In addition to the recognition gained by being listed on the National Register, these recognized properties then become eligible for tax credits when restoring the property. The average Italian house mortgage is 100 years. European communities have learned how to preserve and re-use their historic buildings. Now it s our turn to do the same. Preservation can be the ultimate recycling program, as well as preserving a past way of life for future generations.
Integrity is a term preservationists frequently use.
This is the term which evaluates the amount of historic fabric and character a building retains from its original construction. A house has a high level of integrity if it has been virtually untouched, and well maintained throughout its existence. The floor plan is exactly as it was when it was built in 1923. Our basement even retains the cooling closet used by the original owner from 1923 until she passed away in 1988. The changes that have been made are in the kitchen where the second owner decided she needed a refrigerator and oven instead of the wood burning cook stove and cooling closet used by the original owner.