Historic Preservation Program Courses

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course serves as a basic introduction to the field of historic preservation. Students will be introduced to the language of the field, will come to understand key concepts and assumptions and will become familiar with the overall background of the subject. Emphasis will be placed on the history of historic preservation in the U.S. and in other countries, on basic theoretical precepts and on current practice. Subjects include the role of house museums in historic preservation, historic districts and their regulation, architectural and other resource surveys, the National Register program, historic preservation law, the relationship of preservation to planning, the economics of preservation and landscape and rural preservation. Historic preservation, as students will come to realize, is a many faceted subject, touching upon art, social values, economics and law. However, the discipline remains strongly tied to architecture and planning; and these core interests will continue to take priority in the course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
The course combines lectures and in-class discussions, together with short field exercises and a research project. Students will be expected to attend class sessions and participate in discussions and question periods. Weekly reading assignments will serve as a basis for classroom discussions; so students are expected to come to class prepared. The course includes a mid-term exam, submission of the results of the field exercise and preparation of a National Register nomination, which will substitute for a term paper, and a Final Exam. The grading will be based on the following:

1. Attendance/Participation 20%
2. Two Field Exercises 20%
3. Mid-term Exam 20%
4. Research Project/National Register Nomination 20%
5. Final Exam 20%

TEXTS AND READINGS:

W. J. Murtagh, Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America, New York: Sterling

Robert E. Stipe and Antoinette J. Lee, The American Mosaic: Preserving a Nation's Heritage,

National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation

National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Respectful Rehabilitation A course READER (Purchase details will be provided.)

The above texts will be placed on reserve in Sinclair Library (if they are in the Library's collection). They will also be put on reserve, as will other books, in the Historic Preservation Office, Moore 328; some may be checked out for overnight or longer; others are for office use only.

These other books are mainly for your reference and to acquaint you with what resources are available. Unless otherwise noted, specific information from the reserve books will not be covered on the exams.