PDF of: Historic Residential Suburbs: Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places (147MB)
by
David L. Ames, University of Delaware
Linda Flint McClelland, National Park Service
2002
Photo caption: The
ideal of suburban life in the parklike setting
of a self-contained subdivision away from the noise, pollution,
and dangers of city streets has fueled the aspirations of
increasing numbers of American families since the mid-nineteenth
century. Historic residential suburbs, such as the Guilford
Historic District in Baltimore, Maryland, resulted from the
collaboration of developers, planners, architects, and landscape
architects. The contributions of these professional groups,
individually and collectively, give American suburbs their
characteristic identity as historic neighborhoods, collections
of residential architecture, and designed landscapes. (Photo
by Greg Pease, courtesy Maryland Department of Housing and
Economic Development) |
(We have a text only
version of this bulletin here)
FOREWORD
CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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INTRODUCTION
Defining Historic Residential Suburbs
Using Historic Context to Evaluate Eligibility
Understanding Residential Suburbs as Cultural Landscapes
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Landscape Characteristics |
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Land Use and Activities
Response to the Natural Environment
Patterns of Spatial Organization
Cultural Traditions
Circulation Networks
Boundary Demarcations
Vegetation
Buildings, Structures, and Objects
Clusters
Archeological Sites
Small-scale Elements |
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LAND USE AND SITE DEVELOPMENT
Suburban Land Development Practices
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Developers and the Development Process |
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The Subdivider
The Home Builder
The Community Builder
The Operative Builder
The Merchant Builder |
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Financing Suburban Residential Development |
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Early Trends
President's Conference on Home Building and Home Ownership
Federal Home Loan Banking System
Home Owners' Loan Corporation
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
Defense Housing Programs
The "GI" Bill
Figure 2. Federal
Laws and Programs Encouraging Home Ownership |
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Planning and Domestic Land Use |
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Deed Restrictions
Zoning Ordinances and Subdivision Regulations
Comprehensive Planning and Regional Plans |
Trends in Subdivision Design |
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Figure
3. Trends in Suburban Land Development and Subdivision Design |
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Gridiron Plats
Planned Rectilinear Suburbs
Early Picturesque Suburbs
Riverside and the Olmsted Ideal
City Beautiful Influences |
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Boulevards and Residential Parks
Early Radial Plans |
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Twentieth-Century Garden Suburbs |
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Garden Suburbs and Country Club Suburbs
Influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement |
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American Garden City Planning |
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Forest Hills
Guilford
Washington Highlands
World War 1 Defense Housing
Mariemont
The RPAA and Sunnyside
Radburn and Chatham Village
The Neighborhood Unit and the 1931 President's Conference |
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FHA Principles for Neighborhood Planning |
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Neighborhoods of Small Houses
FHA-Approved Garden Apartment Communities
The Postwar Curvilinear Subdivision |
HOUSE AND YARD |
The Design of the Suburban Home |
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The Suburban Prerequisite: The Invention of the Balloon
Frame
Rural Architecture and Home Grounds, 1838 to 1890 |
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Early Pattern Books
Landscape Gardening for Suburban Homes
Eclectic House Designs and Mail Order Plans
The Homestead Temple-House |
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The Practical Suburban House, 1890 to
1920
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The Open Plan Bungalow
The American Foursquare
Factory Cut, Mail Order Houses
Introduction of the Garage
Home Gardening and the Arts and Crafts Movement |
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Better Homes and the Small House Movement, 1919 to
1945 |
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The Better Homes Campaign
Architect-Designed Small Houses
Federal Home Building Service Plan
Landscape Design for Small House Grounds |
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Public and Private Initiatives: The Efficient, Low-Cost
Home, 1931 to 1948 |
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Findings of the 1931 President's Conference
FHA's Minimum House and Small House Program
FHA's Rental Housing Program
Prefabricated Houses |
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The Postwar Suburban House and Yard, 1945 to 1960 |
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From the FHA Minimum House to the Cape Cod
The Suburban Ranch House
The Contemporary House
Postwar Suburban Apartment Houses
Contemporary Landscape Design
Figure 4. Suburban
Architecture and Landscape Gardening, 1832 to 1960 |
EVALUATION |
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Figure
8. How Residential Suburbs Meet the National Register Criteria for
Evaluation |
Historic Significance |
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Applying the National Register Criteria
and Criteria Considerations |
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Association with Important Events and
Persons
Distinctive Characteristics of Design
Ability to Yield Important Information
Evaluation under Criteria Consideration G |
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Selecting Areas of Significance
Defining Period of Significance
Determining Level of Significance |
Historic Integrity |
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Applying Qualities of Integrity |
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Seven Qualities of Integrity |
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Classifying Contributing and Noncontributing Resources |
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Nonhistoric Alterations and Additions |
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Weighing Overall Integrity |
Boundaries |
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Defining the Historic Property
Deciding What to Include
Selecting Appropriate Edges |
DOCUMENTATION
AND REGISTRATION |
Multiple Property Submissions
Individual Nominations and Determinations of Eligibility |
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Name
Classification
Description
Statement of Significance
Maps and Photographs |
ENDNOTES |