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At What Price Historical Accuracy?
If you own an historical house, I'm sure you have pondered this question yourself. At what point does historical accuracy become a burden?
I've considered this very question as I've worked on my house. My house is in a somewhat forgotten part of town. A mere block away, the houses are considered part of the 'historical district'. My house, however, was here before most of them. As such, while it may not matter to the town what happens to my house, it does matter to me.
My first internal debate came over the question of the exterior of my house. Vinyl is alluring in it's simplicity. It's also hideously ugly. The thought of not painting appeals to a lot of people, though. I decided that before I made a decision, I should strip off some of the "Lumaside" siding and see what was underneath. What I found were weathered, but rot-free clapboards. As you've probably seen from the pictures, I've decided to paint the original clapboards. Why? I cannot tolerate vinyl. It is far from historically accurate, it looks "fake", the necessary edging around windows, doors, and corners just amplifies it's fake-ness and hides details such as window and corner trim. Lastly, it was a personal choice.
Still, vinyl siding can be removed. It doesn't (usually) affect the actual structure. This is the real crux of the matter. How much is too much? Skylights? While a nice addition, I personally am against them. It is often difficult to hide them from the street, and an historic house with a big skylight in plain view is ugly, in my opinion. There are also the leakage concerns. The lumber in many old houses is so old and hard, that it is impervious to termites and other such things....until it becomes wet. (Personal experience on this one)
Additions? This is the big one. My house has an addition of it's own. While I appreciate the extra room it gives me, I wish it had not been added. Yet old houses were constantly undergoing an evolution as needs changed. Colonials became saltboxes, farm houses became Folk Victorians, and on and on. I feel that as long as an addition retains the feel of the house, and uses existing walls and openings where possible, it will enhance the house, not hurt it.
So what of historical accuracy? That is up to you, the homeowner. How much do you want? Can you tolerate original, though somewhat drafty windows? If not, then by all means find a suitable replacement. There are window manufacturers who will replicate original 2-over-2, 9-over-9, and other such windows. These windows come at a price, of course. How much you can invest is up to you. If purchasing new, reproduction windows is beyond your budget, I would recommend refurbishing your original windows before running out and buying vinyl replacements. An old house with new, standard windows loses much of it's beauty. Reference the picture of the side of my house for a good illustration of that. Some of us learn the hard way.
Ultimately, unless your house is considered an historic structure and protected, the choices are yours to make. How much historical accuracy are you able to live with?
