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Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
replaced with modern synthetic windows which
do not replicate the design, materials, or profile of
the originals. This type of action should be avoided
in future.
Standard 7 – Chemical or physical treatments, if
appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest
means possible. Treatments that cause damage to
historic materials will not be used.
Standard 7 cautions against using chemical and
physical treatments that can permanently damage
historic features. Many commercially available
treatments are irreversibly damaging. Sandblasting
and harsh chemical cleaning, in particular, are
extremely harmful to wood and masonry surfaces
because they destroy the material’s basic physical
properties and speed their deterioration. Potential
maintenance treatments should not alter or damage
these materials.
At Moravian College, strong masonry cleaning
methods were used on the Priscilla Payne Hurd
Campus buildings as they were being restored.
While the exteriors were cleaned of paint and dirt,
the cleaning also caused considerable damage to the
brickwork. This type of treatment was common at
the time but has since been recognized as harmful
and often unnecessary. It is recommended that
future cleaning be performed as gently as possible
to avoid further damage.
Standard 8 – Archeological resources will be
protected and preserved in place. If such resources
must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be
undertaken.
Standard 8 is addresses the importance of belowground
prehistoric and historic features. This issue
is of paramount importance when a construction
project involves excavation, but depending on the
sensitivity of a particular site, can also apply to
less invasive work like laying a new walkway. An
assessment of a site’s archeological potential prior
to work is recommended. If archeological resources
are found, some type of mitigation may be required.
Solutions should be developed that minimize the
need for excavation of previously unexcavated
sites.
At Moravian College, the Priscilla Payne Hurd
Campus grounds have high archeological sensitivity
and should be protected from disturbance to the
greatest possible extent. Preliminary archeological
investigation is recommended prior to commencing
any type of ground-disturbing activity there.
Standard 9 – New additions, exterior alterations, or
related new construction will not destroy historic
materials, features, and spatial relationships that
characterize the property. The new work shall be
differentiated from the old and will be compatible
with the historic materials, features, size, scale
and proportion, and massing architectural features
to protect the integrity of the property and its
environment.
Standard 10 – New additions and adjacent or
related new construction will be undertaken in
such a manner that, if removed in the future, the
essential form and integrity of the historic property
and its environment would be unimpaired.
Standards 9 and 10 are linked by issues of the
compatibility and reversibility of additions,
alterations, and new construction. Both standards
are intended to 1) minimize the damage to historic
fabric caused by building additions, and 2) ensure
that new work will be different from, but compatible
with, existing historic conditions. Following these
standards will help to protect a building’s or
landscape’s historic integrity (U. S. Department of
the Interior [1999]).
Modern-day updates to both Monocacy and
Colonial Halls successfully reflect this principle.
Monocacy received a new south atrium which
provided an ADA-accessible entrance and elevator
to all levels of the building, while preserving the
original south wall and window openings of the
former gymnasium within the new lobby. Across
Main Street, Colonial Hall’s two standalone wings
were united with a new corner addition, which
expanded the interior space, provided ADA access
throughout the building, and, reusing an original
gateway detail, created a modern but compatible
new courtyard entrance for the admissions office.
In conclusion, the basis for the Standards for
Rehabilitation is the premise that historic resources
are more than objects of aesthetic merit; they
are repositories of historical information. It
is important to reiterate that the Standards for
Rehabilitation provide a framework for evaluating
preservation activities and emphasize preservation
of historic fabric, honesty of historical expression,
and reversibility. All decisions should be made on
a case-by-case basis. The level of craftsmanship,
detailing, and quality of materials should be
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 4 • Stewardship • 66