At Home Living: Could your home be a historical landmark?

For some homeowners, older houses mean solid construction, careful attention to architectural details and a link to earlier times--when craftsmanship was acquired by doing and the results conveyed a builders identity. Houses built before 1964 offer their owners unique preservation opportunities to return to those standards and to reconnect with Kansas history.

Active preservation efforts by public and private entitles on the local, state and national levels also provide tax incentives, tax credits and available grants to qualifying properties for all stages of the restoration process. Historical preservation can bring up to 90 percent rebates from city tax increases on improvements and, with state or National Register of Historic Places designation, properties become eligible for income tax credits and restoration grants. Beyond financial incentives, historic preservation of older properties also conveys intangible rewards: Improved neighborhoods, better aesthetics from coherent and authentic architecture, and the security that comes with structural integrity.

Restoration may reveal hidden gemsa previously unknown cast-plaster or pressed-metal ceiling, finely crafted details beneath painted wood trim or clues to engineering innovations to resolve 19th Century building dilemmas, said Wes Darnell, of WDM Architects.

Darnell, founding member of WDM Architects in Wichita, specializes in historic preservation. WDM is one of very few Kansas firms offering historic preservation expertise; its past preservation efforts have focused predominantly on public and commercial structures, including the Andover Public Library in Andover, KS, and within Wichitas historic district. WDMs year-long restoration of the Eaton Hotel returned it to its 1883-1900 design and recreated the last block of old downtown Wichita. By comparison, architectural involvement in residential restorations is rare, Darnell said, for budget reasons and because city historic preservation offices now help in this work.

Katrina Ringler defines Three Rs to fixing up older houses renovation, restoration or rehabilitation each with a different goal to making repairs. Ringler, who is with the Historic Preservation Office, within the Cultural Resources Division at the Kansas State Historical Society, deals with non-profits, private home owners, public and private groups fixing up structures built more than 50 years ago.

Most home-owners or real estate investors are interested in renovating an older home to increase its re-sale value on the housing market, or to make it more livable as a rental or as their own home. Renovating might involve upgrading the kitchen cabinets and counters, adding a modern bathroom and re-wiring electrical outlets to facilitate the location of a dishwasher or clothes dryer. Add a coat of paint, some wood sealer and the house is ready for move-in.

By comparison, rehabbing a house, means paying attention to authentic, historical details in upgrading the structure, Ringler said. The objective is to reproduce the character and appearance of the original architecture while adding modern conveniences to increase occupant comfort. This might include improved electrical wiring, modern plumbing and central air. Outside the house should look like it did when first built, say vintage 1900 architecture, but inside, the home has all the comforts of today.

Restoring is the most difficult approach and means returning the structure to the time period of its construction, both in character and detail, to retain its historical integrity. An 1880 home or courthouse would be restored to an 1880 standardno air conditioning, indoor plumbing or dual-pane windows. These restoration standards are maintained by successful nomination to local, state or national historic registers. Nomination to the Register of Historic Kansas Places requires application at the state level and can take up to 12 months for a decision by the Kansas Board of Review. Successful nomination carries tax incentives and makes the sponsoring preservationists eligible to apply for annual renovation-aid grants of up to $90,000. By law, half this funding goes to restore public buildings like courthouses, one-room schools and other structures with documented historical significance and a demonstrable benefit to the community.

Local, State and National Historic Registers

A separate review process for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, administered through the National Parks Service, can earn federal tax incentives and eligibility for restoration grants. Information is available online, at the NRHP website, http://www.nps.gov/nr/research/. Topeka also accepts applications for its Local Landmarks program. For properties so designated, the city conveys an historic zoning overlayprotecting the property, and adding a review by the council-appointed zoning board for changes that require a building permit. Those interested in Local Landmark applications, city property tax rebates and grant eligibility should contact Tim Parish, Topekas Historic Preservation Planner, 785-368-3013.

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At Home Living: Could your home be a historical landmark?