Moving Historic Buildings: A Study of What Makes Good Preservation Practices When Dealing with Historically Significant Buildings and Structures

When relocating in order to preserve an historic property, there must be certain protocols in place to ensure that the historic significance is retained. Historic preservationists are not only attempting to successfully relocate a building but also to follow good preservation ethics in order to respect the current and potential site as well as the structure itself. In addition to examining how historic structures have been moved in the past and the guidelines that the National Register has developed regarding the process by which historic structures should be relocated, two case studies will also be examined. The first is Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and its keepers\u27 dwellings relocated by the National Park Service, and the second is the relocation of four late eighteenth and early nineteenth century houses in Charleston, South Carolina by the Historic Charleston Foundation. Each relocation is unique in character and sometimes in method; however, there are ethical and unethical practices when relocating for the sake of preservation. Based on the two case studies in addition to traditional relocation methods and practices, recommendations are offered for standards of ethical practices for relocating historic buildings for preservation purposes