Historic Structure Report

Well-researched Historic Structure Reports document the history of a building's construction and subsequent modifications. They include characterization and analysis of building materials and systems, and a preservation master plan to guide future work.

BCA has extensive experience preparing historic structure reports. We have the in-house resources to perform all of the tasks involved in their preparation, such as research and writing, materials testing and analysis, technical drawing, and photography.

"That document [The HSR] on the Polhemus House is AWESOME. No one has ever made such a thorough and water-tight case for the preservation of this house, with such an astonishing collection of historical documentation and visual support.  Even as you systematically demolish the nagging and eroneous myth of the Underground Railroad, you gird up the facts that make this rare surviving house into something that is irreplaceable as a piece of Newark's architectural history.  Of course, I have not really read every single page, but I've skimmed through enough to understand the breathtaking work you have done.
 
The Polhemus House will be restored, although as what is still unsure. That doesn't really matter, because you have provided enough evidence to form the basis of a "period" restoration a generation from now.  It will be saved, and it will become part of the Signature Project--and in the first stage of the Signature Project, the Polhemus House will be a potent symbol of the importance of the overall project as a cultural beacon in Newark, and the house's restoration will, ultimately, give us leverage in completing the second phase of the project."

Ulysses Grant Dietz
Senior Curator
Curator of Decorative Arts
Newark Museum