Homeowners see benefits of survey, plaques
Posted on 04/13/2023
A plaque of Olde Town in Port Huron, as an example.The Historic District Survey was a multi-year process that began in Spring 2018 and concluded in 2021 with the report’s acceptance by City Council. Commonwealth Heritage Group, Inc., conducted the survey and developed the report, which included descriptions of 429 buildings, structures and sites in the Historic District. The Commonwealth architectural historians also ranked the properties as either contributing or non-contributing, with some adjustments made during public hearings. Volume I is a summary of the 2018 Historic District Survey, Volume II includes the full inventory of all of the resources surveyed in the Historic District. Both reports are on the city website.

The survey report will be useful when applying for grants and an updated nomination in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, it helps leaders and residents recognize the value of the structures’ attributes: physical (original and renovations) as well as contributions to the city’s history by the people who lived in the buildings or were associated with them. It also provides historical data that will be used to guide decisions made by the Historic District Commission regarding requests for exterior building renovations in the Historic District.

As part of the Historic District Home series, homeowners were asked their views about the survey.

Leanie Bayly, who served on the Northville Local Historic District Study Committee, noted, “It was a monumental effort to categorize both the business and residential districts. The updated survey will help preserve and protect the structures and properties in terms of historical integrity, and will help educate property owners and developers.I think the whole process helped unite the community. The Commonwealth Heritage group made a concerted effort to seek out detailed information because they knew the report would become a valuable tool in the preservation process and help maintain historic properties. 

“There is some resistance to our local Historic District design standards,” noted Leanie, who is a member of the Historic District Commission. For instance, aluminum or vinyl siding may cover up the original siding and architectural features, but it’s not approved as a replacement material. Hardie board has been approved on several applications. Each application is reviewed upon its own merit. “At times, (the owner) only needs to replace part of the building siding or only on the southern exposure.”

Another compromise, she notes, is replacing infill around the window space rather than going to the expense of ordering and installing custom windows. For some replacement windows, you really can’t tell the difference between standard windows with infill and custom-sized windows. Some people want artificial non-historic ornamentation, which is not permitted. “The most important issue is to preserve and protect the integrity of the historic structure for both the current and future owners,” she said.

Kathy Spillane said the Historic District Survey resulted in greater awareness that “additions to historic structures were more tricky than we realized.” With smaller homes in the Historic District, it’s often a challenge for most of the addition to be behind the house. Sometimes, homeowners need to go through many sets of revisions in architectural renderings before it’s accepted by the Historic District Commission.

Thom Barry said, “It’s hard to maintain a Historic District. Everyone needs to realize that if they are purchasing within the Historic District that they can’t always do whatever they want to the outside of an historic building and specific guidelines need to be followed. If you live in an historic home, you need to respect the historic home. It’s more than just a house. With ownership comes responsibility to renovate or restore with intention which includes choosing the correct design and materials.”

To plaque or not to plaque?

Many historic districts throughout Michigan and around the nation designate historic homes in their communities with plaques near the front door. Historic homes in Elk Rapids, Royal Oak and Pleasant Ridge, to name a few communities, have plaques.

Nearly all of the homeowners interviewed for the Historic District homes series said a plaque had value. Steve Calkins didn’t think it was necessary for his house on W. Dunlap, since the year the house was built was already etched on the front. However, his wife, Joan, said, “I think it’s lovely. A lot of people do it.”

Kathy and Tom Spillane said it would be a nice thing to have as a tribute to their house’s place in history. The Barrys both considered a plaque worthwhile. “Yes if it felt respected, not pretentious,” Thom said. His wife, Marianne, thought it would be good for educational purposes. Their home is in the Historic Registry and a contributing structure in the Historic District Survey, as are most other homes included in this series. Mike Weyburne said he would consider having a plaque, something simple, for sentimental value. Several homeowners felt it was obvious that their homes were historic, but others viewed their homes through the eyes of a passerby. AnnaMaryLee Vollick said “Some people may not know the homes are technically historic.”