Preservation Corner

Advocating for the appreciation and preservation of historic buildings, sites and districts through educational programs, public policy, research and technical assistance.

• What You Need to Know
  Before Buying an Old House
  With their aesthetic character and distinctive charm, old houses are staples on the real estate market. In fact, many buyers aren’t interested in new constructions at all and prefer the qualities of homes built in certain styles or eras. However, an older home isn’t right for every sort of buyer. Notorious for their maintenance needs, ...
• Wooden Window Restoration
  Top Ten Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows 1. Because your windows fit your house.     •  Quirky as they might be, your older windows fit your house. Care was taken to match the weight and style of window to the building, the trim, etc. They have expanded and contracted with the seasons. With proper weather ...
• Ten Basic Principles
  The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards are 10 basic Principles created to help preserve the distinctive character of an historic building and its site, while allowing for reasonable change to meet new needs. The Standards (36 Code ...
• Six Practical Reasons to Save Old Buildings
  1. Old buildings have intrinsic value. Buildings of a certain era, namely pre-World War II, tend to be built with higher-quality materials such as rare hardwoods (especially heart pine) and wood from old-growth forests that no longer exist. Prewar buildings were also built by different standards. A century-old building might be a better long-term bet than ...

Facade Easements

A facade easement is a legally binding agreement that the owner of a historic structure enters into with a charity whose mission includes historic preservation. The owner gives up the right to demolish or make other destructive alternations to the exterior of the building.

The easement, which must run with the title to the property forever, gives the nonprofit the right to review and pre-approve any changes to the building exterior.

All other rights and obligations of ownership, such as the right to sell or lease the property, and the duty to maintain it, remain with the owner. The owner may also make any changes he or she desires to the building interior.

Why would a homeowner want to grant a facade easement? Two reasons: (1) it ensures that the historic character of the exterior of their structure will be preserved; and (2) it may result in a tax deduction — a deduction that could be substantial.

Contributions of property to qualified charitable organizations are tax deductible. A facade easement is property, and if the charity granted the easement is a qualified charitable organization, the easement may qualify as a tax-deductible, charitable contribution.

Ten Threatened Treasures

• 2022 Ten Most Threatened Treasures + One
  Written by John Sensenbaugh, NCL Board Member Napa County Landmarks (NCL) identifies Ten Threatened Treasures (TTT) of Napa County every year.  NCL has for many years gathered an annual compilation of local historic structures that are in danger of being lost. Our built heritage may be imperiled by “demolition by neglect,” earthquake damage, or an owner’s ...
• 2020 Ten Most Threatened Treasures + One
  Napa County Landmarks (NCL) has identified Ten Threatened Treasures of Napa County for 2020. NCL has for many years gathered an annual compilation of local historic structures that are in danger of being lost. Our built heritage may be imperiled by “demolition by neglect,” earthquake damage, or an owner’s plans to demolish and redevelop a ...
• 2019 Ten Most Threatened Treasures + One
    Recently Napa County Landmarks (NCL) through its Preservation Action Committee (PAC) released the 2019 version of the Napa County Ten + 1 Most Threatened Treasures list. For those of you not familiar with this list, NCL made an annual compilation of historic structures throughout Napa County that were in danger of being lost. Usually this ...

Current Issues

• What You Need to Know
  Before Buying an Old House
  With their aesthetic character and distinctive charm, old houses are staples on the real estate market. In fact, many buyers aren’t interested in new constructions at all and prefer the qualities of homes built in certain styles or eras. However, an older home isn’t right for every sort of buyer. Notorious for their maintenance needs, ...
• Franklin Station Post Office Update
  NCL’s Board of Directors supports the rehabilitation and repurposing of the Napa Franklin Station Post Office. We know that such a project will require an addition to the original building footprint to be financially viable, and that not every inch of the historic building can be preserved. However, it is our duty to enforce the ...