Historic Preservation on the Web
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) identifies, evaluates, registers, interprets and protects the state's historic properties.
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and Michigan Historic Preservation Network have recently produced a video about restoring historic windows. The informative video is currently available on YouTube for viewing.
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and Michigan Historic Preservation Network have also recently published the "Lead Resource Guide for Owners of Older and Historic Buildings," which contains information about hazards from lead in older homes, legal requirements for contractors who do lead abatement work, and information about preserving homes while maintaining a lead-safe environment. The publication can be found here: Lead Resource Guide for Owners of Older and Historic Buildings (pdf).
National Park Service web pages related to Preservation
The National Park Service is a part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. There are extensive resources related to history and culture on their website, including historic preservation.
- Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives for income-producing historic structures
- The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, which are the standards used by the City of Ann Arbor in reviewing plans for work in historic districts may be found here. This site includes helpful information on applying the Standards to different features, such as windows, porches, storefronts, etc.
- Secretary of the Interior's Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings
- Preservation Briefs, which provide information about assessing and repairing or restoring historic materials, including wooden windows, masonry, and improving energy efficiency.
- Historic Preservation Easements (pdf)
- National Register of Historic Places
- National Historic Landmarks
Additional Resources
- National Trust for Historic Preservation - a membership organization that champions preservation nationwide.
- Michigan Historic Preservation Network - an advocate of Michigan's historic places, and is dedicated to preserving Michigan's cultural and architectural heritage.
- Kempf House Museum - built in 1853, is an excellent example of the Greek Revival style. You are invited to visit the house, learn about Ann Arbor's early history and see how the Kempfs lived in the 1800s.
- Cobblestone Farm - 2781 Packard Road, 48104 - 734.794.6230 - This historic farmstead is owned by the City of Ann Arbor. The cobblestone house was built in 1844 and restoration began in the 1980s. The farm illustrates agricultural, architectural, domestic, religious and social customs of the nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. Open weekends, May through October.
- Historic Preservation in Washtenaw County - includes information on heritage tours, the HistWeb Database, the Washtenaw County Historic District Commission, and more.
- WhatWasThere - this website is a virtual time machine of sorts that allows users to navigate familiar streets as they appeared in the past.