On the cover: Virginia State Capitol section drawing, drawn by Gerhard Pfundner, 1989.

Back Cover: Troy Gas Light Co. Gasholder House, in Troy, New York, drawn by Eric DeLony.

Acknowledgements: These standards were compiled and reissued in 1990, by Caroline H.

Russell and the staff of the HABS/HAER Division. Thanks to Ronald M. Greenberg who

reviewed the manuscript and to all the staff involved in the production.
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S

STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES

FOR

ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING 

DOCUMENTATION:

HABS/HAER STANDARDS

Originally published in the Federal Register, Vol. 48, No. 190,

(Thursday, September 29, 1983), pp. 44730-34.

Historic American Buildings Survey/

Historic American Engineering Record

Cultural Resources Program

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Washington, D.C. 20013-7127

1990
Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan, Jr.

Asst. Secretary, Fish & Wildlife & Parks Constance Harriman

Director of the National Park Service James M. Ridenour

Deputy Director Herbert S. Cables, Jr.

Assoc. Director for Cultural Resources Jerry L. Rogers

Deputy Assoc. Director for Cultural Resources Rowland T. Bowers

Chief, HABS/HAER Division Robert J. Kapsch

Acting Deputy Chief, HABS/HAER Division John A. Burns

Chief, HAER Eric N. DeLony

Principal Architect, HABS Paul D. Dolinsky

Senior Historian, HABS Allison K. Hoagland

The Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record

(HABS/HAER) a division of the National Park Service is responsible for documenting the

historic buildings, sites, structures, and objects of this country by producing measured

drawings, large format photographs, and written histories. The Library of Congress, Prints

and Photographs Division is the repository for these documents. The American Institute of

Architects, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the other founding engineering

societies provide technical guidance. The regional offices of the National Park Service in

Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco, and Anchorage administer the mitigation

documentation program. 
Preface

This booklet contains the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Architectural and Engineering

Documentation as published in the Federal Register on September 29, 1983 - commonly known

as the HABS/HAER Standards for the Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American

Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) program of the National Park Service. 

These performance standards are intended to define the products acceptable for inclusion in the

HABS/HAER collections within the Library of Congress.

Those products include:

 " Measured Drawings

 " Large Format Photographs

 " Written Data

These standards are as originally published in the Federal Register on September 29, 1983 except

that the Recommended Sources of Technical Information and Annotated Bibliography contained

in the notice of 1983 have been updated to reflect current availability of publications and other

printed materials. These standards are not intended to be used alone but in conjunction with

guidelines and other publications listed in the bibliography included here.

These standards will be used to produce for the following reasons, documentation that meets

HABS/HAER standards:

 " In preparing mitigation documentation in accordance with the National Historic Preservation

Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).

 

 " In preparing documentation to be donated to the HABS/HAER collection.

 " In preparing documentation as part of a HABS/HAER recording project.

Additional information concerning the HABS/HAER program is available by writing the Chief,

HABS/HAER Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127.

Robert J. Kapsch

Chief

Historic American Buildings Survey/

Historic American Engineering Record

National Park Service
 Federal Register, Vol. 48, No. 190, Thursday, September 29, 1983, pp. 44730-44731. 1

SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS

for

ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DOCUMENTATION1

These standards concern the development of documentation for historic buildings,

sites, structures, and objects. This documentation, which usually consists of measured

drawings, photographs, and written data, provides important information on a property's

significance for use by scholars, researchers, preservationists, architects, engineers, and

others interested in preserving and understanding historic properties. Documentation permits

accurate repair or reconstruction of parts of a property, records existing conditions for

easements, or may preserve information about a property that is to be demolished.

These standards are intended for use in developing documentation to be included in

the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record

(HAER) Collections in the Library of Congress. HABS/HAER in the National Park Service,

have defined specific requirements for meeting these Standards for their collections. The

HABS/HAER requirements include information important to development of documentation

for other purposes such as State or local archives.

Standard I. Documentation Shall Adequately Explicate and Illustrate What is Significant

or Valuable About the Historic Building, Site, Structure or Object Being Documented.

The historic significance of the building, site, structure or object identified in the

evaluation process should be conveyed by the drawings, photographs and other materials that

comprise documentation. The historical, architectural, engineering or cultural values of the

property together with the purpose of the documentation activity determine the level and

methods of documentation. Documentation prepared for submission to the Library of

Congress must meet the HABS/HAER Guidelines.

Standard II. Documentation Shall be Prepared Accurately From Reliable Sources With

Limitations Clearly Stated to Permit Independent Verification of the Information.

The purpose of documentation is to preserve an accurate record of historic properties

that can be used in research and other preservation activities. To serve these purposes, the

documentation must include information that permits assessment of its reliability.

Standard III. Documentation Shall be Prepared on Materials That are Readily

Reproducible, Durable and in Standard Sizes.

The size and quality of documentation materials are important factors in the

preservation of information for future use. Selection of materials should be based on the

length of time expected for storage, the anticipated frequency of use and a size convenient

for storage.

Standard IV. Documentation Shall be Clearly and Concisely Produced.

In order for documentation to be useful for future research, written materials must be

legible and understandable, and graphic materials must contain scale information and location

references.
 Federal Register, Vol. 48, No. 190, Thursday, September 29, 1983, pp.44731-34. 2

2

SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S GUIDELINES 

for

ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DOCUMENTATION2

Introduction

These Guidelines link the Standards for Architectural and Engineering Documentation

with more specific guidance and technical information. They describe one approach to

meeting the Standards for Architectural Engineering Documentation. Agencies, organizations

or individuals proposing to approach documentation differently may wish to review their

approaches with the National Park Service.

The Guidelines are organized as follows:

Definitions 

Goal of Documentation

The HABS/HAER Collections

Standard I: Content

Standard II: Quality

Standard III: Materials

Standard IV: Presentation

Architectural and Engineering Documentation 

 Prepared for Other Purposes

Recommended Sources of Technical Information

 and Annotated Bibliography

Definitions

 These definitions are used in conjunction with these Guidelines:

 " Architectural Data Form-a one page HABS form intended to provide identifying

information for accompanying HABS documentation.

 " Documentation-measured drawings, photographs, histories, inventory cards or other

media that depict historic buildings, sites, structures or objects.

 " Field Photography-photography other than large-format photography, intended for the

purpose of producing documentation, usually 35mm.

 " Field Records-notes of measurements taken, field photographs and other recorded

information intended for the purpose of producing documentation.
3

 " Inventory Card-a one page form which includes written data, a sketched site plan and

a 35mm contact print drymounted on the form. The negative with a separate contact

sheet and index should be included with the inventory card.

 " Large Format Photographs-photographs taken of historic buildings, sites, structures

or objects where the negative is a 4 X 5", 5 X 7" or 8 X 10" size and where the

photograph is taken with appropriate means to correct perspective distortion.

 " Measured Drawings-drawings produced on HABS or HAER formats depicting existing

conditions or other relevant features of historic buildings, sites, structures or objects.

Measured drawings are usually produced in ink on archivally stable material, such as

mylar.

 " Photocopy-A photograph, with large-format negative, of a photograph or drawing.

 " Select Existing Drawings-drawings of historic buildings, sites, structures or objects,

whether original construction or later alteration drawings that portray or depict the

historic value or significance.

 " Sketch Plan-a floor plan, generally not to exact scale although often drawn from

measurements, where the features are shown in proper relation and proportion to one

another.

Goal of Documentation

The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and Historic American Engineering

Record (HAER) are the national historical architectural and engineering documentation

programs of the National Park Service that promote documentation incorporated into the

HABS/HAER collections in the Library of Congress. The goal of the collections is to provide

architects, engineers, scholars, and interested members of the public with comprehensive

documentation of buildings, sites, structures and objects significant in American history and

the growth and development of the built environment.

The HABS/HAER Collections: HABS/HAER documentation usually consists of

measured drawings, photographs and written data that provide a detailed record which reflects

a property's significance. Measured drawings and properly executed photographs act as a

form of insurance against fires and natural disasters by permitting the repair and, if necessary,

reconstruction of historic structures damaged by such disasters. Documentation is used to

provide the basis for enforcing preservation easement. In addition, documentation is often

the last means of preservation of a property; when a property is to be demolished, its

documentation provides future researchers access to valuable information that otherwise

would be lost.

HABS/HAER documentation is developed in a number of ways. First and most usually,

the National Park Service employs summer teams of student architects, engineers, historians,

and architectural historians to develop HABS/HAER documentation, under the supervision

of National Park Service professionals. Second, the National Park Service produces

HABS/HAER documentation in conjunction with restoration or other preservation treatment,

of historic buildings managed by the National Park Service. Third, Federal agencies, pursuant

to Section 110(b) of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, record those historic
4

properties to be demolished or substantially altered as a result of agency action or assisted

action (referred to as mitigation projects). Fourth, individuals and organizations prepare

documentation to HABS/HAER standards and donate that documentation to the HABS/HAER

collections. For each of these programs, different Documentation Levels will be set.

The standards describe the fundamental principals of HABS/HAER documentation.

They are supplemented by other material describing more specific guidelines, such as line

weights for drawings, preferred techniques for architectural photography, and formats for

written data. This technical information is found in the HABS/HAER Procedures Manual.

These guidelines include important information about developing documentation for

State or local archives. The State Historic Preservation Officer or the State library should be

consulted regarding archival requirements if the documentation will become part of their

collections. In establishing archives, the important questions of durability and reproducibility

should be considered in relation to the purposes of the collection.

Documentation prepared for the purpose of inclusion in the HABS/HAER collections

must meet the requirements below. The HABS/HAER office of the National Park Service

retains the right to refuse to accept documentation for inclusion in the HABS/HAER collections

when that documentation does not meet HABS/HAER requirements, as specified below.

Standard I: Content

1. Requirement: Documentation shall adequately explicate and illustrate what is

significant or valuable about the historic building, site, structure or object being documented.

2. Criteria: Documentation shall meet one of the following documentation levels to be

considered adequate for inclusion in the HABS/HAER collections.

 a. Documentation Level I;

 (1) Drawings: a full set of measured drawings depicting existing or historic

conditions.

 (2) Photographs: photographs with large-format negatives of exterior and

interior views; photocopies with large-format negatives of select existing

drawings or historic views where available.

 (3) Written data: History and description.

 b. Documentation Level II;

 (1) Drawings: select existing drawings, where available, should be

photographed with large-format negatives or photographically

reproduced on mylar.

 (2) Photographs: photographs with large-format negatives of exterior and

interior views, or historic views, where available.

 (3) Written data: history and description.

 c. Documentation Level III;

 (1) Drawings: sketch plan.

 (2) Photographs: photographs with large-format negatives of exterior and

interior views.

 (3) Written data: architectural data form.
5

 d. Documentation Level IV: HABS/HAER inventory card.

3. Test: Inspection of the documentation by HABS/HAER staff.

4. Commentary: The HABS/HAER office retains the right to refuse to accept any

documentation on buildings, sites, structures or objects lacking historical significance.

Generally, buildings, sites, structures or objects must be listed in, or eligible for listing in the

National Register of Historic Places to be considered for inclusion in the HABS/HAER

collections.

The kind and amount of documentation should be appropriate to the nature and

significance of the buildings, site, structure or object being documented. For example,

Documentation Level I would be inappropriate for a building that is a minor element of a

historic district, notable only for streetscape context and scale. A full set of measured drawings

for such a minor building would be expensive and would add little, if any, information to the

HABS/HAER collections. Large format photography [Documentation Level III] would usually

be adequate to record the significance of this type of building.

Similarly, the aspect of the property that is being documented should reflect the nature

and significance of the building, site, structure or object being documented. For example,

measured drawings of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan's Auditorium Building in Chicago

should indicate not only facades, floor plans and sections, but also the innovative structural

and mechanical systems that were incorporated in that building. Large format photography

of Gunston Hall in Fairfax County, Virginia, to take another example, should clearly show

William Buckland's hand-carved moldings in the Palladian Room, as well as other views.

HABS/HAER documentation is usually in the form of measured drawings, photographs,

written data. While the criteria in this section have addressed only these media,

documentation need not be limited to them. Other media, such as films of industrial

processes, can and have been used to document historic buildings, sites, structures or objects.

If other media are to be used, the HABS/HAER office should be contacted before recording.

The actual selection of the appropriate documentation level will vary, as discussed

above. For mitigation documentation projects, this level will be selected by the National Park

Service Regional Office and communicated to the agency responsible for completing the

documentation. Generally, Level I documentation is required for nationally significant buildings

and structures, defined as National Historic Landmarks and the primary historic units of the

National Park Service.

On occasion, factors other than significance will dictate the selection of another level

of documentation. For example, if a rehabilitation of a property is planned, the owner may

wish to have a full set of as-built drawings, even though the significance may indicate Level

II documentation.

HABS Level I measured drawings usually depict existing conditions through the use

of a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections and construction details. HAER Level I

measured drawings will frequently depict original conditions where adequate historical material

exists, so as to illustrate manufacturing or engineering processes.
6

Level II documentation differs from Level I by substituting copies of existing drawings,

either original or alteration drawings, for recently executed measured drawings. If this is done,

the drawings must meet HABS/HAER requirements outlined below. While existing drawings

are rarely as suitable as-built drawings, they are adequate in many cases for documentation

purposes. Only when the desirability of having as-built drawings is clear are Level I measured

drawings required in addition to existing drawings. If existing drawings are housed in an

accessible collection and cared for archivally, their reproduction for HABS/HAER may not be

necessary. In other cases, Level I measured drawings are required in the absence of existing

drawings.

Level III documentation requires a sketch plan if it helps to explain the structure. The

architectural data form should supplement the photographs by explaining what is not readily

visible.

Level IV documentation consists of completed HABS/HAER inventory cards. This level

of documentation, unlike the other three levels, is rarely considered adequate documentation

for the HABS/HAER collections but is undertaken to identify historic resources in a given area

prior to additional, more comprehensive documentation.

Standard II: Quality

1. Requirement: HABS and HAER documentation shall be prepared accurately from

reliable sources with limitations clearly stated to permit independent verification of information.

2. Criteria: For all levels of documentation, the following quality standards shall be

met:

 a. Measured drawings: Measured drawings shall be produced from recorded,

accurate measurements. Portions of the building that were not accessible for

measurement should not be drawn on the measured drawings but clearly labeled as

not accessible or drawn from available construction drawings and other sources and

so identified. No part of the measured drawings shall be produced from hypothesis

or non-measurement related activities. Documentation Level I measured drawings

shall be accompanied by a set of field notebooks in which the measurements were first

recorded. Other drawings prepared for Documentation Levels II and III, shall include

a statement describing where the original drawings are located.

 b. Large format photographs: Large format photographs shall clearly depict the

appearance of the property and areas of significance of the recorded building, site,

structure or object. Each view shall be perspective-corrected and fully captioned.

 c. Written history: Written history and description for Documentation Levels I and

II shall be based on primary sources to the greatest extent possible. For Levels III and

IV, secondary sources may provide adequate information; if not, primary research will

be necessary. A frank assessment of the reliability and limitations of sources shall be

included. Within the written history, statements shall be footnoted as to their sources,

where appropriate. The written data shall include a methodology section specifying

name of researcher, date of research, sources searched, and limitations of the project.
7

3. Test: Inspection of the documentation by HABS/HAER staff.

4. Commentary: The reliability of the HABS/HAER collections depends on

documentation of high quality. Quality is not something that can be easily prescribed or

quantified, but it derives from a process in which thoroughness and accuracy play a large part.

The principle of independent verification of HABS/HAER documentation is critical to the

HABS/HAER collections.

Standard III: Materials

1. Requirement: HABS and HAER documentation shall be prepared on materials that

are readily reproducible for ease of access; durable for long storage; and in standard sizes

for ease of handling.

2. Criteria: For all levels of documentation, the following material standards shall be

met: 

 a. Measured Drawings: 

Readily Reproducible: Ink on translucent material.

Durable: Ink on archivally stable materials.

Standard Sizes: Two sizes: 19 X 24" or 24 X 36".

 b. Large Format Photographs:

Readily Reproducible: Prints shall accompany all negatives.

Durable: Photography must be archivally processed and stored. Negatives

are required on safety film only. Resin-coated paper is not accepted. Color

photography is not acceptable.

Standard Sizes: Three sizes: 4 X 5", 5 X 7", 8 X 10".

 c. Written History and Description:

Readily Reproducible: Clean copy for xeroxing.

Durable: Archival bond required.

Standard Sizes: 81⁄2 X 11".

 d. Field Records:

Readily Reproducible: Field notebooks may be xeroxed. Photo identification

sheet will accompany 35 mm negatives and contact sheets.

Durable: No requirement 

Standard Sizes: Only requirement is that they can be made to fit into a 91⁄2 X

12" archival folding file.

3. Test: Inspection of the documentation by HABS/HAER staff.

4. Commentary: All HABS/HAER records are intended for reproduction; some 20,000

HABS/HAER records are reproduced each year by the Library of Congress. Although field

records are not intended for quality reproduction, it is intended that they be used to supplement

the formal documentation. The basic durability performance standard for HABS/HAER records

is 500 years. Ink on mylar is believed to meet this standard, while color photography, for

example, does not. Field records do not meet this archival standard, but are maintain in the

HABS/HAER collections as a courtesy to the collection user.
8

Standard IV: Preservation

1. Requirement: HABS and HAER documentation shall be clearly and concisely

produced.

2. Criteria: For levels of documentation as indicated below, the following standards

for presentation will be used:

 a. Measured Drawings: Level I measured drawings will be lettered mechanically

(i.e., Leroy or similar) or in a handprinted equivalent style. Adequate

dimensions shall be included on all sheets. Level III sketch plans should be

neat and orderly.

 b. Large format photographs: Level I photographs shall include duplicate

photographs that include a scale. Level II and III photographs shall include,

at a minimum, at least one photograph with a scale, usually of the principal

facade.

 c. Written history and description: Data shall be typewritten on bond, following

accepted rules of grammar.

3. Test: Inspection of the documentation by HABS/HAER staff.

Architectural and Engineering Documentation Prepared for Other Purposes

Where a preservation planning process is in use, architectural and engineering

documentation, like other treatment activities, are undertaken to achieve the goals identified

by the preservation planning process. Documentation is deliberately selected as a treatment

for properties evaluated as a significant, and the development of the documentation program

for a property follows from the planning objectives. 

Documentation efforts focus on the significant characteristics of the property, as

defined in the previously completed evaluation. The selection of a level of documentation and

the documentation techniques (measured drawings, photography, etc.) is based on the

significance of the property and the management needs for which the documentation is being

performed. For example, the kind and level of documentation required to record a historic

property for easement purposes may be less detailed than that required as mitigation prior

to destruction of the property. In the former case, essential documentation might be limited

to the portions of the property controlled by the easement, for example, exterior facades; while

in the latter case, significant interior architectural features and non-visible structural details

would also be documented.

The principles and content of the HABS/HAER criteria may be used for guidance in

creating documentation requirements for other archives. Levels of documentation and the

durability and sizes of documentation may vary depending on the intended use and the

repository. Accuracy of documentation should be controlled by assessing the reliability of all

sources and making that assessment available in the archival record; by describing the

limitations of the information available from research and physical examination of the property

and by retaining the primary data (field measurements and notebooks) from which the archival

record was produced. Usefulness of the documentation products depends on preparing the

documentation on durable materials that are able to withstand handling and reproduction, and

in sizes that can be stored and reproduced without damage.
 The original recommended sources of technical information contained in the Federal Register notice of 3

September 29, 1983 have been omitted since most are out of print and/or superceded. The above

recommended sources of technical information represent information available and current as of 1990.

9

Recommended Sources of Technical Information and Annotated Bibliography3

Recording Historic Structures is available through AIA Press, request publication #ISBN 1-

55835-018-7 (hardcover - $26.95) or #ISBN 1-55835-021-7 (softcover - $19.95), plus $3.00

shipping charge, and D.C. or Maryland sales tax, if applicable. AIA Order Department, 9 Jay

Gould Court, P.O. Box 753, Waldorf, Maryland 20601.

Recording Historic Structures. John A. Burns, editor. Washington, D.C.: The AIA

Press, 1989.

With over 200 photographs, drawings, illustrations, a bibliography, and an index, this

handbook discusses each aspect of the documentation of historic structures, using

examples from the HABS/HAER collection.

The following printed materials are available by writing to: HABS/HAER - National Park

Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127. Please send check or money order

made out to the U.S. Treasury, to cover the cost of reproduction and handling. Availability

and price accurate as of June 1, 1990.

Guidelines for Recording Historic Ships. Richard K. Anderson, Jr. Washington, D.C.:

Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, National Park

Service, 1988. Free, limited quantity.

This document marks the revival of the 1930's Historic American Merchant Marine

Survey and provides the definitive guide to maritime recording.

HABS Field Instructions for Measured Drawings. Washington, D.C.: Historic American

Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, 1981. $5.00

Gives procedures for producing measured drawings of historic buildings to

HABS/HAER standards.

HABS Historian's Procedures Manual. Washington, D.C.: Historic American Buildings

Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, 1983. $2.00

Provides guidelines for producing written data on historic buildings to HABS/HAER

standards. 

HAER Field Instructions. Washington, D.C.: Historic American Buildings Survey/

Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, 1981. $5.00

Provides guidelines for documenting to HABS/HAER standards, historic engineering

and industrial sites and structures with measured drawings and written data.
10

Specifications for the Production of Photographs. Washington, D.C.: Historic American

Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, 1984. $2.00

Provides criteria for the production of large format photographs for acceptance to the

HABS/HAER collection.

Transmitting Documentation to HABS/HAER WASO. Washington, D.C.: Historic

American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service,

1985. $2.00

Provides transmittal procedures and archival requirements of documentation for

acceptance to the HABS/HAER collection.

Industrial Eye is available from (request publication #ISBN 0-89133-124-7): Decatur House

Museum Shop, 1600 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006. Please enclose a check or

money order made out to the National Trust for $34.95 plus $3.00 for postage and handling.

Industrial Eye. Photographs by Jet Lowe from the Historic American Engineering

Record. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1987. 

Photographs of the county's engineering and industrial landmarks, illustrating the use

of large format photography to document historic engineering works and interpret

industrial processes. All photographs meet HABS/HAER standards. 

A Record in Detail is available for $34.95 plus $2.50 postage and handling from: 

University of Missouri Press, 200 Lewis Hall, Columbia, Missouri 65211.

A Record in Detail: The Architectural Photographs of Jack E. Boucher. Columbia:

University of Missouri Press, 1988.

A selection of the works of HABS photographer Jack E. Boucher, demonstrating the

effective use of large format photography to record historic buildings. All photographs

meet HABS/HAER standards. 

Architectural Graphic Standards, Eighth Edition. American Institute of Architects. New

York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1988.

The standard reference for architectural information, this edition is the first to have a

chapter on historic preservation, including four pages on HABS. 

For further information about HABS/HAER contact:

Historic American Buildings Survey/

Historic American Engineering Record

National Park Service

P.O. Box 37127

Washington, D.C. 20013-7127
11

Appendices

Appendix A

Measured Drawings:

Measured drawings shall be produced from recorded, accurate

measurements. Portions of the building that were not accessible for

measurement should not be drawn on the measured drawing but clearly

labeled as not accessible or drawn from available construction drawings

and other sources and so identified. Since measured drawings must be

readily reproducible and durable, HABS/HAER standards call for ink on

translucent and archivally stable materials, such as mylar. As illustrated

in the reductions above, drawings are produced in two standard sizes, 19

X 24" and 24 X 36".
12

Appendix A

Large Format Photographs:

HABS/HAER standards require that large format (cameras that produce 4

X 5", 5 X 7", or 8 X 10" negatives) photographic documentation be done

with black and white film. A print must accompany each negative. The

negatives and contact prints are archivally treated and the contact paper

is fiber-based instead of resin-coated (RC). The paper and negatives must

have had sufficiently long washings in water in order to remove all

processing chemicals.
13

Appendix A

Written History and Description:

Written history and description are based on primary sources to the

greatest extent possible and should include an assessment of the reliability

and limitations of the sources. Within the written history, statements shall

be footnoted as to their sources, where appropriate. The written data shall

include a methodology section specifying the name of the researcher, date

of research, sources researched, and limitations of the project. The

histories will be submitted on 81⁄2 X 11" archival bond.
14

Appendix B

MITIGATIVE DOCUMENTATION PROGRAM

Under the provisions of the amended National Historic Preservation Act,

Federal agencies are required to produce documentation to HABS/HAER

standards on buildings, structures, sites, and objects that are listed in or

eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and that are

threatened with demolition or substantial alteration by projects with Federal

involvement. The five National Park Service regional offices charged with

external historic preservation responsibilities administer the HABS/HAER

mitigative documentation program. The actual work is usually conducted

by contractors and supervised by the responsible Federal agency. The

documentation produced is reviewed by the regional coordinator and

transmitted to the HABS/HAER Washington office for inclusion in the

HABS/HAER collections at the Library of Congress. 
15

Appendix C