Best practices from Historic New England experts

The documentation of work at historic properties is an integral part of our preservation philosophy. In the simplest of terms, the documentation process captures and records information about the landscape and building preservation and maintenance work.

The information can be in the form of inventories, condition assessments, photographs, and existing conditions drawings, or possibly in project completion reports or even how we label and store material put into a structure or removed. This information is valuable both to staff today, as we analyze projects and conditions for future projects, as well as staff and scholars in the future, so that they will have a clear understanding of what interventions have occurred and why those interventions were deemed necessary.

Documentation Topics

• Architectural Fragments Removed from Structures
• Boundary Surveys
• Completion Reports
• Condition Assessments
• Labeling of Wood Repairs
• Paint Analysis
• Site Drainage
• Tree Inventory