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Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
preservation issue that the Technical Preservation
Services section of the National Park Service has
dedicated considerable effort to address the subject
in their Preservation Tech Note series (see Appendix
B). Of the 50 publications in the series, 22 are specific
to windows. The first 17 have been packaged and
are offered as a set called The Window Handbook:
Successful Strategies for Rehabilitating Windows in
Historic Buildings. Although not offered as one of
the online publications, most of the information is
applicable to window issues at Moravian College
and can be obtained in hard copy form.
One argument often cited for window replacement
is energy efficiency. However, there is a growing
body of evidence, such as home energy audits,
that suggests a traditional wood window, in
good condition, with a properly installed storm
window, is no less energy efficient than most
prefabricated windows currently on the market. As
stated in Preservation Brief #9: The Repair of Historic
Wooden Windows (National Park Service, Technical
Preservation Services):
Energy conservation is no excuse for the
wholesale destruction of historic windows,
which can be made thermally efficient by
historically, and aesthetically acceptable means.
In fact, a historic wooden window with a high
quality storm window added should thermally
outperform a new double-glazed metal window
which does not have thermal breaks.
Many of the windows in historic buildings at
Moravian College have already been replaced with
prefabricated units. It appears windows have been
replaced in certain buildings by entire sections
rather than assessing conditions using a windowby-window
approach. If this is the case, the priority
to date has been a matter of convenience rather than
historic preservation objectives. The remaining
historic wood windows are an important characterdefining
feature in the historically significant
architecture of Moravian College. Current policy
should be carefully revisited before proceeding
with the replacement of any more windows in
historic buildings. Both Preservation Brief #9 and
The Window Handbook, as previously referenced,
provide a framework for the physical evaluation
of historic windows. Essentially it is a windowby-window
audit that establishes three classes of
windows organized by condition. Class I windows
are those that need routine maintenance, but are
operationally sound; Class II windows require some
stabilization and may be temporarily removed for
repair; and Class III windows have substantially
damaged or missing parts that require partial or
wholesale replacement. These publications also
provide valuable information on window repair
techniques, energy conservation measures, and
compatible alternatives.
Preservation Issue #3 – Roofs and
Roofing
A weather-tight roof is a critical factor in
maintaining the structural integrity and energy
efficiency of any building, regardless of historical
importance. A failing roof needs immediate
attention so as to protect other building systems,
which sometimes requires a “quick fix.” It should
also be acknowledged that every roofing system
eventually deteriorates to the point where it
requires substantial repair or replacement.
Taking these realities into consideration, on a
historic building the roof form, materials and
related roof structures are often very important
character-defining features. Roofs with a steeper
pitch tend to have more visibility and therefore
contribute substantially to a building’s appearance.
Certain types of roofs even define an architectural
style such as the mansard on a Second Empire
building. The large hipped roof and cross gables
on Comenius Hall; the gambrel roof with gabled
dormers on Colonial Hall; and the mansard roofs
on the Single Brethren’s House and on Clewell
Hall are examples of roofs that define architectural
character at Moravian.
The material used is another important feature
of architectural character on sloped roofs at the
college. On the other hand, the material used on the
flat roof at West Hall is considerably less significant
since it can only be observed from a bird’s eye
view. The predominant historic roofing material
at Moravian is slate. One noteworthy exception
is the wood shake roof on the Single Brethren’s
House. Although the original 18th century roof on
the building in all likelihood was wood shingles
or shakes, historic photos reveal that slates were
installed at a later time. American slate was not
commonly available as a roofing material until the
mid 19th century and imported slate was costly.
It appears that the current wood shake roof was
added as part of the building’s restoration in 1976.
Although most of the roofs on significant historic
buildings at Moravian retain their characterdefining
features and materials, recent renovations
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 8 • Historic Buildings • 277