CORRESPONDENCE - 75A SEXLINGER FARMHOUSE

Home Browse Search

Several other National Register publications are also available to assist preparers. National Register Bulletin: How to Complete the National Register Registration Form provides the basic instructions for boundary selection and documentation. The following instructions, which are consistent with those in How to Complete the National Register Registra- tion Form, provide additional assis- tance for the prepares The following discussion addresses many property types by considering the special boundary problems associated with each type and providing case studies to assist the preparer in dealing with such issues. Bulletins that deal with specific property types may also be useful (see the list of National Regis- ter Bulletins at the end of this publica- tion). DECIDING WHAT TO INCLUDE Selection of boundaries is a judg- ment based on the nature of the property's significance, integrity, and physical setting. Begin to consider boundaries during the research and data - collection portion of the nomina- tion process. By addressing boundary issues during the field and archival research, the preparer can take into account all the factors that should be considered in selecting boundaries. When significance has been evalu- ated, reassess the boundaries to ensure appropriate correspondence between the factors that contribute to the property's significance and the physical extent of the property. Select boundaries that define the limits of the eligible resources. Such resources usually include the immedi- ate surroundings and encompass the appropriate setting. However, exclude additional, peripheral areas that do not directly contribute to the property's significance as buffer or as open space to separate the property from surrounding areas. Areas that have lost integrity because of changes in cultural features or setting should be excluded when they are at the periphery of the eligible resources. When such areas are small and surrounded by eligible resources, they may not be excluded, but are included as noncontributing resources of the property. That is, do not select boundaries which exclude a small noncontributing island surrounded by GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING BOUNDARIES: ALL PROPERTIES (summarized from How to Complete the National Register Registration Form, p. 56) • Select boundaries to encompass but not exceed the extent of the signifi- cant resources and land areas comprising the property. • Include all historic features of the property, but do not include buffer zones or acreage not directly contributing to the significance of the property. • Exclude peripheral areas that no longer retain integrity due to alter- ations in physical conditions or setting caused by human forces, such as development, or natural forces, such as erosion. • Include small areas that are disturbed or lack significance when they are completely surrounded by eligible resources. "Donut holes' are not allowed. • Define a discontiguous property when large areas lacking eligible resources separate portions of the eligible resource. contributing resources; simply identify the noncontributing resources and include them within the bound- aries of the property. Districts may include noncontribut- ing resources, such as altered build- ings or buildings constructed before or after the period of significance. In situations where historically associ- ated resources were geographically separated from each other during the period of significance or are separated by intervening development and are now separated by large areas lacking eligible resources, a discontiguous district may be defined. The bound- aries of the discontiguous district define two or more geographically separate areas that include associated eligible resources. FACTORS TO CONSIDER There are several factors to con- sider in selecting and defining the boundaries of a National Register property. Compare the historic extent of the property with the existing eligible resources and consider integrity, setting and landscape features, use, and research value. • Integrity: The majority of the property must retain integrity of location, design, setting, feeling, and association to be eligible. The essential qualities that contribute to an eligible property's significance must be preserved. Activities that often compromise integrity include new construction or alterations to the resource or its setting. Natural processes that alter or destroy portions of the resource or its setting, such as fire, flooding, erosion, or disintegration of the historic fabric, may compromise integrity. For example, an abandoned farmhouse that has been exposed to the ele- ments through years of neglect may have lost its integrity as a building; however, it may retain integrity as an archeological site. Setting and Landscape Features: Consider the setting and historically important landscape features. Natural features of the landscape may be included when they are located within the district or were used for purposes related to the historical significance of the prop- erty. Areas at the margins of the eligible resources maybe included only when such areas were histori- cally an integral part of the property. For example, a district composed of farmsteads along a creek may include the creek if it runs through the district, if the creek was impor- tant in the original siting of the farmsteads, or if the creek was a source of water power or natural resources exploited by the farm- steads. Consult National Register Bulletin: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural Historic Land- scapes for additional guidance in selecting boundaries for rural historic landscapes.