing should be preserved or replaced in-kind.
K. The architecture of the original roofline, including features such as chimneys, should not be altered. In cases where replacing the roof in kind is not economically feasible, the applicant should work with the ARB to come to some reasonable accommodation. For example, instead of replacing an old slate roof with a new slate roof, the applicant could replace it with a new shingle roof that is designed to look like slate.
L. Every effort should be made to retain and preserve original ornamentation, as these details often help differentiate buildings in the historic district.
M. Exterior accessories, such as light fixtures, should be compatible with the overall character of the property.
N. When doing brick work, proper mortar joints should be utilized.
O. If a structure was painted, paint it again when doing restoration work. The color of paint used should highlight the ornamentation of the building.
P. Surface cleaning should be done gently and should not utilize methods such as sandblasting. Ideally, cleaning and paint removal should be avoided if possible.
Q. Do not assume that later additions to buildings are not historically significant because they are not original. These additions may be significant as examples of their own architectural style.
R. In cases of new construction, design work and materials should be consistent with the architectural styles listed herein. For examples of defining features that should be replicated by design and materials in new construction, refer to the brief descriptions of each style in the Avery Historic District Architectural Reference Guide.
S. New construction should be sited to match surrounding setbacks; and it should be scaled in both size and height to match the existing buildings in the historic district.
T. Any additions should be considered as new construction.
(d) Demolitions.
(1) Demolitions should only be approved when the owner can prove that the building cannot be reused and that there is no economic benefit to be realized from salvaging all or part of the building.
(2) Demolitions should be approved in cases where there is an insignificant building or addition that does not contribute any historical value to the district; and where that demolition will not have any adverse impacts on the surrounding district's historic character.
(Ord. 0-1635. Passed 9-24-19.)