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Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
rehabilitation or adaptive use. Preserve and
retain existing historic materials and hardware.
The primary entrance to the building should be
maintained other historic entrances and door
openings should not be removed or infilled.
Windows – Retain and repair existing historic
windows and window detailing. Where windows
are deteriorated beyond the ability to reasonably
repair them, replace the windows in-kind using
matching materials, configurations, and detailing.
Weatherstripping and storm windows should
be added to existing windows when compatibly
designed and installed. Insulated glass may be
used in replacement windows. Do not remove or
infill historic window openings from the exterior.
Historic Interiors
Most of the historic buildings at Moravian have
had substantial interior changes over the years.
The extent of these interior changes range from
complete renovation and adaptive use where
entire interiors are lost (such as at Monocacy Hall),
to careful rehabilitation projects where historic
fabric is preserved while needed interior changes
are implemented (such as at the Single Brethren’s
House). Changes such as these may be considered
historically significant as part of the evolution of
the buildings and should be treated with care.
Additional changes in these buildings have occurred
as well, and future changes are anticipated, such
as the installation of new mechanical systems and
universal access features. These future changes
should be implemented in accordance with the
recommendations and processes outlined in this
preservation plan.
Assessing a Potential New Use – Adaptive reuse
projects usually require some degree of new
interior construction. In considering a potential
new use for a building, careful planning and
evaluation should first determine if the proposed
use is appropriate to the building and whether the
degree of change necessary to accommodate the
use can be accomplished without significant impact
to the building’s historic character and significance.
Some historic buildings cannot accept dramatically
different new uses.
Planning and Design – Proposed interior
construction work should conform to the same
principles and processes as that for exterior work
on historic buildings. It is recommended that a
historic preservation professional be included in
projects involving the college’s historic buildings.
In planning for interior work it is usually helpful
to divide the historic interior into a hierarchy
of zones of sensitivity. Principal spaces, such as
entrance halls and parlors in a residence, might be
considered zones of high sensitivity where little or
no change should occur. Secondary spaces, such
as work areas, dressing rooms, closets, basements,
and attics in a residence might be more appropriate
for change. New work should generally be confined
to secondary or non-significant spaces and areas to
minimize its impact on the historic building.
The historically significant elements of each interior
space should be identified. Historically significant
elements include large-scale elements such as
the overall spatial flow, room plans and layouts,
circulation patterns and interior volumes. They also
include the more obvious elements such as building
features (windows, doors, stairways, fireplaces,
trims, etc.) and materials (plaster, wood, tile, etc.).
Each historic space and element should be assessed
for the degree of change it can sustain with the goal
of preserving as much historic character and fabric
as possible.
New Interior Construction – New interior
construction work should be compatible with
the existing historic character, but should be
distinguishable from it. As discussed above under
new construction and additions to historic buildings,
exact duplication of historic materials and elements
should be discouraged to avoid confusion between
what is authentically historic and what is new.
Where new walls or other partitions are planned,
for example, an appropriate approach might be to
use new trim and woodwork similar to the historic
woodwork in scale, material, and general character,
but different in profile and detail. The challenge is
ensuring that the new interior construction work
is compatible without being a copy of the historic
building. While it should be clear to the casual
observer that the work is new and not historic, the
design and materials should respect and reflect the
original building.
Recommendations for Energy
Conservation and New Building
Systems
Among the most difficult design challenges
relative to historic buildings is the accommodation
of new mechanical and electrical systems. This is
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 10 • New Construction • 322