Technical Review
Technical Review
The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviews a variety of projects, ranging from housing to accessibility to new additions. Property types can include historic buildings, bridges, parks, canals, monuments, and archaeological sites.
SHPO review is triggered by state and federal actions, funding, or approvals and is often conducted in parallel with local and federal environmental review.
SHPO staff evaluate all projects using the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
. The standards promote the retention of historic features and materials and offer guidance on specific preservation treatments and approaches. The goal of the standards is to ensure the long-term preservation of historic properties.
What are some general historic preservation principles?
- Continue using a property in the way it was originally intended or choose a new use that minimizes changes to the property’s character-defining features.
- Retain distinguishing qualities and characteristics.
- Repair existing features, materials, and finishes. If something is deteriorated, replace it with in-kind materials.
- Be authentic. If a feature is missing, use historic documentation to guide replacement of that feature.
- Respect the evolution of historic changes, fashion, taste, and use.
- Do not use treatments that damage historic materials.
- New construction should not destroy historic features or materials, nor alter historic character.
- Additions and new work should be compatible with the historic property.
Please note: Unlike many local preservation commissions and boards which only review exteriors, the SHPO is required to review the entire historic resource, which includes historic exteriors, interiors, and grounds.
Technical Preservation Guidance
The New York State Historic Preservation Office staff follow the technical standards provided by the National Park Service (NPS), the federal partner in historic preservation policy and guidance.
Find the NPS standards as well as best practices and additional historic preservation guidance materials at the links below:
- The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
- The Rehabilitation Standards are the primary set of standards used by most SHPOs
- Preservation by Topic | Technical Preservation Services (U.S. National Park Service)
- Preservation Briefs | Technical Preservation Services (U.S. National Park Service)