Nrb Suburbs Homepage: Historic Residential Suburbs: Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places

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[graphic] National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service

PDF of: Historic Residential Suburbs: Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places (147MB)
[photo]

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

INTRODUCTION
Defining Historic Residential Suburbs
Using Historic Context to Evaluate Eligibility
Understanding Residential Suburbs as Cultural Landscapes

Landscape Characteristics

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

AN OVERVIEW OF SUBURBANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES, 1830 TO 1960 TRANSPORTATION Trends in Urban and Metropolitan Transportation
	Railroad and Horsecar Suburbs, 1830 to 1890 Streetcar Suburbs, 1888 to 1928 Figure 1. Milestones in Urban and Metropolitan Transportation Early Automobile Suburbs, 1908 to 1945 Post-World War II and Early Freeway Suburbs, 1945 to 1960

LAND USE AND SITE DEVELOPMENT Suburban Land Development Practices
	Developers and the Development Process
		The Subdivider The Home Builder The Community Builder The Operative Builder The Merchant Builder
	Financing Suburban Residential Development
		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
	Planning and Domestic Land Use
		Deed Restrictions Zoning Ordinances and Subdivision Regulations Comprehensive Planning and Regional Plans
Trends in Subdivision Design
		Figure 3. Trends in Suburban Land Development and Subdivision Design
	Gridiron Plats Planned Rectilinear Suburbs Early Picturesque Suburbs Riverside and the Olmsted Ideal City Beautiful Influences
		Boulevards and Residential Parks Early Radial Plans
	Twentieth-Century Garden Suburbs
		Garden Suburbs and Country Club Suburbs Influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement
	American Garden City Planning
		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
	FHA Principles for Neighborhood Planning
		Neighborhoods of Small Houses FHA-Approved Garden Apartment Communities The Postwar Curvilinear Subdivision
HOUSE AND YARD
The Design of the Suburban Home
	The Suburban Prerequisite: The Invention of the Balloon Frame Rural Architecture and Home Grounds, 1838 to 1890
		Early Pattern Books Landscape Gardening for Suburban Homes Eclectic House Designs and Mail Order Plans The Homestead Temple-House
	The Practical Suburban House, 1890 to 1920
		The Open Plan Bungalow The American Foursquare Factory Cut, Mail Order Houses Introduction of the Garage Home Gardening and the Arts and Crafts Movement
	Better Homes and the Small House Movement, 1919 to 1945
		The Better Homes Campaign Architect-Designed Small Houses Federal Home Building Service Plan Landscape Design for Small House Grounds
	Public and Private Initiatives: The Efficient, Low-Cost Home, 1931 to 1948
		Findings of the 1931 President's Conference FHA's Minimum House and Small House Program FHA's Rental Housing Program Prefabricated Houses
	The Postwar Suburban House and Yard, 1945 to 1960
		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

IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION, DOCUMENTATION AND REGISTRATION IDENTIFICATION
Developing a Local Historic Context
	Conducting Historical Research Determining Geographical Scale and Chronological Periods Compiling Data from Historic Maps and Plats
		Mapping the Study Area Preparing a Master List of Residential Subdivisions Figure 5. Process for Identification, Evaluation, and Documentation
	Developing a Statement of Context
		Figure 6. Historical Sources for Researching Local Patterns of Suburbanization
Surveying Historic Residential Suburbs
	Survey Forms Field Reference Materials The Reconnaissance Survey
		Organizing an Itinerary Recording Field Observations
		Figure 7. Guidelines for Surveying Historic Residential Suburbs
	Analyzing Survey Results
		Identifying Significant Patterns of Development
	Conducting an Intensive-Level Survey and Compiling National Register Documentation
		Documenting the Physical Evolution of a Historic Residential Suburb Classifying House Types for Inventory Purposes

EVALUATION
	Figure 8. How Residential Suburbs Meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation
Historic Significance
	Applying the National Register Criteria and Criteria Considerations
			Association with Important Events and Persons Distinctive Characteristics of Design Ability to Yield Important Information Evaluation under Criteria Consideration G
	Selecting Areas of Significance Defining Period of Significance Determining Level of Significance
Historic Integrity
	Applying Qualities of Integrity
		Seven Qualities of Integrity
	Classifying Contributing and Noncontributing Resources
		Nonhistoric Alterations and Additions
	Weighing Overall Integrity
Boundaries
	Defining the Historic Property Deciding What to Include Selecting Appropriate Edges
DOCUMENTATION AND REGISTRATION
Multiple Property Submissions Individual Nominations and Determinations of Eligibility
	Name Classification Description Statement of Significance Maps and Photographs
ENDNOTES

RESOURCES
	Reference Services and Specialized Repositories Historic Periodicals
		Popular Magazines Professional and Trade Periodicals
	Recommended Reading
		Related National Register Bulletins General History Methodology, References, and Style Guides Political and Social History Community Planning, Real Estate, and Subdivision Regional Histories and Case Studies Transportation, Utilities, and Public Parks House Design and Production Other Suburban Property Types Yard Design and Gardening Selected Pattern Books, Landscape Guides, and House Catalogs Dissertations Selected Theses Selected Multiple Property Listings

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