1. SESSION 2: Eric Pattison, October 30th 2010
Historic Houses as Museums Irving House Case Study Applying the Standards & Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada

2. House Museums and their Interiors
20th century drive in North America to preserve and present “important” homes.
Rise of leisure time and family touring
Formation of local historic associations, “service clubs” and community volunteerism
“Young” new world history gaining recognition
Original historic families fading away

3. Range of historic houses become museums for variety of reasons.
Mansions - whole towns - log cabins
Donated, bought or preservation covenant
Public-owned sites and parks
Threatened with demolition
Relocation to “heritage zoos”
Motivated by “centennials” of historic events
Creation of “living” historic districts
Tourism and economic development

4. Examples Glensheen, Min. Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria
Fort Langley, BC

5. House museum interiors:
What is original and/or significant
Intact historic interior: furniture, art and fittings
Various degrees of historic integrity

6. More as-found historic interiors

7. House museum interiors
Recreating/reconstructing interiors
Authenticity and public expectations
Exhibits and interpretation

8. Irving House Case Study
Built in 1865 by Capt. William Irving
Daughter’s family undertakes substantial interior changes, 1887 to 1903
“Modernization” by remaining siblings 1910s (plumbing and electricity)
Acquisition by City of New Westminster as a “house museum” in 1950
Operated by Native Sons & Daughters until 1980s
Now part of New Westminster Museum & Archives

11. Conservation of Irving House Interiors: Project Sequence
Phase-1 Initial assessment and project scoping
Interior Heritage Conservation Plan
Phase-2 Detailed research and recommendations
Historic Finishes & Features Report: A Plan for Conservation & Restoration
As-found Drawings (including interior details)
Accessibility Audit & Recommendations for Improvement
Restoration HVAC Assessment Interim Report
Fire Protection & Equivalency Report
Building Envelope Interim Report
Blower Door Test/Envelope Air Leakage Evaluation

12. Phase-3 Contract Documents
Detailed scope of work, design drawings and specifications for all disciplines
Phase-4 Implementation
Factors affecting conservation (on going operations, budgets, materials, trades, etc.)
Procurement, site management, sequencing trades
Phasing of work
Public engagement/use

13. Phase-1

14. As-found conditions

17. Phase-2

20. As-Found Dwgs.

23. Applying the Standards & Guidelines
International policy context
Athens Charter, 1931
Venice Charter, 1964
UNESCO, historic monuments as works of art not just historical evidence
ICOMOS, 1965
custodian of the doctrine of the build heritage field
World Heritage Convention, 1972
UNESCO international treaty
cultural and natural heritage

24. Burra Charter, 1979 (Australia) Appleton Charter, 1983 (Canada)
rise of values-based heritage conservation
Appleton Charter, 1983 (Canada)
concept of cultural resources/landscapes
New Orleans Charter, 1991 (structures & artefacts preserved together)
Nara Document, 1994 (Japan)
rise of authenticity (physical and cultural)
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitation, Restoring and Reconstruction Historic Buildings, 1995
developed by US National Parks Service

25. Canadian policy context
National Historic Sites and Monuments Board, 1919
Parks Canada
administers national historic sites
Federal Heritage Building Review Office (FHBRO), 1984
Various provincial heritage working documents, Acts, etc
Commemorative Integrity Statements, 1994 (Parks Canada)
Heritage Conservation Act, 1994 (BC)

26. Historic Places Initiative (HPI), 2001
National system of heritage conservation
Canadian Register of Historic Places
Statements of Significance
Standards and Guidelines, 2003
Financial support
Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive fund (ended)
Tax incentives (?)
A Canadian National Trust (?)
Increase in public, industry and government knowledge and acceptance of heritage conservation imperative

27. Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada
Broad-based working group – industry, property mgm’t, heritage groups, all gov’t levels
Draws heavily on US, Secretary of the Interior’s Standards
Common professional conservation practice standards and associations of consultants
Consistency required to administer national conservation programs
Also served to create a level playing field for towns, cities, provinces and federal sites

28. Irving House – Statement of Significance

29. Irving House – Statement of Significance

30. Overall Irving House interior conservation is a restoration project.
Conservation approach varies for individual rooms, finishes, features, furniture and objects.
Same principles apply at different scales of intervention or treatment.

32. Conservation
“all actions or processes that are aimed at safeguarding the character-defining elements of a cultural resource so as to retain its heritage value and extend its physical life. This may involve “Preservation,” “Rehabilitation,” “Restoration,” or a combination of these actions or processes.”

33. Preservation
“the action or process of protecting, maintaining, and/or stabilizing the existing materials, form, and integrity of a historic place or of an individual component, while protecting its heritage value.”

34. Preservation at Irving House

36. Rehabilitation
“the action or process of making possible a continuing or compatible contemporary use of a historic place or an individual component, through repair, alterations, and/or additions, while protecting its heritage value.”

37. Rehabilitation at Irving House

38. Restoration
“the action or process of accurately revealing, recovering or representing the state of a historic place, or of an individual component, as it appeared at a particular period in its history, while protecting its heritage value.”

39. Restoration at Irving House
Photo: IHP0058

40. Standards

41. Guidelines (Interiors)

42. Guidelines (Interiors)

43. Guidelines (Interiors)

44. Other Considerations Health and Safety Accessibility Energy Efficiency
Environmental
New Westminster, 1864 Photo: NWPL279
Irving House, c Photo: NWPL254