History and Development of Blanco DRAFT 1.

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City of Blanco Design Guidelines 1

 History and Development of Blanco DRAFT 1.00

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 2

 Purpose of the Design Standards and Guidelines DRAFT 2.00
A. Purpose of the Design Standards and Guidelines
1. These standards/guidelines and recommendations are
intended to preserve and maintain the character of the
historic buildings in Blanco. They reinforce and
protect the defining features of the historic districts
and define those visual elements which are common to
ach district as well as the qualities unique to this
community.
2. This document will help preserve the integrity of
historic buildings and enhance the value of the
Historic Districts for the private investor, residents
and owners, and the community as a whole. When
addressing changes to an individual building, it must
not be taken out of context. Modifications affect the
block as a whole and must have the broad interest of
the community in mind.
3. The standards/guidelines do not address the use of the
building or its interior. Only the exterior portions,
which includes new construction, additions, and
rehabilitation of the building, must comply with the
guidelines set forth.
4. These standards/guidelines must be applied to a
building based on its original use and construction.
For example, a residence may currently be used as an
office, therefore it is considered a commercial
business, but it is still a residential building.
5. These standards/guidelines will be used by the City of
Blanco to provide an objective basis for the decisions
of the City Planning Staff. The standards/guidelines
specifically address the issues below.

•Height •Rhythm of entrance and/or porch projection

•Proportion of building’s front façade •Relationship of materials and texture
•Proportion of openings within the facility •Roof shapes
•Rhythm of solids to voids in front facades •Walls of continuity
•Rhythm of spacing of buildings on streets •Scale of building

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 3

 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.00

A. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties

B. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation
C. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation
D. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Restoration
E. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Reconstruction

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 4

 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.01
A. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment
of Historic Properties
1. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the
Treatment of Historic Properties are common-sense
principles in non-technical language. They were
developed to help protect our nation’s irreplaceable
historic properties by promoting consistent
preservation practices.
2. The Standards may be applied to all properties listed
or eligible to be listed in the National Register of
Historic Places which may include buildings, sites,
structures, objects, and districts.
3. The Standards are a series of concepts about
maintaining, repairing and replacing historic
materials, as well as designing new additions or
making alterations; as such, they cannot, in and of
themselves, be used to make essential decisions about
which features of a historic property should be saved
and which might be changed. But once an appropriate
treatment is selected, the Standards provide
philosophical consistency to the work.
4. There are Standards for four distinct, but interrelated,
approaches to the treatment of historic properties –
preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and
reconstruction.

Source: National Park Service

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 5

 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.02
B. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment
for Preservation
1. A property will be used as it was historically, or be
given a new use that maximizes the retention of
distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial
relationships. Where a treatment and use have not
been identified, a property will be protected and, if
necessary, stabilized until additional work may be
undertaken.
2. The historic character of a property will be retained
and preserved. The replacement if intact or repairable
historic materials or alteration of features, spaces, and
spatial relationships that characterize a property will
be avoided.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record
of its time, place, and use. Work needed to be
stabilized, consolidate, and conserve existing historic
materials and features will be physically and visually
compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and
properly documented for future research.
4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic
significance in their own right will be retained and
preserved.
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and
construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship
that characterize a property will be preserved.
6. The existing conditions of historic features will be
evaluated to determine the appropriate level of
intervention needed. Where the severity of
deterioration requires repair or limited replacement of
a distinctive feature, the new material will match the
old in composition, design, color, and texture.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will
be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
Treatments that cause damage to historic materials
will not be used.
8. Archeological resources will be protected and
preserved in place. If such resources must be
disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.

Source: National Park Service

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 6

 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.03
C. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment
for Rehabilitation
1. A property will be used as it was historically or be
given a new use that requires minimal change to its
distinctive materials, features, spaces and spatial
relationships.
2. The historic character of a property will be retained
and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials of
alterations of features, spaces, and spatial relationships
that characterize a property will be avoided.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record
of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false
sense of historical development, such as adding
conjectural features or elements from other historical
properties, will not be undertaken.
4. Changes to a property that have acquired historical
significance in their own right will be retained and
preserved.
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and
construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship
that characterizes a property will be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather
than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration
requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new
feature will match the old in design, color, texture,
and, where possible, materials. Replacement of
missing features will be substantiated by documentary
and physical evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will
be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
Treatments that cause damage to historic materials
will not be used.
8. Archeological resources will be protected and
preserved in place. If such resources must be
disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new
construction will not destroy historic materials,
features, and spatial relationships that characterize the
property. The new work will be differentiated from
old and will be compatible with historic materials,
features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to
protect the integrity of the property and its
environment.
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 7
 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.03
10. New additions and adjacent or related new
construction will be undertaken in such a manner that,
if removed in the future, the essential form and
integrity of the historic property and its environment
would be repaired.

Source: National Park Service

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 8

 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.04
D. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment
for Restoration
1. A property will be used as it was historically or be
given a new use that reflects the property’s restoration
period.
2. Materials and features from the restoration period will
be retained and preserved. The removal of materials
or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial
relationships that characterize the period will not be
undertaken.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record
of its time, place, and use. Work needed to stabilize ,
consolidate and conserve materials and features from
the restoration period will be physically and visually
compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and
properly documented for future research.
4. Materials, features, spaces, and finishes that
characterize other historical periods will be
documented prior to their alteration or removal.
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and
construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship
that characterize a property will be preserved.
6. Deteriorated features from the restoration period will
be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity
of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive
feature, the new feature will match the old in design,
color, texture, and, where possible, materials.
7. Replacement of missing features from the restoration
period will be substantiated by documentary and
physical evidence. A false sense of history will not be
created by adding conjectural features, features from
other properties, or by combining features that never
existed together historically.
8. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will
be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
Treatments that cause damage to historic materials
will not be used.
9. Archeological resources affected by a project will be
protected and preserved in place. If such resources
must disturbed, mitigation measures will be taken.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 9

 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.04
9. Archeological resources affected by a project will be
protected and preserved in place. If such resources
must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be taken.
10. Designs that were never executed historically will not
be constructed.

Source: National Park Service

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 10

 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards DRAFT 3.05
E. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment
for Reconstruction
1. Reconstruction will be used to depict vanished or non-
surviving portions of a property when documentary
and physical evidence is available to permit accurate
reconstruction with minimal conjecture, and such
reconstruction is essential to the public understanding
of the property.
2. Reconstruction of a landscape, building, structure, or
object in its historic location will be preceded by a
thorough archeological investigation to identify and
evaluate those features and artifacts which are
essential to an accurate reconstruction. If such
resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will
be undertaken.
3. Reconstruction will include measures to preserve any
remaining historic materials, features, and spatial
relationships.
4. Reconstruction will be based on the accurate
duplication of historic features and elements
substantiated by documentary or physical evidence
rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of
different features from other historic properties. A
reconstructed property will re-create the appearance of
a non-surviving historic property in materials, design,
color, and texture.
5. A reconstruction will be clearly identified as a
contemporary re-creation.
6. Designs that were never executed historically will not
be constructed.

Source: National Park Service

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 11

 General Information DRAFT 4.00

A. Priority Planning for Historic Commercial and Residential Buildings

B. Maintenance
C. Restoring Previously Modified Buildings
D. New Construction within Commercial and Residential Historic Buildings

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 12

 General Information DRAFT 4.01
A. Priority Planning for Historic Commercial and
Residential Buildings
1. Evaluate the overall condition of the historic building
to determine appropriate priorities for maintenance
and other desired work to the building.
2. Prioritize those activities that will extend the life of
the building such as repairs to the roof, foundation,
windows, and exterior siding. For example, a new
coat of paint for the front of the building will not do
much to extend the building’s life if the roof is leaking
badly.
3. Retain and repair as much of the original building
material and detailing as possible.
4. If a historic feature is beyond repair, replace it to
match the original in materials and dimensions.
5. Determine the overall quantity of material to be
repaired or replaced and plan to repair only that
material. If one window is beyond repair, there is no
need to replace all windows in the building.
6. If compromises must be made with regard to budget
and existing conditions, focus on what will extend the
life of the building and what is most visible from the
street and has the most impact on the overall
streetscape.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 13

 General Information DRAFT 4.02
B. Maintenance
1. All buildings require maintenance and cleaning. It is
generally more cost effective to maintain a historic
building and repair limited areas of drainage as they
occur than it is to defer maintenance and have to
wholly replace damaged materials and features.
2. Historic buildings should be cleaned using the gentlest
means possible which typically include water and soft
bristle brushes.
3. Sandblasting and high pressure washing can cause
irreplaceable damage to historic building materials
and are not permissible.
4. Chemical cleaner must be tested in small areas of
limited visibility to ensure compatibility and
effectiveness on the historic materials.
5. Regularly clean roof drains, gutters ad downspouts of
trash and leaves, and inspect for good drainage.
Install splash blocks or extenders where necessary for
proper drainage away from the building.
6. Regularly inspect the roof for leaks and patch them
immediately. Leaks commonly occur where the roof
and wall meet and where roof penetrations are preset.
7. Regularly inspect the windows and conduct cyclical
maintenance. Historic wood windows were
constructed so the damage wood elements could be
repaired without requiring that the entire window be
replaced.
8. Damage wood components should be repaired or
replaced as appropriate. Any damage or missing
glazing putty should be replace, and the window
should be painted to ensure long term preservation.
Wash windows and replace broken or missing glass.
9. Regularly inspect canopy and awning attachments and
anchors, and replace worn or damage materials when
necessary.
10. Repaint wood and metal building components to
protect them from deterioration.
11. Keep signs freshly painted and securely anchored on
commercial buildings.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 14

 General Information DRAFT 4.03
C. Restoring Previously Modified Buildings
1. Buildings have a tendency to be modified and
modernized over time as a way of “keeping up with
the times” and through maintaining a building by
replacing deteriorated materials. Replacement
materials may or may not have been compatible with
the original design and, if not, may have negatively
impacted the historic appearance of the building.
However, some additions and modifications may be
historically significant or part of the “ period of
significance” for a building.
2. Period of significance is the length of time when a
property as associated with important events,
activities, or persons, or attached the characteristics
which qualify it for National Register Listing. Period
of significance usually begins with the date when
significant activities or events began giving the
property its historic significance, this is often a date of
construction. (Source: National Park Service)
3. Consider restoring a building to its original
appearances when appropriate. This will enhance the
building and the surrounding district. Refer to historic
photographs to determine the historic appearance of
the building. If clear evidence of previous details
exists, use these clues to return the building or detail
to its original appearance.
4. Restoration measures should not be undertaken if the
historic appearance of the building cannot be
determined.
Recommendations
(The following restoration measures are recommended for
those buildings in which appropriate historical
documentation exists.)

Commercial Buildings:
5. If the ground floor has been altered behind the
common wall of the surrounding building, bring the
storefront back to the original alignment.
6. Replace non-historic aluminum, frame doors and
windows with wood storefronts and windows in a
design to match the original.
7. Restore blocked and boarded-up window and
openings, including transoms.
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 15
 General Information DRAFT 4.03
8. Install canopies where previously existed. Canopies
provide a cohesive quality to the pedestrian
experience and have a longer life than fabric awnings.
Canopies were more common historically than
awnings.
9. If canopies were previously replaced with
contemporary aluminum canopies, they must be
returned to the original design, which was wood.
Designs must be compatible to the time period of the
building.

Residential Buildings:
10. Restore porch to its original design. Porches are one
of the most modified elements of a house.
11. Consider raising the porch to its original height and
replacing the columns where modified.
12. Reconstructions of a removed porch and restoration of
an enclosed porch may be considered.
13. Remove non-historic synthetic siding that has been
applied over the original siding. Siding changes the
character of the house and can cause deterioration of
any wood siding retained behind the new material.
14. Depending on the condition of the underlying historic
material, removal of any non-historic siding may
require in-kind replacement of the historic siding.
15. When windows have been removed and replaced with
windows of a different material and proportion,
consider replacing them with windows to match the
original in material, proportion, configuration, and
operation.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 16

 General Information DRAFT 4.04
D. New Construction within Commercial and
Residential Historic Buildings
1. All efforts should be made to protect and maintain
Blanco’s historic resources. New construction may
occur within historic districts as in-fill on empty lots
or, in very rare instances, in place of historic
buildings.
2. Historic buildings should be replaced only on those
very rare instances when the building is beyond repair,
such as when a building is severely damaged by fire or
other such disasters.
3. New Construction should not be designed in a way to
appear falsely historic. New buildings are new
buildings and should not be confused with historic
structures.

New Construction Must:

4. Respect and maintain the overall height of buildings in
the immediate vicinity.
5. Maintain the building relationship to the street. Set
the new building back a distance equal to that of the
surrounding structures and orient the new building the
same way.
6. Maintain the established rhythm of the structural piers
in the surrounding buildings, consider a similar
rhythm, structural bay or width.
7. Respect the overall proportion and form of adjacent
historic buildings. Maintain the same scale and width-
to-height-relationship.
8. Maintain the horizontal continuity of the historic
downtown by mimicking the floor heights of adjacent
buildings.
9. Respect the adjacent historic resources in their roof
forms and materials.
10. Construct additions to existing buildings that do not
overpower the original building.
11. Maintain the solid-to-void pattern established in the
window openings within the commercial district.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 17

 Commercial Historic District DRAFT 5.00

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 18

 Commercial Building Styles DRAFT 5.01

A. One-part Commercial Block

B. Two-part Commercial Block

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 19

 Commercial Building Styles DRAFT 5.01
A. One-Part Commercial Block
1. The one-part commercial block began to appear in the 1850s and was mainly
used as retail space or banks.

Characteristics:
2. Simple, one story box with a decorated façade and simplified sides and rear.
3. Large plate-glass windows
4. Decorated cornice or parapet
5. Area between cornice and windows for signage

AREA BETWEEN
LARGE PLATE DECORATED CORNICE AND
GLASS WINDOW CORNICE OR WINDOWS FOR
PARAPET SIGNAGE

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 Commercial Building Styles DRAFT 5.01
B. Two-Part Commercial Block
1. The two-part commercial block is the most common building type used for small
and moderate size commercial buildings in the country. This type was
constructed from the 1850s to the 1950s. Facades reflect the public first floor
uses and private second floor use.

Characteristics:
2. Horizontal division of two-story building into two distinct zones (public and
private)
3. Large windows at first floor
4. Decorated cornice or parapet
5. Masonry as principal façade material

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 21

 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings DRAFT 5.02

A. Storefronts
B. Canopies and Awnings
C. Upper Floor Windows
D. Cornices and Roof Lines
E. Alley Facades and Sides of Buildings

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 22

 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings DRAFT 5.02
A. Storefronts
1. Commercial storefronts have large window expanses
that invite shoppers to look in and allow the natural
day-lighting of the interior.
2. The storefront typically consists of a base or kick plate
at the ground level with large fixed windows above.
3. Additional light and ventilation are provided through
transom windows above.
CAST IRON STOREFRONT WITH THREE PART
4. These three-part divisions of a kick plate, windows, DIVISON
and transom must be preserved.
5. Kick plates were originally constructed to raise the
storefront and reduce the chance of damage and serve
the same purpose today.
6. Display windows must remain transparent and not be
altered in size.
7. Transoms shall not be covered over or painted out.
8. The entrances to historic buildings are often recessed
or set back from the face of the building to draw
people into the building, to allow space for entering,
and to provide protection from natural elements.
9. Entrances are proportional to fit within the overall
WOODEN STOREFRONT
organization of the storefront. The entrance height is
equal to the top of the display windows.
10. Entrances should not be changed. They shall not be
removed to create more interior space, nor shall they
project out beyond the common wall.
11. If an entrance was not already recessed originally, it
must not be changed. Entrance heights must be
retained and should not be lowered.
ONE-PART COMMERICAL STOREFRONTS
12. Historic doors generally have a large glass panels to
let you see inside. They also have a kick plate similar
in design and proportion to the kick plate of the front
of the store.
13. Doors are frequently installed in pairs. Historic doors
must be retained and repaired if necessary.
14. If historic wood doors are beyond repair, replace them
with wood doors of the same material and dimensions.

COMMERICAL STOREFRONT WITH RECESSED

ENTRANCE
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 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings DRAFT 5.02

15. Do not replace double doors with one large single

door or reduce the opening to accommodate a new,
standard size door.
16. Only aluminum doors that were original to the
building shall be replaced with aluminum doors, if
they are missing or damaged beyond repair.
17. Aluminum doors and frames are not appropriate where
wood doors were originally installed.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 24

 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings DRAFT 5.02
B. Canopies and Awnings
1. Canopies are common on historic commercial
buildings. They are a significant horizontal element
of the building block and create a common human
scale.
2. Some of the canopies in Blanco are hung from the
building with rods while others are supported by poles
or columns.
3. If “pipe” columns are have been installed to support
the canopy, they must not be left exposed. A box
column with a capital and a base must be constructed
around the pipe. CANOPIES CREATE A HUMAN SCALE

4. Canopies must be maintained if still in place and

consideration must be given to reinstalling a canopy if
there is evidence that one previously existed.
5. Canvas-type materials are appropriate for installation
where they historically existed. The awning must be
constructed to “fit” an opening. For example, a
CANOPIES HELD WITH RODS AND CHAINS
rectangular awning shall be installed on a square or
rectangular opening and an arched-top awning is
appropriate for an arched opening.
6. Bubble awnings, awnings of shiny plastic, and internal
lighting are not appropriate.
7. Awnings and canopies must not conceal the character
defining features of historic storefronts. CANOPIES SHOULD BE AT A CONSISTENT HEIGHT

8. Canopies and awnings must be installed at a height

consistent with other historic canopies and appropriate
for the specific building. This will continue the
horizontal organization already established.

CANOPIES SHOULD BE REINSTALLED WHERE

EVIDENCE OF A CANOPY PREVIOUSLY EXISTED

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 25

 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings DRAFT 5.02
C. Upper Floor Windows
1. The majority of windows on the upper floors of
commercial buildings appear to be “punched” or
constructed as individual units in the wall of the
buildings.
2. Older buildings are usually recognized by their
individual window openings and arches on the top
whereas as buildings of early 1900s placed windows
in pairs or in banks of three when technology would
allow a larger opening. TALL AND NARROW WOODEN WINDOWS

3. Window openings must not be modified top install

smaller or larger windows, or to combine windows.
4. Most of the commercial are wood framed and double
hung, meaning both sashes move up and down. Wood
windows must be maintained and not replaced by
aluminum or vinyl windows.
5. Most window openings are tall and narrow. These
openings must not be modified to install new, smaller
windows.
6. Many windows have hood moldings or decorative tops
made of stone brick or other materials. These
moldings must be retained and not removed.
WINDOWS WITH HOOD MOLDNINGS OF STONE
7. Shutters shall be maintained and repaired if damaged.
Install stutters only if they are part of the original
design and style of the building. Shutters should
match the historic configuration and must be operable.

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 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings DRAFT 5.02
D. Cornices and Roof Lines
1. The roof line of a historic commercial building is
usually detailed to create a “crown” or cornice. The
cornices of Blanco buildings frequently project out
from the face of the building and must be maintained.
2. If the original cornice and detail are missing, replace
the detailing to match the original if there is enough
information to do so.
THE ROOFLINE OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING IS NOT
3. If newer materials cover the cornice details, it is SEEN DUE TO A PARAPET WALL EXTENDING ABOVE IT.
recommended that these materials be carefully
removed to reveal the original design.
4. The roof line of a commercial building is usually not
seen from the front or sides of a building but may be
visible from the alley. The roof is not seen from the
main street because of a parapet, or wall, extends
above the roof to conceal it. This parapet must be
retained and maintained. Proper maintenances of the
roof and parapet wall will help prevent roof leaks.
5. The roof line must not be changed from the original.
ROOFLINE WITH A WOODEN CORNICE
6. Upper floor additions to buildings should not violate
the existing parapet.
7. Mechanical equipment should not be placed within the
line of sight.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH A BRICK CORNICE

TWO-STORY BUILDING WITH A STONE CORNICE

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 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings DRAFT 5.02
E. Alley Facades and Sides of Buildings
1. The sides and rear elevations of most historic
commercial buildings were frequently constructed of a
different material than the more prominent front
façade. Frequently, the detail and number and size of
windows differ front and side and rear. Alley and side
facades must be respected for their simple design and
must not be “dressed” up to create a false impression
or false history.
2. Some corner buildings were constructed with two
“fronts” to face both streets. Both of these facades
must retain their prominence.
3. Historically, alley entrances to buildings are utilitarian SIDE FAÇADE MATERIALS OFTEN DIFFER FROM
and not of architectural significance. As parking THE FRONT FACADE
becomes more available from the rear or alley of the
building, these entrances to the building may become
a more prominent access to the building. However,
this entrance shall not compete with the front
entrance.

SIMPLE DESIGNS OF SIDE FACADES MUST BE

MAINTAINED AND NOT “DRESSED” UP

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 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District DRAFT 5.03
A. Building Alignment
B. Rhythm and Visual Continuity
C. Ground Floor Rhythm
D. Horizontal Organization
E. Upper Floor Organization
F. Common Building Heights

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 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District DRAFT 5.03
A. Building Alignment
1. Buildings in the Historic Commercial District have a
consistent alignment or have a common setback
ensuring that the front wall of all buildings is
constructed along the same line.
2. This common line of construction shall be respected
and maintained, to give the appearance of a common
wall.
3. Construction shall not recede from this common
setback and no part of the building shall project
beyond this line except canopies, awnings, and
possibly signage.
4. Historic buildings that are not in the downtown square
also have a setback from the street which must be
respected.
5. If the entrance to a building has been modified
consideration should be given to returning the
entrance and wall of alignment as future alterations
are made.
6. New construction must follow the historic building
line.

CONSISTENT ALIGNMENT

MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT

DO NOT PROJECT ALWAYS MAINTAIN DO NOT RECESS

ORIGINAL RECESSED
BUILDING ENTANCES

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 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District DRAFT 5.03
B. Rhythm and Visual Continuity
1. Most commercial buildings in the Historic District
have elements in common, which create a rhythm and
visual pattern. Some elements include windows,
doors, columns, piers, awnings / canopies, etc.
2. The majority of these buildings were designed on a
strong architectural tradition of repeating parts. This
tradition must be maintained.
3. While all buildings do no have identical details, the
visual continuity and rhythm remains.
4. These characteristics must be retained as renovation
occurs.
5. Modifications that previously interrupted that rhythm
should be removed during renovations to restore the
visual continuity. For example removing a previously
installed “slip cover” or fake façade.

COMMON WINDOW WIDTH AND

SPACING ESTABLISH RHYTHM

DOOR AND WINDOW SPACING

SET UP A VISUAL PATTERN

REPEATING PARTS ON THE GROUND

FLOOR CREATE A STRONG RHYTHM
AND VISUAL PATTERN

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 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District DRAFT 5.03
C. Ground Floor Rhythm
1. The regularity of door and windows across a
building’s façade creates a rhythm at the ground floor
which must be retained.
2. Each bay, or structural width, generally has glass
doors and windows between structural piers, creating a
solid–to-void pattern. This pattern may deviate
slightly from building-to-building, but maintains an
overall rhythm of the ground floor.
3. Within the ground floor of the block, the façade is
composed of three distinct horizontal elements; the
base or kick plate at the ground, the display windows
and glass portions of doors above, and the transom and
awnings/canopies above the display windows and
doors.
4. A characteristic common to most commercial
buildings is the recessed entrance. This recessed
space adds to the rhythm of the building face and to
the block of buildings. This rhythm is also
experienced by the pedestrian walking down the
block.
5. The recessed entrance should be maintained, not
elongated or expanded beyond the original footprint.
The entrance should be restored to its original
alignment as renovation takes place.

THE GROUND FLOOR RYTHYM IS ESTABLISHED BY

THE REPITION OF DIDPLAY WINDOWS, DOOR
COMPONENTS, AND PIERS WITHIN EACH
STRUCTURAL BAY.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 32

 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District DRAFT 5.03
D. Horizontal Organization
1. Downtown commercial buildings have a common
horizontal organization in the heights of storefronts,
canopies, etc.
2. Horizontal organization separates the first floor
storefront use from the private second floor offices or
living spaces.
3. Horizontal bands are clearly seen in the front facades
of historic buildings.
4. The first floor typically has more openings and greater
attention to detail than the second floor.
5. In two story buildings, the horizontal bonding or
organization continues with the roofline and windows.
6. These horizontal organizations should be maintained,
uninterrupted by signage, canopies / awnings, etc.

DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF BUILDINGS ARE LOCATED

AT THE SAME HEIGHT TO CREATE HORIZTONAL
CONTINUITY BETWEEN BUILDINGS

EVEN WITH A GAP BETWEEN BUILDINGS, A

RELATIONSHIP CAN BE ESTABLSIHED BETWEEN
THE SEPARATE BUILDINGS THROUGH CORNICE
HIEGHT, KICK PLATE, STOREFRONT, ETC.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 33

 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District DRAFT 5.03
E. Upper Floor Organization
1. Given the more private use of the upper floors, there
are smaller expanses of windows and more defined
openings than the ground floor storefront. These
distinct upper floor window openings establish a
pattern and rhythm of solid-void-solid with the
adjacent wall surface.
2. These distinct window openings have consistent
proportions that create a common rhythm across the
building block.
3. Windows are vertically proportioned, usually tall and
thin. The windows are normally made of wood and
both top and bottom portions open for ventilation.
Each window frequently has a decorative top piece.
4. Older buildings are usually recognized by their
individual window openings and arches on the top
whereas buildings of the early 1900s placed windows
in pairs or in banks of three when technology would
allow a larger opening.

THE WINDOW OPENINGS ON THE UPPER FLOORS

CREATE A PATTERN AND RHYTHM.

UPPER FLOOR IS MORE PRIVATE

GROUND FLOOR IS OPEN TO SEE INSIDE

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 34

 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District DRAFT 5.03
F. Common Building Heights
1. The two-story buildings have a consistent height and
similar capping detail on the front façade. Some
buildings have a constructed cornice of masonry while
others have a pressed-metal cornice.
2. One story buildings generally have more variation in
the height and detail of the façade cornice.
3. Roofs are nearly flat and are hidden behind the parapet
wall of commercial buildings.
4. Side wall and rear elevations are not as detailed as the
front elevation, but may have some form of cap or
detail.
5. To alter this cap or detail by addition or subtraction is
not appropriate and will alter the horizontal
organization.

TWO-STORY BUILDINGS WITH A SIMILIAR HEIGHT

ONE STORY BUILDINGS USUALLY HAVE VARIATION IN

HEIGHT AND DETAIL

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 35

 Signage and Historic Commercial District Buildings DRAFT5.04
A. Signs and Historic Buildings
1. Historically, painted advertising often appeared on the
walls of buildings. The signage is an important part of
historic and development of commercial buildings and
businesses. This signage shall not be removed or
painted over.
2. Painting new signs on buildings is acceptable provided
that the sign meets other signage criteria and is in
scale with the building. An acrylic latex paint should DOORS AND WINDOWS OFFER A LOCATION FOR
MINOR SIGNS
be used for signage painted directly on masonry.
3. Historic buildings were often designed with “built-in”
locations, such as the area above the transom. Identify
these locations and try to work within them for any
new signage.
4. There are minor and major sign locations on most
buildings. Doors and windows offer a location for a
minor sign such as street address number or tenant
name.
5. Primary design considerations for signage must
address size, scale, height, color, and location so as to
SIGNAGE MUST BE ANCHORED TO A BUILDING OR
be harmonious with the buildings and overall historic CANOPY IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT CAUSE DAMAGE
characteristics of the district.
6. All signage must relate to a business or service within
the historic building. Avoid listing all services or
products on a sign as the viewer will get lost in the
information.
7. Construct the sign of the most durable material that
can be afforded.
8. A well-designed store window display can say more TRANSOMS ARE A PRIME PLACE TO LOCATE SIGNAGE

about the occupant than words in a sign. Avoid filling

the display window with additional signage and
blocking the view inside.
9. Signage needs to be securely anchored to the building
or canopy but must not be anchored in such a way as
to cause damage to the historic building material.
Avoid damaging, disfiguring, or covering architectural
features and details with signs.
10. Blade signs, or two-sided hanging signs, are an
appropriate signage type and are often installed from a
canopy for the pedestrian to view.

GROUND SIGNS ARE APPROPRIATE INSTEAD OF POLE

SIGNS
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 36
 Signage and Historic Commercial District Buildings DRAFT5.04
11. An appropriate position for small blade signs is above
or near the entrance. For larger signs, place them
higher and centered on the façade unless corner
placement is more suitable.
12. Hanging signs under canopies, or blade signs, must
have at least eight (8) feet of clearance from sidewalk.
13. Ground signs or free-standing monument-style signs,
if small in scale, are appropriate for houses used for
commercial purposes as well as for churches,
community centers, and similar structures.
14. Flush mounted wall sings are acceptable within the
commercial district. Use type fonts traditionally seen
in area; try to limit the number of colors to three; and POLE SIGNS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
when possible mount the sign so that it aligns with
others on the block.
15. Window signs may be hung inside a front window or
painted on the glass, a traditional form of placement
used both on ground floor and second-story windows.
16. Directory signs can include an assortment of small
individual signs of common size, proportion, and
orientation, as well as professional-style directories.
17. Neon signage may be historically appropriate on
certain styles or periods of historic buildings, such as
buildings constructed in the early twentieth century
and later.
18. All signage must be kept in good maintenance and
shall be kept free of all debris and other refuse.
19. Plastic signs, either lighted from the back or internally
in flat plastic panels, are not appropriate on any
building in the downtown district.
20. Billboards, junior billboards, portable signs (including
torpedo signs), pole signs, electric (or plastic) signs,
cloud buster balloons, inflatable device signs and
advertising benches are not appropriate for the
downtown district.
21. Refer to the City of Blanco Sign Ordinance for
additional signage requirements and restrictions.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 37

 Residential Historic District DRAFT 6.00

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 38

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01

A. National Folk: Pyramid

B. National Folk: Front Gable
C. National Folk: Massed Plan, Side Gable
D. National Folk: Gable Front and Wing
E. National Folk: I-House
F. Greek Revival
G. Queen Anne
H. Folk Victorian
I. Colonial Revival
J. Mission Or Pueblo Revival
K. Craftsman
L. Ranch
M. Hill Country Vernacular Rock

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 39

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
A. National Folk: Pyramid
1. The Pyramidal National Folk is a massed plan of a rectangular shape , and are
commonly built with equilateral hipped roofs. Such roofs appeared in the early
post-railroad era on modest houses.

Characteristics:
2. Equilateral roof
3. Square shaped plans
4. Full width porch
5. Large flexible interior plan

Equilateral Roof

Full Length Porch

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 40

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
B. National Folk: Front Gable
1. The Front Gable National Folk first became common in expanding Southern
cities in the late 19th century. These are usually one-story, double –width forms
with low-pitched roofs.

Characteristics:
2. Front facing gable
3. Low pitched roof
4. Double width form

Front Fac8ing Gables

Low Pitched Roof

Double Width Form

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 41

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
C. National Folk: Massed Plan, Side Gable
1. The side-gabled folk houses with massed plans are usually one-story forms that
vary principally in roof pitch and in size and placement of porches. In the South
the houses usually have full length shed roof porches, and relatively large
flexible plans.

Characteristics:
2. Side gabled roof
3. Full length shed roof porch
4. Massed Plan
5. One-story in height

Side Gabled Roof

One-Story In Height

Full Length Shed

Roof Porch

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 42

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
D. National Folk: Front Gable and Side Wing
1. The front gable and side wing houses of the south were traditionally one-story,
hall and parlor plans that were expanded to add a gabled front wing. These
houses had more flexible interior spaces than the typical hall and parlor.

Characteristics:
2. Side gabled roof, with front facing gabled wing
3. Shed roof porch
4. One-story in height
5. Flexible interior spaces

Shed Roof Porch

One-Story In Height

Front Gabled Side

Wing

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 43

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
E. National Folk: I-House
1. The Folk National I-House is typically two rooms wide and one room deep.
Many of the later I-House had varying patterns of porches, chimneys, and rear
extensions.

Characteristics:
2. Two rooms wide
3. Shed roof porch
4. Two-story in height

Shed Roof Porch

Two-Story In Height

Two Rooms Wide

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 44

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
F. Greek Revival
1. One of the most familiar stereotypes in American architecture is the full-
colonnaded Greek Revival mansion of the southern states. The southern Greek
Revival residences partially sprung from French colonial building practices.

Characteristics:
2. Porch supported by round, Corinthian columns
3. Full-façade entry porch
4. Side gabled roofline of low pitch

Full-façade Entry Porch Round Corinthian Columns

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 45

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
G. Queen Anne
1. Queen Anne was the dominant style of domestic architecture from 1880 to 1900.
The style is based on characteristics from the late Medieval styles such as
Elizabethan and Jacobean architecture.

Characteristics:
2. Asymmetrical facade
3. Decorative wood detailing
4. One story porch that extends along one or both side walls
5. Steeply pitched, irregular shaped roof

Wood Detailing Steeply Pitched Roof

Asymmetrical Facade
One Story Porch Extending
Along Two Sides

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 46

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
H. Folk Victorian
1. The folk Victorian style was implemented using existing Folk residences and
adding Victorian detailing. Railroads spread the materials and machinery
needed for this style.

Characteristics:
2. Gabled roof
3. Porch roof supports are either spindles or square posts
4. Simple folk form
5. Spindle work detailing

Gabled Roof

Spindle Work Detailing

Spindle Roof Supports

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 47

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
I. Colonial Revival ?
1. Colonial Revival predominated before 1910. The Georgian and Adam styles
from the backbone of the Revival and details usually combine a mixture of the
two.

Characteristics:
2. Porch supported by round, Corinthian columns
3. Full-façade entry porch
4. Side gabled roofline of low pitch

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 48

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
J. Mission or Pueblo Revival
1. Pueblo Revival houses draw from historical precedents, they are a mixture of
influences from both flat roofed Spanish Colonial buildings and Native
American pueblos.

Characteristics:
2. Flat roof with parapeted wall above
3. Stucco wall surface, usually earth-colored
4. Rounded edges of the walls

Rounded Edges on Walls

Flat Roof With Parapet Wall Stucco Surface, Earth-Colored

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 49

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
K. Craftsman
1. The Craftsman style was inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement,
oriental wooden architecture, and the manual arts. The style began in southern
California and spread through pattern books.

Characteristics:
2. Low – pitched gable roofs
3. Porch roof supports are square or tapered columns
4. Roof rafters and decorative beams are exposed
5. Wide, open eave overhang

Low-Pitched Roof
Exposed Roof Rafters and
Open Eave Overhang

Tapered Column

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 50

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
L. Ranch
1. The Ranch style is a uniquely American domestic architectural style. It began in
the 1930s and is loosely based on Spanish Colonial, Craftsman, and Prairie
precedents.

Characteristics:
2. Single – story with asymmetrical facade
3. Large picture windows with decorative shutters
4. Low – pitched roof with long, low roofline
5. Porch roof supports in decorative iron
6. Brick or wood cladding

Low Pitched Roof Line

Large Windows with
Decorative Shutters

Asymmetrical Facade Decorative Iron

Porch Supports

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 51

 Residential Housing Styles DRAFT 6.01
M. Hill Country Vernacular Rock
1. The stone rubble that is indicative to the Texas Hill Country is very commonly
used within Blanco. This stone is pieced together and held with mortar to create
load bearing walls, that in turn form modest dwellings. These vernacular rock
houses are very common throughout the Texas Hill Country and should be
preserved.

Characteristics:
2. One-story house
3. Typically metal roofing
4. Patios framed by rock arcades

Made from Vernacular Rock

Porch Surrounded by an
Metal Roof Arcade

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 52

 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02

A. Foundations and Skirting

B. Porches
C. Exterior Wall Surfaces
D. Exterior Doors and Entrances
E. Windows
F. Roof Forms and Details

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 53

 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02
A. Foundations and Skirting
1. Houses in the historic residential areas of Blanco are
frame on pier-and-beam construction with foundation
consisting of wood post or brick or stone piers set into
the ground. The wood post fail over time, causing the
house to shift, and eventually be replaced.
2. There are a number of frame structures with brick and
stone perimeter beams. Some houses of concrete-
block and masonry construction also exist. These
REPLACING THE SKIRTING FROM THE ORIGINAL
masonry structures have interior supports similar to MATERIAL CHANGES THE APPEARANCE OF THE
pier-and-beam construction. HOUSE

3. The skirting closes the space under the house, but has
openings for ventilation. The skirting material and
detail are defined by the style and period of the house.
For example, Craftsman houses frequently have a
flared skirt of horizontal board siding, stone, or brick
with ventilation screens. Brick and stone houses,
along with a few wood frame houses, typically have
brick or stone skirting. Sometimes concrete block that
resembles stone is used as skirting.

WOOD SHINGLE SKIRTING

A-1. Recommendations
1. Repair deteriorated foundations before attempting
other repairs, such as roof leaks. The movement of
the foundation may cause other materials to shift or
cause leaks.
2. The foundations post may be replaced with new post
of cedar or chemically treated wood, concrete piers
may be installed. Floors can be leveled and additional
support may be installed if needed. SKIRTING MUST HAVE VENTILATION TO PREVENT
TRAPPING MOISTURE
3. Both stone and brick foundations may have
deteriorated or missing mortar, which requires
repointing or replacing mortar.
4. It is imperative to use mortar that is softer than the
masonry to avoid causing the stone or brick to break
down. Ideally the replacement mortar will match the
original in composition and, if exposed to view, must
match in color and joint type as well.
5. Avoid installation of Portland cement or masonry
mortar because it is harder than most historic masonry
materials.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 54

 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02
B. Porches
1. The front porch is found on most of the houses and is
one of the most prominent features of individual
residences. The front porch is an extension of the
living space and contributes to the character of the
street and the neighborhood. While most porches are
elevated above ground, or ground level, some of the
newer houses have porches that are near grade.
2. Throughout Blanco, many porches retain their PORCHES ARE A PROMINENT FEATURE OF A HOUSE
AND MUST BE PRESERVED
character defining features of columns, railings, steps,
and other details.
3. Some porches have been altered and their original
columns have been removed and replaced with
fabricated metal or other inappropriate materials and
design.
4. Other alterations include lowering the porch level and
installing concrete or brick porch flooring at grade,
and enclosing all or part of the porch to accommodate
additional living space.
5. Porches may require a great deal of maintenance
because of their exposure to the weather so repair is
TWO-TIERED FRONT PORCH
inevitable and necessary.
B-1. Recommendations
1. Retain original materials and make repairs that match
the original design of the porch floor, columns,
railings, brackets, steps, and other character defining
details.
2. Wood porch floors and columns may require an
eventual replacement due to moisture penetration; RETAIN AND REPAIR PORCH DETAILS AS THEY ARE
wood floors and columns should only be replaced with A CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURE
wood.
3. At no time shall the porch elevation be lowered to
grade and steps redesigned. Porches should never be
enclosed to provide more living space as this can
dramatically alter the appearance of the house.
4. As renovation occurs, consider restoring a previously
altered porch and its features. If porches have been
drastically altered, or if there is no clear idea of what
was originally in place, they can be designed to be
sympathetic to the original style of the house. Do not
construct a porch of a different house style.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 55

 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02

5. If an access ramp needs to be installed it should be

located to minimize the loss of historic features and
should overall preserve the historic character of the
property.
6. Ramps can be constructed out of various materials to
be compatible with housing styles, but should not be
constructed out of unpainted pressure treated wood; as
this looks temporary and not visually compatible with
historic properties.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 56

 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02
C. Exterior Wall Surfaces
1. The most prominent exterior wall material is
horizontal wood siding the profile of which varies
from building to building. The Blanco residential
housing also has a few examples of board-and-batten
siding; which is a vertical wood siding with narrow
wood strips, or battens, covering the seams of the
siding. The historic wood siding has been on some of
the houses for 100 years and can last decades to come
if properly maintained and painted. Brick, stone, and A HOUSE WITH BOARD AND BATTEN SIDING

stucco are also present.

2. Although the majority of the houses retain their
original siding, a few of the house have been covered
with non-historic siding such as asbestos, vinyl or
aluminum and occasionally stucco.
C-1. Recommendations
1. Each exterior wall surface material requires different
maintenance which can be referenced in the
residential buildings materials section of this STONE RUBBLE EXTERIOR WALL SURFACES ARE
document. COMMON TO BLANCO

2. It is important to retain the original siding and its

dimension, profile, and shadow lines.
3. If the building was constructed of wood siding and
needs repairs or board replacement, most siding types
are still manufactured and available from suppliers or
can be milled for a nominal fee.
4. For the integrity of the neighborhood and house itself,
it is not recommended that any synthetic siding be
installed over existing wood siding. This not only
changes the appearance of the house but may also HORIZTONAL WOOD SIDING ON A HOUSE
cause deterioration of the historic material it covers.
Additionally, synthetic siding often conceals many of
the original details of a residence.
5. While houses with existing synthetic siding installed
are not required to remove the siding and restore the
exterior, removal of synthetic siding and repairing of
original siding and trim are encouraged.

ASBESTOS SIDING ON A HOUSE

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 57

 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02
D. Exterior Doors and Entrances
1. The historic residential housing in Blanco has a wide
range of entry treatments corresponding to the variety
of housing styles.. Even the simplest houses have a
well-defined entry that faces the street.
2. Some of the houses have multiple entrances and some
houses have transoms, or windows above the door.
Some of the entrances are flanked by side lights, or
windows.
3. Historic front doors usually have glass upper panels.
Another important feature is the wooden screen door,
often with decorative inserts, which is present on some
FRONT DOOR WITH TRANSOM AND SIDELIGHTS
of the house.
4. Transoms are sometimes concealed when alternative
siding or doors are installed. Some historic screen
doors have been replaced with aluminum or vinyl
screen doors.
D-1. Recommendations
1. It is important to maintain the multiple components of
the entry doors, including glass panels doors,
transoms, sidelights and screen doors.
2. Historic doors should be repaired where damaged. WOODEN SCREEN DOORS SHOULD BE RETAINED
Ensure proper operation, and install secure hardware
and weather stripping for energy efficiency.
3. Reduce airflow at the bottom of the door by installing
a door sweep to fit snugly against the threshold.
4. Where beyond repair or already removed, historic
doors can be replaced with a door of similar design or
replicated by a skilled worker.
IT IS COMMON IN BLANCO TO HAVE A FRONT
5. Installing a new door that does not match the original PORCH WITH TWO ENTRANCES
is not recommended as it would negatively impact the
character of the house.
6. Screen doors should be retained and repaired when
necessary. Any replacement screen door should
match the historic or framed to mirror the panels and
sash divisions of the door that it covers.
7. If storm and screen doors are installed where none
existed originally, select a “full vision panel” design
to allow the original door to be seen.

EXTERIOR DOOR WITH LARGE GLASS PANEL

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 58
 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02

8. Repair damaged transoms and sidelights. Avoid

altering transoms and sidelight as it distorts the strong
vertical proportions of the windows and doors and
changes the character of the residence.
9. Retain original lighting fixtures , and repair and re-
wire as necessary. Any new entry lighting fixtures
should be compatible with the character of the
building. An artificially “aged” fixture that mimics a
carriage lamp or gaslight is not recommended.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 59

 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02
E. Windows
1. Windows play an important role in the character of the
houses and the overall neighborhood.
2. The proportion, material and organization of windows
in a wall help to establish a construction date of the
house. The detail of the window is frequently a key
characteristic in identifying an architectural style.
3. The majority of the windows in the historic residential
housing are wood, double-hung, rope-and-pulley
DOUBLE HUNG WOODEN WINDOWS PLAY
systems. Many of the windows have multiple panes of AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CHARCTER
glass in a single window sash. OF THE HOUSE

E-1. Recommendations
1. All historic windows should be retained and
maintained. Ensuring proper window fit, weather
stripping the sash, installing new glazing compound,
and sealing around the window frames at the siding all
substantially improve the energy efficiency of wood
windows.
2. It is not necessary to replace an entire window if only
a portion is damaged. Historic windows were
designed so that a failed element could be repaired or
replaced, and would not require the whole window to
be replaced. Repair or replace damaged components WOODEN WINDOWS WITH SCREENS
as necessary.
3. Replace historic glass only when broken as the wavy
quality adds to the character of the historic house.
4. If windows are missing or if frames are deteriorated
beyond repair, their replacement must have the same
basic dimension and profile as the original. “Snap-in”
mullions or imitation dividers are inappropriate within
the historic residential housing and should not be CASEMENT WINDOWS
installed.
5. Aluminum and vinyl windows are not appropriate
replacements for a wood window and are not more
energy efficient than a well-maintained wood window.
6. Mill finished aluminum should be avoided even in the
installation of window screens and storm windows.
Avoid the use of bright aluminum screen fabric.
7. Factory painted or powder coated storm or screen
windows with a meeting rail that matches the window
are acceptable.
DAMAGED WINDOWS MUST BE REPAIRED IN A
TIMELY MANNER
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 60
 Components of Historic Residential Housing DRAFT 6.02
F. Roof Forms and Details
1. Roof forms and materials play an important role in
defining the character of a house. The majority of the
roofs are combination of hip, gable, and dormers,
although a few simple gable and hip roofs exist.
2. The size of the roof overhang (eave) varies from
house-to-house but relates to the house's style. For
example Craftsman style houses have wide open eave
FRONT FACING GABLE ROOF WITH BOXED EAVES
overhangs, with exposed roof rafters and decorative
beams; these features should be retained or repaired if
needed.
3. Dormers are common and are found in a variety of
shapes and sizes, some have windows while others
have vents. Dormers and other historic roof details
such as weather vanes add to the character of the
house and the neighborhood.
4. It is not uncommon for one house to have multiple
roofing materials. A house may have a standing seam
roof one portion and composition shingle on another HOUSE WITH FRONT FACING GABLE

5. There are a variety of historic roofing materials that

are still preset with in the historic residential housing,
including standing seam metal and pre-finished
corrugated metal sheets. However composition
shingle is the most common and economical roofing
material.
F-1. Recommendations HOUSE WITH A HIPPED ROOF
1. Maintenance of the roofing material and flashing is
important. In the event replacement is necessary,
select a roofing material that is compatible to the
design and style of the house.
2. Retain the original roof form and details. If attic
space is converted into living space dormers are
added, retain the original roof pitch to avoid a “pop-
up” appearance, especially on the front façade.
3. Retain original roof materials and replace with a
similar material when necessary. DORMERS ADD TO THE CHARACTER OF THE HOUSE
AND SHOULD BE RETAINED
4. Composition shingles should not be installed on a low-
slope pitch roof because they will leak.
5. Avoid adding details that did not exist originally.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 61

 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
A. Neighborhood Characteristics and Distinctions
B. Site Development and Characteristics
C. Rhythm and Visual Continuity
D. Building Heights and Orientation
E. Color
F. Modern Conveniences, Amenities, and Public Safety

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 62

 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
A. Neighborhood Characteristics and Distinctions
1. The historic residential buildings within Blanco have
many shared characteristics while each building
retains its own distinctive identity. The common
neighborhood characteristics must be maintained.
2. The setbacks of the houses throughout the
neighborhood are consistent for the most part, but they
can vary depending on the area of development.
3. As changes are proposed to a site or home, review the
lines of continuity and rhythm established in the
specific neighborhood. Look at the scale, form, and
proportion of proposed changes and ensure that the
proposed project will retain these characteristics.

A-1. Definitions of Historic Neighborhood Characteristics

4. Building Form
Building Form is primarily dictated by the style of the
building. For example, Queen Anne and Victorian
style are recognizable by their composition of multiple
shapes which include bays, dramatic roof lines,
dormers and porches while the Craftsman style is
derived from a simplified rectangular plan. The
Neoclassical building also derived its form from a NEED MAP OF DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS
rectangular plan but has a dominant central entry
porch with columns which extend the full height of the
building.
5. Scale
The scale of a building is measured as the relationship
of building size to something else, such as a human.
Windows, entrances, porches, bays and the
dimensions of building materials contributes to the
overall scale of the building. THE SCALE OF A HOUSE AND ITS PLACEMENT ON A
LOT INFLUENCES A NEIGHBORHOOD
6. Rhythm CHARACTERISTICS

The rhythm of a street is created by the spacing

between houses, the location and spacing of sidewalks
from the curb as well as walkways to the entrances of
the houses, and the location and spacing of the
driveway entrances to each property.
7. Proportion
Proportion is the relationship of the dimensions of an
object to itself, such as height to width. Proportion is
inherent in all aspects of a building form, components,
THE DISTANCE A HOUSE IS SETBACK FROM THE
STREET AND ITS NEIGHBOR CREATES A RYTHYM
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 63
 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
and material. As an example, older homes with high
ceilings have windows that are taller than they are
wide. Houses after 1960s usually have lower ceiling
heights so their windows are shorter and wider.
8. Relationship of Materials and Texture
The materials and texture of each home are
representative of the style and period of construction.
The inherent properties and dimensions of
construction materials like brick and wood boards help STONE RUBBLE IS A VERY COMMON BUILDING
in understanding the home’s size, scale, and MATERIAL WITHIN BLANCO
proportion. Because stucco has no dimension, it is
difficult to measure its relationship to the scale of a
building.
9. Wall of Continuity or Setback
The front of each building, its walls, its porch
alignment and even fences help to define a “wall: that
establishes a visual pattern along the streetscape.
The neighborhood’s visual continuity starts; at the
street which is basically a straight line of uniform STONE WALLS HELP TO ESTABLISH THE VISUAL
width. Then the front yard is established and CONTINUITY WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD

sometimes includes a stone wall or a fence. Each of

these elements works to organize a neighborhood.
These organizational elements along with orientation
and placement of houses on the lot establish the visual
continuity of a neighborhood.

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 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
B. Site Development and Characteristics
1. The organization pattern established in each Historic
District guides the development and proposed alteration
of each site.
2. Some houses face the street with a logical, visible
entrance and a sidewalk that leads from the street to this
entrance. Others have gravel driveways that leads from MOST HOUSES IN BLANCO HAVE A VISIBLE
the street to this entrance. These sidewalks and gravel ENTRANCE THAT FACES THE STREET,
driveways help to establish a rhythm.
3. There is an established distance from the street to the
house, which is called a setback. This setback reinforces
the importance of the entrance and the orientation of the
building. Building beyond this setback would change
the visual continuity established.
4. Several driveway approaches in the front yard lead to
garages and secondary out buildings, which are located
behind the main house. Contemporary style houses have
incorporated their garage or carports into their house
plan, but typically they do not project beyond the
established front wall of the house. While the
construction of new garages and carports is necessary,
their placement and approach should respect the original
“front line” of the house. This would place them behind FOR THE MOST PART THE HOUSES FACE THE STREET
AND A WALL IS CREATED BY THE SETBACK LINE
the existing setback. Locating them to the rear of the
property is preferable.
5. Front yards are defined by the street, sidewalks, fences,
and boundary walls made of stone. The walls are low in
profile and do not obscure the house. Front yard fences
are not common to these neighborhoods, but there is
evidence of historic fences and walls.

B-1. Recommendations
6. Retain the orientation of the house to the street. To A STONE WALL CAN HELP TO DEFINE A FRONT
YARD, AND SHOULD NOT BE RELOCATED OR
change the entrance from the front would alter the REMOVED
pedestrian approach and rhythm.
7. Removing and relocating the sidewalk from the street to
the house would break the rhythm of the neighborhood.
Broken sidewalks should be replaced but the location
should remain. The material should match the original
or should be compatible with the house and the
surrounding neighborhood. Materials such as stone,
concrete or brick pavers, and decomposed granite are
appropriate replacement materials and are not as harsh as
large expanses of concrete. Each house style should be
considered when selecting on alternative material. STONE WALLS ARE LOW IN PROFILE AS NOT TO
OBSCURE THE HOUSE
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 65
 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
6. Driveway locations should not be altered if it affects the
rhythm of the street. Materials that might be used for a
driveway are gravel, pea gravel with a brick or metal
edge band, pavers, concrete strips or “ribbons” and
asphalt.
7. Front yard circular drives are not appropriate to the
neighborhood because they encroach on the setback and
break the rhythm on the street. MANY DRIVEWAYS ARE GRAVEL IN BLANCO, SOME
LEAD TO OUT BUILDINGS BEHIND THE MAIN HOUSE
8. The style of the house and the surroundings should be
evaluated when considering any type of front yard fence.
9. Avoid using chain link fencing at the front of any
property.
10. Review the reason for wanting to install a front yard
fence. Did one exist historically? Houses constructed in
the 1880s had front yard fences to keep livestock from
roaming into the yard. Houses built in the 1920s had
fences in the front yard, which reflected a “progressive”
movement when fencing laws reduced the chance for
roaming livestock. CHAIN LINK FENCING SHOULD NOT BE USED IN THE
FRONT OF ANY PROPERTY
11. In most applications, the fence should be installed at or
behind the building setback line.

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 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
C. Rhythm and Visual Continuity
1. A rhythm is created by the spacing between houses,
and the setback of house from the street as well as the
location of sidewalks, walkways, and parkways. This
cohesiveness is reinforced by a common scale and
building height.
C-1. Recommendations
2. The density of the neighborhoods must be preserved to
avoid changing the character and the streetscape of the
area. SIMILAR FRONT YARD SETBACKS HELP TO
ESTABLISH A COMMON SCALE
3. If replacement housing, or “infill”, is necessary due to
natural disaster or the re-platting of land, avoid
reducing the lot size or changing the rhythm of the
street. Consider square footage and scale of the
surrounding houses to retain the cohesiveness of the
historic district. Building heights should be
compatible with surrounding houses which may
necessitate elevating floor levels above grade and
constructing with higher than 8’-0” ceilings. The
building setback line of surrounding houses must be COMMON LOT SIZES HELP TO CREATE RHYTHM AND
VISUAL CONTINUITY
followed and garages must be set back from the face
of the house.
3. Avoid additions that detract from the size of the
original house and that come forward of the original
building line.

INFILL HOUSING BUILDING HEIGHTS SHOULD BE

COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING HOUSING

AVOID ADDITIONS THAT DETRACT FROM THE

ORIGINAL SIZE OF THE HOUSE

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 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
D. Building Heights and Orientation
1. The majority of the houses within the historic district
are one-story although some are two-story. The
houses are generally rectangular in shape and are deep
from front to back, but there are several square shaped
houses. Most entrances of the houses face the street.
2. However, there are several historic and non-historic
houses, that are positioned parallel to the street and are
MANY HOUSES WITHIN BLANCO HAVE A SQUARE
deep from right to left. SHAPED PLAN

D-1. Recommendations
3. Retain the prominent entrance or face to the street.
4. If new construction occurs, orient the front of the
house to the street.
5. Maintain wide side yard setbacks even if the do not SOME HOUSES ARE POSITIONED PARALLEL TO THE
conform to current standards. STREET AND ARE DEEP FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

6. Modifications to the original roof form must be in

keeping with the style of the house and shall avoid the
“pop-up” appearance.

MOST OF THE PROMINENT ENTRANCES TO HOUSES

IN BLANCO FACE THE STREET

AVOID MODIFICTIONS THAT GIVE A “POP-UP”

APPEARANCE TO THE HOUSE
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 68
 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
E. Color
1. The existing color palette of the historic residential
area mainly consist of light or neutral colors, including
white, tan, and cream for the body; and the trim varies
from neutrals to colors depending on the house. Some
trim colors include blue, brown, green, red, white, tan,
and yellow.
2. Some houses are painted in pale colors like blue,
green, and yellow. The trim on these houses is either
a different color, or a neutral tone.
E-1. Recommendations
1. Keep the neighborhood and surrounding houses in
MANY PAINT COMPANIES CARRY HISTORICALLY
mind when selecting a new exterior paint color. A ACCURATE PAINT COLORS FOR DIFFERENT TIME
successful color scheme can tie a building together PERIODS

and create harmony in the façade and the

neighborhood. Avoid severely contrasting colors in
body and trim or details.
2. The style and period of a house impacts the
appropriate color schemes. To determine the historic
paint color, scrape small areas of existing paint to
reveal the original color of the house, or have a
chemical analysis of the paint conducted by an expert.
Paint manufactures such as Sherwin Williams, Pratt AVOID GOING TOO DARK WITH AN EXTERIOR PAINT
and Lambert, and Benjamin Moore carry historically COLOR, AS DARK COLORS TEND TO FADE OR
“CHALK”
appropriate colors for each time period.
3. Research colors available at the time your house was
built. This information can be obtained from paint
manufacturers such as Sherwin Williams, Pratt and
Lambert, or Benjamin Moore, just to name a few.
4. Seek help when selecting paint colors for your house.
Local paint stores can provide assistance in selecting
or matching paint colors as well as recommending
historic paint colors. City staff can also provide
assistance in paint selection.
MANY HOUSES ARE PALE OR NEUTRAL IN COLOR
5. Dark colors tend to look darker near large trees or WITH COLORED TRIM WITHIN BLANCO
where shadows are created. Dark colors also tend to
fade or “chalk” or get white powder on the surface.
This residue is caused by the gradual disintegration of
the resin in the paint film due to the amount of
ultraviolet light on the paint’s surface.
6. The trees and humidity of Blanco add to the
possibility of mildew on paint. It is recommended that
a mildew inhibitor be added to the paint.
THE STYLE AND PERIOD OF A HOUSE IMPACTS THE
APPROPRIATE COLOR SCHEMES
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 69
 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
7. Avoid high gloss paints, as they are not historically
appropriate. A “satin” finish paint can provide the
appearance of historic paint while providing the easily
washed surface of a gloss finish.
8. The preparation of the surface is important when
painting. The surface should be scrapped and sanded
to remove any loose paint, but it is not necessary to
remove all paint down to the bare wood. Make sure
the wood is dry before applying a good primer and
two topcoats of paint. Use a brush for the best
coverage instead of a sprayer.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 70

 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
F. Alterations and Modern Amenities
1. Some modern amenities have been added to historic
residences that are visible from the street and detract
from the character of the neighborhood. Such
additions include window air conditioning units,
antennas and satellite dishes. Other common
inappropriate alterations include railings, lighting, and
non-functional shutters.
2. In some cases, historic fabric has been removed and
replaced with incompatible materials. Examples
include the replacement of window screens with
aluminum screens and replacement of decorative
screen doors with storm windows SATELLITE DISHES SHOULD NOT BE
VISIBLE FROM THE STREET IN HISTORIC
3. Access ramps have been added to some houses to NEIGHBORHOODS
allow a no-step entrance.
F-1. Recommendations
4. Weigh the historic integrity of the house and
neighborhood with the value of the improvement and
the quality of life. Ask yourself, “Can this
improvement be installed and removed without
causing irreparable physical and aesthetic damage to
the house or neighborhood?”
5. Locate modern amenities in the least visible place
from the prominent face of the house, which include
the rear and side facades. Avoid the installation of air
LIGHTING FIXTURES THAT ARE NOT APPROPRIATE
conditioning and electrical equipment on the TO THE STYLE OF A HISTORIC HOUSE, SHOULD NOT
prominent face of the house, only install equipment in BE INSTALLED ON THE PROMINENT FACADE
such a way that it does not damage the historic
building fabric. Screen equipment when possible with
appropriate planting material.
6. Retain window and door screens that are a detailed
features of the period of the house, as in the case of
Craftsman style houses. Avoid concealing the
detailing of historic front doors and entrances with
contemporary storm doors. When damage beyond
repair, wood window screens and doors, designed for
the style of the house, can be purchased or custom
made at most lumber yards.
7. Carefully consider the potential location of access
ramps fro temporary or long term disability, and the
impact of the ramp on the house and neighborhood.

ONLY INSTALL EQUIPMENT IN SUCH A WAY NOT TO

DAMAGE THE HISTORIC BUILDING FABRIC
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 71
 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
8. Chimneys are an important architectural feature and
the removal or alteration of existing chimneys alters
the historical integrity of the house and is not
recommended.
9. Decks and patios can be compatible with historic
houses if thought is given to location, proportion, and
materials.
10. New dormers may allow for additional use of the attic,
but need to be designed to match the style of the
original houses and not overpower it.
11. Flags and banners are considered a removable
amenity, but care must be used when mounting to not
damage the historic materials of the house. WHEN INSTALLING A RAMP CONSIDER ITS IMPACT
ON THE HOUSE AND THE NEIGHBORHHOD
12. Light fixtures located on the building exterior,
porches, pathways and paved areas need to be
appropriate in design, scale, and character of the
house. There are many available fixtures in various
architectural styles. A Victorian light fixture is
appropriate with a Victorian house but not appropriate
with a Ranch or Craftsman style house.
13. Mailboxes and mail slots should be simple and as
unobtrusive as possible. Mailboxes can be obtained in
styles compatible in styles compatible with the time
period of the house.
14. Operable shutters may be installed if they are in LIGHT FIXTURES SHOULD ALWAYS BE
keeping with the style of the house and period of APPROPRIATE IN DESIGN TO MATCH THE
ARCHITECUTURAL STYLE OF THE HOUSE
construction. Shutters need to be correctly
proportioned to the width and height of the window
and be installed with hinges rather than nailed to the
wall.
15. Skylights can add light to interior spaces and make
attics spaces more useable. If flat in profile and
positioned away from public view, skylights can be
installed in older houses. Bubble-dome skylights are
not appropriate for buildings within Historic Districts.
16. Site garages away from the primary view and set them
behind the front wall of the house. Install single doors
instead of double-width doors. Whether constructed
as an addition to the original house and historic
structures, or as an accessory or secondary building, SKYLIGHTS CAN BE INSTALLED ONLY IF THEY ARE
the garage design should be compatible with the FLAT IN PROFILE AND ARE NOT ON THE PROMINENT
FAÇADE OF THE HOUSE
historic residence.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 72

 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods DRAFT6.03
17. As you formulate your ideas to modify and improve
your home, questions will arise. There are many
sources available for advice and assistance,
including a neighbor who has completed a similar
project appropriately, the Texas Historical
Commission, City Staff, and the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. Helpful publications to begin
your project include The Secretary of the Interior’s
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties,
National Park Service’s Preservation Briefs,
Traditional Building Magazine, The Old House
Journal and Catalog, and Renovator’s Supply
Catalog.

Contents:
Texas Historical Commission: Architectural Department
512.463.6094
Http://www.thc.state.tx./contactus/cotdefault.shtml
City of Blanco:
###.###.####
Website
National Trust for Historic Preservation
http://www.preservationnation.org/

Links:
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties:
www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide.htm
National Parks Service Preservation Briefs:
www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm
Traditional Building Magazine:
www.traditonal-building.com
The Old House Journal and Catalog:
www.oldhousejournal.com
Renovator’s Supply Catalog:
www.rensup.com

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 73

 Materials Present in Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00

A. Brick
B. Stone Rubble and Cut Stone
C. Wood
D. Metal
E. Synthetic Materials
F. Glass

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 74

 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
A. Brick
1. Some of the commercial buildings in Blanco are made
of brick masonry. These brick walls are usually about
a foot thick or more and carry the weight of the
building.
2. Brick is not a common building material in the wall
construction of residential houses in the historic
neighborhood of Blanco.
3. Brick walls are constructed by stacking single pieces
together to create a pattern. Most wall patterns have a COMMERCIAL BRICK BUILDING
defined horizontal line.
4. Several more contemporary houses have a brick
veneer siding material over them.
5. Brick is also used to create decorative features that
should be preserved. These features are usually found
around openings on a building, at the top of building
to create a cornice, or as a detail to add to the
horizontal organizations of the building block.
6. Brick is typically used for chimney construction and,
occasionally, for the constructions of foundations.
7. Chimney tops are usually constructed with decorative
IT IS IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE BRICK
brick detailing or corbel. The mortar in this portion of DETAILING BECAUSE IT ADDS TO THE
the chimney is frequently loose or missing due to CHARACTER

weather.
8. Rough-faced concrete block, which resembles the look
of stone, is used as a residential building material for
skirt and wall construction.
Recommendations:
9. Retain and maintain the original brick or block
material.
10. Replace loose or missing mortar using a mortar of the
same composition as the original. Mortar that is to the IT IS IMPORTANT TO RETAIN AND
integrity of the brick wall. MAINTAIN BRICK

11. If the mortar is missing, it must be replaced with

mortar that matches the historic mortar in
composition, color, and joint width. Use a sand-lime
recipe for mortar, which is compatible with the old
brick.
12. It is important to preserve brick detailing because it
adds to the character of the building.
IF MORTAR MUST BE REPLACED IT SHOULD MATCH
IN COMPOSITION, COLOR, AND JOINT WIDTH
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 75
 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
13. Avoid removing chimneys rather repair and maintain
them.
14. Repair or replace flashing as needed to ensure a
watertight connection between the chimney and roof.
15. Historic buildings should be cleaned in the gentlest
means possible which typically includes water and
soft bristle brushes.
16. Sandblasting and high pressure washing can cause
irreparable damage to brick and are not permissible.
17. Any chemical cleaner must be tested in small areas of
limited visibility to ensure compatibility and
effectiveness on the brick.
18. Modern masonry mortar has cement as a main
ingredient, which is too hard for historic brick. A high
cement content will trap moisture in the brick and BRICK IS VERY COMMON AS A
cause it to deteriorate. BASE TO TAPERED COLUMNS

19. Brick is a clay material that “breathes”, it does not

require paint like its metal or wood counterparts.
Some coatings can trap moisture in historic brick
causing damage to mortar and interior finishes.
20. Avoid changing the appearance and scale of a brick
building by painting it.
21. Avoid installing brick or block where these materials
were not originally used.
22. Avoid installing brick on the walls of a house that
originally had wood siding. To install brick over
wood siding changes the character of the house and
can destroy the wood beneath.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 76

 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
B. Stone Rubble and Cut Stone
1. Stone is used very commonly in Blanco. Stone is used
in the construction of commercial buildings,
residential houses, foundations, retaining walls /
fences, and details.
2. Field stone or stone rubble refers to stone that varies
in size and has an undefined shape. The uneven face
of stone rubble and uneven size of the pieces provide a
STONE RUBBLE COMMERCIAL BUILDING
unique visual appearance.
3. Cut stone is a precisely shaped stone, usually with a
smooth face. It is frequently used as a decorative
element on buildings or as a way to accent an opening.
Cut stone can also have a great amount of detail, such
as columns and capitals.
4. The stone walls are put together with soft lime mortar UNEVEN PIECES OF STONE RUBBLE PROVIDE A
UNIQUE VISUAL APPEARANCE
in the same way brick walls are. The mortar must not
be harder than the stone. Portland cement mortar can
cause damage to stone walls.
5. Stone can be cleaned with a mild solution of soap and
water. Sandblasting and high pressure washing can
cause irreparable damage to stone and are not
permissible.
6. Another use for stone in Blanco can be found in
walkways and planter beds.
STONE RUBBLE IS ALSO USED IN WALLS TO CREATE
BOUNDARIES
Recommendations:
7. Replace deteriorated stone with stone that matches the
original in color and texture.
8. Replace deteriorated or missing mortar with mortar of
the same composition as the original in composition
and color.
9. Portland cement, or masons mortar is too hard and
will cause the stone to deteriorate and crumble.
10. It is not recommended that stone be added to the
foundation or face of a house. STONE RUBBLE IS VERY COMMON TO BLANCO

11. Retain stone walls and drainage beds.

12. Use stone as a site design material for features such as
walks, walls, and planter beds.
13. Any chemical cleaner must be tested in small areas of
limited visibility to ensure compatibility and
effectiveness on the stone. Some chemicals may burn HOUSE WITH CUT STONE
the face of stone.
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 77
 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
C. Wood
1. Wood was historically used for a variety of
architectural details such as window frames and
sashes, columns, canopies, and storefronts including
doors and frames for display windows.
2. Wood is the primary building material in the
residential construction of Blanco. Wood is used for
the structural elements as well as the skin of the
building. WOODEN STOREFRONT ON A COMMERCIAL
BUILDING
3. Wood, when well maintained, can last for decades.
However, it will rot with the presence of moisture. It
is important to keep wood surfaces painted.
4. Rough sawn wood is not appropriate for installation in
historic buildings.
5. Wood shingles are rarely found as an existing roofing
material and may be the result of previous
replacement due to deterioration.
6. The majority of houses are covered in horizontal drop
siding with a milled profile or in a clapboard or lap
siding, which has a tapered profile.
WOOD DETAILS ARE COMMON ON COMMERCIAL
7. Board-and-batten, or vertical, siding is found on some STOREFRONTS
houses, and can be seen on outbuildings such as
garages, barns, and sheds.
8. Wood details are found on all houses from all styles
and periods of construction. These include ornate
turned columns and spindles and window and door
surrounds.
9. Wood is also a skirting material on houses. Because
houses were built above ground on posts and beams, a
skirt was constructed from the floor level to the
ground. Wood skirts often reflect the same siding
profile and dimension as on the body of the house; on
Craftsman style houses, the skirt was frequently made
of a wider horizontal board siding. WOOD SHINGLES ON A COMMERCIAL CANOPY

10. Another wood skirting material found is wood lattice,

which has built in ventilation. The skirting was most
commonly constructed on a vertical/horizontal grid.
. Recommendations
11. Retain and repair wood siding and details.
12. Replace missing or badly deteriorated wood features
with wood of the same dimension and profile.
HOUSE WITH BOARD AND BATTEN SIDING
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 78
 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
11. Refrain from installing synthetic materials, such as
hardiplank, over existing wood materials because they
frequently cause historic materials to rot.
12. Refrain from replacing a deteriorated wood feature
with another material.
HOUSE WITH MIXED WOOD SIDING AND WOODEN
13. Explore the use of epoxy wood repair materials in lieu DOOR AND WINDOW SCREENS
of replacing an entire wood member. This has proven
effective on rotted column bases, window sills and
sashes, etc.
14. Replace rotted wood that is in contact with the ground
with a chemically treated wood to prolong the life of
the feature. This can be done on skirting and steps.
Treated wood can be used to rebuild lattice skirting by
cutting strips from standard treated 2 x 4 material.
15. All solid skirt materials must have vents installed to HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING
allow air to pass under the house and eliminate
moisture from the wood foundation.
16. All treated wood must be thoroughly dried prior to
installation.
17. Do not use excessive water pressure or sandblasting
on wood surfaces as it pits the wood.

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 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
D. Metal
1. There are several types of metal found in and on
buildings in Blanco. Buildings of the late 1800s and
early 1900s incorporated pressed metal and cast iron
while mid-twentieth century buildings utilize
aluminum and steel in their construction.
2. Cast-iron columns and beams were used as structural
components in some buildings around the square.
Some columns are free standing, and others become
part of the building storefront detail. These structural
members, while functional, also add detail and scale to
the building storefront and must be retained.
3. Pressed metal is often thought of as an interior ceiling
material but was used for cornices and other details on
some of the buildings of Blanco. Pressed-metal
CAST-IRON STOREFRONT ON COMMERCIAL
cornices are constructed over a wooden framework. BUILDING
Deteriorated wood must be replaced to provide
adequate support for metal cornices. Damage and
deteriorated pressed-metal panels can be fabricated
and replaced if necessary.
4. Aluminum is more contemporary and was used on
buildings dating from the 1930s.
5. Miscellaneous steel components can also be found on
porch columns and porch structures, railings,
turnbuckle supports at canopies, downspouts, etc.
6. The primary use of metal on historic residential METAL CANOPY TIE-BACKS
buildings in Blanco is as a roofing material.
7. Metal roofs are commonly installed on odd shapes or
projections from the wall of the main house. This is
the most common application of standing seam metal.
8. Standing seam metal roofing is a traditional material
found in Central Texas, and is commonly found in
Blanco.
9. Corrugated metal roofing is found on many houses,
PRESSED METAL CORNICE
and is installed on outbuildings such as garages and
barns. Other sheet metal roofing materials are found
are “V” crimp and pre-finished metal with a deep
profile.
10. Ornamental iron columns have been installed to
replace wooden columns on some houses and was a
“fashion trend” throughout the United States.
11. Pressed metal has been installed as a skirting material
on some houses, but was not an original application.
METAL ROOFING IS VERY COMMON IN BLANCO
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 80
 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
Recommendations
1. Replace deteriorated metal with new primed metal of
the same or compatible material.
2. Aluminum should not replace wood as a building
material but is used for cornices and other details on
many buildings. This is especially true of doors and
windows and their frames. If aluminum appears to be
the only option as a replacement material for
deteriorated wood, the aluminum should be of similar
profile and should have a factory painted finish. Mill
finish or “shiny” aluminum should not be used on a
historic building to replace a previously painted MANY HOUSES HAVE CORRUGATED METAL
ROOFING
material.
3. It is important to keep pressed metal, cast iron and
steel well painted to avoid rust and deterioration.
4. Metal materials shall not be used to replace wood or
other historic non-metal materials.
5. Retain decorative roof details when replacing the
primary roofing material.
6. Avoid installing an inappropriately scaled metal
roofing material on a house that did not have a metal
roof originally. Many of the current metal roofs have
an industrial appearance and must be avoided.
7. Avoid installing decorative iron work over windows
that did not include them in the original design.
ORNAMENTAL IRON COLUMNS SHOULD NOT BE
8. Avoid installing a pressed metal skirt where one did INSTALLED TO REPLACE WOOD COLUMNS

not previously exist.

METAL SKIRTING SHOULD NOT BE INSTALLED

WERE IT DID NOT PREVIOUSLY EXIST

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 81

 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
E. Synthetic Materials
1. Stucco and plaster are not materials common to
Blanco historically.
2. Stucco is a material that has no dimension of its own;
therefore it is not compatible in scale to the more
common materials such as brick and stone.
STUCCO SHOULD NOT BE USED TO COVER HISTORIC
3. Stucco shall not be used to cover historic building BUILDING MATERIALS
materials due to the damage its application causes to
the underlying building material, however, it may be
used in new construction.
4. Stucco is not commonly used on houses in historic
neighborhoods in Blanco. Only a few examples
appear to be part of the original style. Although
stucco has been applied on a few wood-frame and
wood-sided houses.
STUCCO IS COMMON TO BLANCO HISTORICALLY
5. As is true in most American cities, synthetic siding
materials have been installed over original building
materials such as wood siding.
6. Asbestos siding, in the shape of shingles, is the oldest
synthetic siding material used in residential
construction. It is not harmful nor is it considered
hazardous material but, if removed, special disposal ASBESTOS SHINGLES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED OVER
THE ORIGINAL BUILDING MATERIAL OF MANY
precautions may be required. HOUSES

7. Asbestos shingles are not detrimental to the siding

underneath because they breathe and do not trap
moisture.
8. Aluminum or steel siding followed asbestos as a
modern material. Vinyl siding is a common material
sold today to cover older wood homes. Vinyl and
hardiplank siding are used on new homes, both can
trap moisture and cause deterioration.

Recommendations ASBESTOS SHINGLES DO NOT TRAP MOISTURE BUT

CAN ALTER THE HISTORIC APPEARANCE OF A
HOUSE
9. Retain and repair the original building material.
10. Replace only that material which is beyond repair.
11. Replace deteriorated material with compatible new
material.
12. Stucco should not be confused with plaster.

STUCCO CAN RAPIDLY DETERIORATE THE HISTORIC

MATERIAL UNDERNEATH AND SHOULD NOT BE
INSTALLED
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 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
13. Avoid installing any synthetic building material on top
of existing wood. Many of these materials can trap
moisture in the wall, which will cause the wood
beneath to deteriorate. It can also trap moisture in the
insulation, which reduces the value of the insulation.
14. Avoid installing synthetic siding on top of an existing
siding as a way of “modernizing” the house or
attempting to make the house more energy efficient.
STUCCO CAN RAPIDLY DETERIORATE THE HISTORIC
This changes the character of the original design and MATERIAL UNDERNEATH AND SHOULD NOT BE
frequently destroys the character-defining features of INSTALLED
the house and neighborhood.
15. Such details as corner boards, windows and door
surrounds, gable vents and rafter ends are often
changed to eliminated when the installation of
synthetic materials occur.
16. Avoid installing stucco over existing materials
because they cause rapid deterioration of wood
beneath.
17. Avoid hardiplank and synthetic wood materials,
because these are not comparable substitutes for wood
siding.
18. Avoid installing “wood grained” materials. Wood
used in historic houses was smoothly sanded with no
obvious grain.

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 Materials Present in the Historic Districts DRAFT 7.00
F. Glass
1. The transparent or “see-through” quality of glass has
been utilized in commercial building storefronts to
draw customers into the shops and ground floor
spaces. This is a quality that must be retained.
2. Transom windows allowed light to enter deep into the
ground floor. These windows must retain their
GLASS IN COMMERCIAL STOREFRONTS DRAWS
transparent quality. CUSTOMERS INTO SHOPS

3. Historic houses usually have glass that is wavy in

quality, this adds to the character of the house.
Recommendations:
4. Tinted or reflective glass is not appropriate in any
historic building, including storefronts and upper floor
windows in historic commercial buildings and TRANSOM WINDOWS ALLOW LIGHT TO ENTER DEEP
districts. This type of glass in uninviting and detracts INTO THE BUILDING
from the character of the building.
5. Broken glass must be replaced immediately to avoid
damage to the interiors of buildings and building
materials.
6. Replace broken glass with glass that matches the
original in color quality.

TINTED GLASS IN NOT APPROPRIATE IN HISTORIC

DISTRICTS

BROKEN GLASS SHOULD BE REPLACED

IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID FURTHER DAMAGE
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City of Blanco Design Guidelines 85

 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Addition – Any new construction which increases the height
or floor area of an existing building or adds to a building
such as a porch or garage.
Alteration – Construction in a building which may change the
structural parts, mechanical equipment, or location of
openings, but does not increase the overall area dimensions
of the building. HISTORIC HOUSE WITH ADDITON TO LEFT

Anchor – A device such as a metal rod, wire, or strap, for

fixing one object to another, as specially formed metal
connectors used to fasten together timbers, masonry,
trusses, etc.
Appurtenant Features – accessories which define the design
of a building or property. These include porches, railings,
columns, shutters, steps, fences, attic vents, sidewalks,
driveways, garages, carports, outbuildings, gazebos, arbors,
ponds and pools. ARCHED HOOD MOULDING OVER WINDOW

Arch – A curved opening in a wall, usually constructed of

stone or brick, as in the top of a window opening.
Arcade – A line of counterthrusting arches raised on
columns or piers; a covered walk with a line of arches along
one or both sides.
Asbestos Shingle – A dense, rigid roofing shingle
containing a high percentage of asbestos fiber (a
noncombustible, flexible fiber able to with stand high
temperatures) bonded with Portland cement known for
STONE RUBBLE ARCADE
distinctive patterns.
Ashlar Masonry – Masonry composed or rectangular units of
stone, generally larger in size than brick and having
sawn, dressed, or squared sides laid in mortar.
Attic – a low story or wall above the main building,
immediately below the roof.
Awning – A roof-like covering of canvas or rigid materials over
a window or door to provide protection. Similar to a ASBESTOS SHINGLE ON A HOUSE
canopy providing a covered area.
Band Course – A horizontal element, usually of masonry,
dividing upper and lower portions of the building, but
unifying the facades.
Baluster – one of a number of short vertical members, often
circular in section used to support a stair handrail or a
coping, forming a balustrade.
Balustrade – An entire railing system (as long the edge of a
balcony or porch) including a top rail and its balusters, and
sometimes a bottom rail.
BALUSTRADE ALONG EDGE OF PORCH
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Bargeboard – Sloped boards at the edge of a projecting
overhang at the gable end.
Base – Lower part of a column or pier, wider than the shaft,
and resting on a plinth, pedestal or podium.
Base Course – A foundation or footing course, as the lowest
course in a masonry wall.
Bay – A regularly repeated space created by the structure of
a building.
BASE OF A COLUMN
Bay Window – A window forming a recess in a room and
projecting outwards from the wall.
Beaded Board – A 4” or 6” wide tongue-and-groove wood
finish with a milled bead along the centerline and along the
edge adjoining the tongues.
Bearing Wall – A wall capable of supporting more than its
own weight, such as a roof or floor.
Board and Batten Siding – A siding consisting of long
vertical boards and thin strips, or battens are used to conceal
the gaps between siding boards. HOUSE WITH BOARD AND BATTEN SIDING

Bond – An arrangement of masonry units to provide strength,

stability, and beauty through setting a pattern by lapping units
over one another.
Box Column – A hollow, built-up column constructed of
wood, which is rectangular in shape.
Boxed Eave or Box Cornice – A hollow cornice, built up of
boards, moldings, shingles, etc.
Brackets – Projecting support members found under eaves or
other overhangs; may be plain or decorated.
BOX COLUMN
Brick Course / Pattern – The way in which brick is laid in a
building.
Building – A more or less enclosed and permanent structure.
Built-up Roof – A roofing system covering a relatively flat
roof, consisting of several layers of saturated felt where each
layer is mopped with hot tar or asphalt finished with a mineral
or rock covering. BRACKET UNDER AN EAVE

Bulkhead – Base panels just below display windows on

storefronts, also referred to as kick plates.
Bungalow – A one-story frame house, or a summer cottage,
often surrounded by a covered veranda usually expressing
materials in their natural state. The forms are usually low and
board and lack applied ornament.
BRICK COURSE
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 87
 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Canopy – A covered area which extends from the wall of a
building, protecting an entrance.
Capital – The topmost member of a column, usually
decorative.
Casement Window – A window having at least one sash which
swings open along its entire height; usually on hinges fixed to
the sides of the opening into which it is fitted.
Carved Stone – Rough natural stone shaped by the controlled
removal of stone pieces with tools to create decorative
detailing. CANOPIES PROTECTING PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS

Cast Iron Store Front – The front of a commercial building

that is made up of prefabricated cast iron parts.
Cast Stone – A mixture of stone chips or fragments, usually
embedded in mortar, cement, or plaster, treated to simulate
stone; also known as “artificial stone”.
Caulking – a resilient compound of silicone, bituminous, or
rubber base, used to seal cracks and fill joints.
Clapboard Siding – A wood siding commonly used as an
exterior covering on buildings of frame construction; applied CASEMENT WINDOWS
horizontally and overlapped, with the grain running
lengthwise, thicker along the lower edge than along the upper.
Clerestory Window – An upper window that admits light to
the center of a lofty room.
Clipped Gable – end of a roof when it is formed into a sharp
intermediate between a gable and a hip.
Column – A vertical structural member such as a post or pillar.
Combination Hip Roof – A composition of more than one CASTIRON STOREFRONT
hipped element at the roof or a combination of hipped and
gable roof form.
Composition Shingles – Shingles made from a mixture of
binder materials with fibers, also call asphalt shingles.
Conservation – The skilled repair and maintenance of cultural
artifacts, including buildings and historic or artistic materials,
with the aim of extending their longevity and aesthetic
qualities.
Construction – all the on-site work done in building or altering CLIPPED GABLE ON FAÇADE OF HOUSE
structures, from land clearance through completion, including
excavation, erection, and the assembly and installation of
components and equipment.

COMPOSITION SHINGLE ROOFING

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 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Contemporary – Happening, existing, living, or coming into
being during the same period of time. Contemporary denotes
characteristics that illustrate that a building, structure, or detail
was constructed in the present, rather than being imitative of
reflective of a historic design.
Context – The setting in which something exists or occurs.
Contributing Property – A property that is fifty years old or
older which contributes to a district’s historical significance
through location, setting, design, construction, workmanship,
or association with historical persons or events, based on
guidelines set forth by the National Parks Service in the
National Register of Historic Places Criteria for Evaluation.
Corbel – in masonry, a projection, or one of a series of
projections, each stepped progressively farther forward with
height anchored in a wall, story, column, or chimney.
CORNER BOARDS TRIM THE EXTERIOR OF HOUSE
Corner Block – A square block used to trim casing at the
upper corners of door or window surrounds; Typically
decorated with a milled bull’s eye, known as rosettes.
Corner Board – A trim board used at an exterior corner of a
wood-frame structure.
Cornice – A molded projection or masonry which crowns or
finishes the top of a building wall.
BRICK CORNICE AT TOP OF WALL
Cross Gable – A gable that is set parallel to the ridge of the
roof.
Cut Stone – Finished stone block which has been shaped by
cutting.
Demolition – The intentional destruction of all or part of a
building or structure, may include removal of structural
elements, partitions, mechanical equipment, and electrical
wiring and fixtures.
Demolition By Neglect – The destruction of a structure caused
by failure to perform maintenance over a long time period.
Dentils – One of a band of small, square, tooth like blocks
found in a series on cornices, molding, etc.
Design Guidelines – Recommendations for control of new CUT STONE ON FAÇADE OF BUILDING
construction, as well as alterations and additions to existing
buildings and structures in historic districts that are typically
adopted and published by the local regulation agency.
District – An area designated by the City of Blanco possessing
a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites,
buildings, structures, or objects united historically or
aesthetically by plan or physical development.
DENTILS ON CORNICE AND EAVE
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 89
 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Divided Light Sash – A window with glass divided into small
pieces.
Dormer – A vertical window which projects from a sloping
roof.
Double Hung Window – A window having two vertically
sliding sashes, each closing a different part of the window; the
weight of each sash is counterbalanced for ease of opening and
closing. WOODEN WINODWS WITH DIVIDED LIGHT

Double Glazed Window – A window with an inner and outer

pane of glass with an airspace in between.
Drainage Beds – Stone lined ditch used to transport water
runoff.
Drop Siding – A type of wood cladding characterized by
overlapping boards with varying profiles.
Eave – The lower edge of a sloping roof that projects beyond
the wall.
ROOF WITH DORMER PROJECTING OUT
Engaged Column – A column partially built into the wall, not
free-standing.
Exterior Features – The architectural style, general design and
genera arrangement of the exterior of a building or other
structure, including the kind and texture of a building material
and the type and style of all windows, doors, light fixtures,
signs, other appurtenant features and significant trees. For
signs, the term exterior features refer to the style, material, ROOF EAVE
size and location of all signs.
Fabricated Metal – Any kind of building component
manufactured of metal, often decorative in nature and
frequently used as columns and railings.
Façade – The exterior face of building.
Fanlight – A semi-circular window over the opening of a door,
with radiating bars in the form of an open fan.
Fascia – Flat, vertical member that forms the trim of a roof.
Fenestration – The arrangement and design of openings in a
building. ENGAGED COLUMN

Finial – A pointed symmetrical ornament that is circular and

found at the peak of a roof.
Fixed Light – A window or an area of a window which does
not open.
Flashing – A waterproof material such as metal used to make a
water-tight transition between roofing materials and elements
such as chimneys and dormers that break the roof plane.
FIXED LIGHT WINDOW
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 90
 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Footing – The portion of the foundation which transfers loads
directly to the soil; a widened part of a wall or column at or
below the ground to spread the load directly to the soil.
Foundation – Any part of a structure that serves to transfer the
load to the earth or rock, usually below ground level and is the
lowest exposed portion of the building.
Fretwork – Ornamental wood which is usually carved or
turned and installed over doorways and other openings.
PORCH WITH FRETWORK ON IT
Front Facing Gable – The end wall of a building with a gable
roof that faces the street.
Gable End – An end wall having a gable.
Gambrel Roof – A ridged roof with two slopes on both sides.
Garden Loop Fence – A woven wire fencing which is
distinguished by the loop at the top and mid height.
Glazing – Setting glass in an opening. HOUSE WITH FRONT FACING GABLES

Grade – The height of the surface of the ground in relationship

to a structure (building).
Hip Roof – A roof which slopes upward from all four sides of
a building.
Historic District – A definable geographic area that contains a
number of related historic sites, buildings, structures, features,
or objects united by past events or aesthetically by plan or
physical development, and that has been designated on local,
state, or national register.
Historic Property – Any site, building, structure, or object
GARDEN LOOP FENCING IN FRONT OF HOUSE
determined to be historically significant.
Hood Molding – A projecting molding over a door or a
window.
Infill – The development of property or the construction of
buildings on land that is adjacent to existing buildings.
Joint – The gap between brick or stone filled by mortar.
HIP ROOFING ON A HOUSE
Keystone –In masonry, the center piece of an arch, often in
contrasting material.
Landmark – Any building, structure, or place which has a
special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or
value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural
characteristics of a city, state, or nation.
Landscape – The whole of the exterior environment of a site,
district, or region, including landforms, trees and plants, rivers
and lakes, and the built environment.
HOOD MOLDING OVER WINDOWS
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 91
 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Lattice – A network, often diagonal, of strips of metal or
wood, used as screening or ornamental construction.
Lath and Plaster – A metal mesh or wood strips with plaster, a
paste like material, applied to surfaces such as walls or
ceilings.
Light – A single pane of glass in a window or door.
Lintel – A structural member installed in a wall to create an
opening for a door or window. LATTICE SCREENING ON PORCH
Load Bearing Wall – A wall capable of supporting an imposed
load in addition to its own weight. These walls frequently run
the full height of a building from foundation to roof.
Louver – an assembly of sloping, overlapping blades or slats,
fixed or adjustable, designed to admit air and/or light in
varying degrees and to exclude rain and snow.
Marker – A plaque located on or near a historic site, building,
structure, or object; usually put in place by a government STONE LINTEL OVER WINDOW
agency or a private organization.
Masonry – Stone, brick, concrete blocks, etc. used to form
walls and other parts of a building.
Materials – The substance of which something is composed
or constructed.
Mortar – A paste-like mixture installed between masonry units
such as brick or stone. It is usually made of cement, lime,
water and sand. LOUVERED VENT

Mullion – A vertical element between two window or door

frames, typically not a structural support for the building.
Muntin – The small framing members within a single window
sash that hold the individual pieces of glass in place.
New Construction – The process, or completed product, of
building a new structure or building, or portion there of, to an
existing building neighborhood or district.
Non-Contributing Property – A property which is less than
BRICK MASONRY CONSTRUCTION
fifty years old and/or does not meet the conditions required of
a contributing property.
Oculus – A round or oval panel or aperture. The aperture may
be glazed, open, or louvered.
One-Over-One Configuration – A window with a single sheet
of glass in the top sash and a single sheet in the bottom sash.
Orientation – The relationship of structure to compass points
or a site feature such as a street or the direction a façade faces.
OCULUS
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 92
 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Out Building – A building detached from the main house or
structure but located on the same lot.
Paneled Door – A wood door comprised of flat and raised
panels or pieces.
Parapet – An exterior wall which projects above the roof
structure.
Parkways – The space between the curb and sidewalk, usually
green space. OUT BUILDING ON A PROPERTY

Partition wall – Dividing wall within a building which may be

load bearing or non-load bearing.
Pediment – A triangular roof form of a building or as an
ornament or hood mold over a door or window.
Pier and Beam – A foundation system consisting of rows of
posts spaced at appropriate intervals and supporting beams
which form a base or which a building is built.
ROOFLINE WITH A PARAPET
Pillars – A simple, massive, vertical structural support such as
a column or post.
Pitch – The slope of a roof that is not flat or horizontal.
Pitched Roof – A roof that has a slope and is not flat or
horizontal.
Plaster – A paste-like substance of sand, water, and lime
installed over another material to provide a finished surface.
Plinth Block – A small, slightly projecting block at the bottom
of the door trim, extending to the finished floor.
Porch – A structure attached to a building to shelter an PEDIMENT OVER DOORWAY

entrance or to serve as a semi-enclosed space; usually roofed

and generally open-sided. It may also be called a veranda.
Preservation – The act of applying measures to sustain the
existing form, integrity, and material of building or structure,
and the existing form and vegetative cover of a site.
Pressed Metal – Metal that has been pressed into a decorative
shape or pattern.
Profile – The outline of a building or an element of that
building that is usually shown as a cross section.
Proportion – The relationship of the size, shape, and location TWO-TIERED FRONT PORCH
of one building element to all the other elements, each
architectural style typically has its own rules of proportion.
Purlin – A piece of timber, board, or metal laid horizontally on
the principle rafters of a roof to provide support for the
common rafters on which the roof covering is laid.
PRESSED METAL CORNICE
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 Glossary DRAFT 8.00
Quoins – A large stone or block of brick used to reinforce an
external corner or edge of a wall that is often distinguished
decoratively from adjacent masonry.
Rabbet – A groove cut into one piece of wood to receive the
projection or tongue of another.
Reconstruction – The act of reproducing by new construction
the exact form and detail of a vanished building, structure, or
object, or a part thereof, as it appeared at a specific period of
time.
Rehabilitation – The process of returning a property to a state
of utility through repair or alteration which makes possible an
efficient contemporary use while preserving those proportions
of features of the property which are significant to its STONE QUOINS ON SIDE OF BUILDING
historical, architectural and cultural values.
Repointing – The removal of mortar from between the joints
of masonry units and the replacing of it with new mortar.
Mortar should match the original in composition.
Restoration – The process of accurately recovering the form
and details of a property and its setting as it appeared at a
particular period of time by means of the removal of later
work or by the replacement of missing earlier work. RETAINING WALL IN FRONT OF A HOUSE

Retaining Wall – A wall, freestanding or laterally braced, that

bears against an earth or other fill surface and resists lateral
and other forces from the material in contact with the side of
the wall.
Ridge – The highest point of a pitched roof.
Ridgecap – Any covering (such as metal, wood, shingle, etc.)
used to cover the ridge of a roof.
RIDGECAP ON ROOF
R-Panel Metal Roofing – A galvanized or painted metal
roofing material with a ribbed profile used primarily in
commercial applications.
Rubble – Rough irregular stone which may vary in size, used
in wall construction.
Rusticated – Stone with an intentionally rough face.
R-PANEL METAL ROOFING
Sash – The part of a window that moves or opens and contains
the glass.
Scale – The proportions of the elements of a building to one
another and the whole and to adjacent buildings.
Score – The cut of a channel or groove in a material with a
hand tool or circular saw to decorate a surface.
Scupper – An opening in a wall or parapet that directs water to
drain from a roof. HOUSE MADE FROM STONE RUBBLE
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 94
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Setting – The physical environment encompassing a historic
property which may include other onsite buildings and
structures, natural and built landscape features, and the
relationship to the street or nearby buildings.
Shed Roof – A roof shape sloping in only one plane or
direction.
Shingles – Thin, overlapping pieces of wood, asphalt material,
tile, clay, or other material cut to stock lengths, widths, and
thicknesses used as an exterior covering on a sloping roof or
wall. SHED ROOF ON OUTBUILDING

Shiplap – Horizontal wood sheathing which butts together.

When used on the interior walls it was frequently covered with
cheesecloth and wallpaper.
Side Light – A narrow window adjacent to a door or wider
window, and the height the door or window, most often one of
a pair flanking an entrance door.
WOOD SHINGLES ON A HOUSE
Siding – the finish covering of an exterior wall on a frame
building.
Sign/Signage – A permanent or fixed graphic or display that
provides information. It may be freestanding or integrated
into the building.
Sill – the bottom portion of a window which often contrast
with the material of the wall.
Single Hung Window – A window having a single movable
sash.
Site – The land on which a building is located. For historic
purposes, the location of a significant event, a prehistoric or DOORWAY WITH SIDELIGHTS AND TRANSOM

historic occupation or activity, or a building or structure,

whether standing, ruined or vanished, where the location itself
maintains historical or architectural value regardless of the
value of any existing structure.
Skirt – An element used to cover a foundation or the space
between the main house and ground level.
HOUSE SKIRTING WITH A VENT
Sliding Window – A window which moves horizontally in
grooves or between runners.
Slope – The amount of degree of incline.
Soffit – The exposed, often flat, underside of a roof overhang.
Spindles – One of a series of thin, vertical, round elements of
railing often part of a balustrade.
Splash Block – a small masonry block laid on the ground
below a downspout to prevent soil erosion.
WOODEN WINDOW WITH SILL
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Square Wooden Baluster – A short wooden vertical member,
rectangular in shape, used to support a stair handrail or a porch
railing.
Square Wooden Post – Any wooden vertical member,
rectangular in shape, used to support the structure.
Stabilization – The process of temporarily protecting a historic
building or structure until rehabilitation or restoration efforts
can begin. This process typically includes making the
building weather-tight, structurally sound, and secure against SQUARE WOODEN BALUSTER AT PORCH ENTRY
intruders.
Standing Seam Metal Roofing – A sheet metal roofing with
vertical folded seams running parallel along the slope.
Stile and Rail Door – Components of a door; the stiles are the
upright structural members and the rails are the horizontal
framing members at top, middle, and bottom of the door.
COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH STUCCO
Streetscape – The built environment encompassing a street or
road, including sidewalk, and roadway paving, street furniture,
buildings, landscaping, and signage, etc.
Structure – Any kind of human construction.
Stucco – A paste-like substance used as an exterior finish,
composed of Portland cement, lime, sand, and water.
Style – A type of architecture distinguished by special
characteristics of structure and ornament and often related in
time.
Sympathetic Redesign – New work that has an appropriate
BUILDING WITH STANDING SEAM METAL ROOFING
relationship to the existing historic architecture and character
of the surrounding area, based on rhythm, proportion, and
scale.
Tapered Box Column – A hollow, built-up column,
constructed of wood, which is frequently seen in Craftsman
style houses.
Tongue and Groove – A joint composed of a rib (tongue)
received by a groove, frequently seen in wood flooring and
paneling. PORCH WITH TAPERED BOX COLUMN SUPPORTS

Tooling – Compressing and shaping the face of a mortar joint.

Transom Window – A high window separated by a horizontal
member of door frame, window, or canopy.
Trim – The visible woodwork or moldings of a building.
Turn Buckle – A device for connecting and tightening a rod as
for a canopy support.

BUILDING WITH TRANSOM WINDOWS

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 96
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Turned Wood Baluster – A decorative picket used to support a
handrail, part of a balustrade.
Turned Wood Post – A round, wooden support with a
decorative profile that has been turned on a lathe.
Turned Wood Railing – A railing whose architectural
components are turned on a lathe to create a spindle.
Two Part Commercial Block – A typical 2-4 story building
with commercial activity on the ground floor and more private
uses on the upper floor, i.e. offices or residential.
Valley – The trough or gutter formed by the intersection of
two inclined planes of a roof.
TURNED WOODEN BALUSTERS
V-Crimp Roofing – Sheet metal roofing which is folded to
create a “V” in profile and laps at a “V” joint.
Veneer – A thin layer of material applied over a structural
backing such as brick, stone, etc.
Verge Board – A board which hangs from the projecting end
of a roof, covering the gables, often elaborately carved and
ornamented, same as barge board.
Vernacular – A building whose form reflects the local
influences, materials, and tradition.
V-CRIMP METAL ROOFING
Vestibule – A small enclosed space between outer and inner
doors.
Wainscot – A decorative paneling applied to the lower portion
of an inner wall.
Welded Wire Fencing – A welded wire fencing comprised of
square or rectangular openings also known locally as “hog
wire” or “goat wire”. An acceptable alternative for chain link
fencing in historic neighborhoods.
Wood Sash Window – A window where the frame work is
WELDED WIRE FENCING
constructed of wood, may be movable or fixed.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 97

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City of Blanco Design Guidelines 98

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Historic Preservation Resources

Adapted from Paris Historic Preservation Action Plan, Visionaries in

Preservation- Texas Historical Commission. Edited by Mainstreet
Architects Inc.

General Resources

Print Resources

National Trust for Historic Preservation: Information Series

www.preservationbooks.org

• Maintaining Community Character: How to Establish a Local Historic

District
• Design Review in Historic Districts
• Reviewing New Construction Projects in Historic Districts
• Basic Preservation Procedures
• Buyer’s Guide to Older and Historic Houses
• Getting to Know Your 20th Century Neighborhood

Brand, Stewart. How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built.
New York: Penguin Books, 1994.

O’Donnell, Eleanor. Researching a Historic Property. Washington, D.C.:

National Park Service, rev. 1998.

Preservation Yellow Pages: The Complete Information Source for

Homeowners, Communities and Professionals. Washington, D.C.:
National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1997.

Remembering Texas: Guidelines for Historical Research. Texas Historical

Commission.

Researching a Historic Property. U.S. Department of the Interior. National

Park Service.

Weeks, Kay and Anne Grimmer, eds. The Secretary of the Interior’s
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Illustrated
Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and
Reconstructing Historic Buildings. Washington, D.C.: Superintendent
of Documents, Government Printing Office, 1995.

Electronic Resources

African American Heritage Preservation Foundation

www.aahpf.org
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 99
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African American Studies at Columbia University
www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/subjects/afam/afambibl.html

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

www.achp.gov

American Association for State and Local History

www.aaslh.org

Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Youth Education

www.arkansaspreservation.org/preservation-services/youth-
education/default.asp

Colorado Preservation, Inc.

www.coloradopreservation.org

Cultural Resources Management, Online Archive of Past Issues

http://crm.cr.nps.gov/index.htm

ePreservation
www.epreservation.net

The Handbook of Texas Online

www.tshaonline.org/

Heritage Preservation: The National Institute for Conservation

www.heritagepreservation.org

Heritage Preservation Services Free Bookshelf, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/freepubs.htm

Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering

Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey
www.nps.gov/hdp/

Institute of Texan Cultures

www.texancultures.utsa.edu

The National Association for Interpretation

www.interpnet.com

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

www.ncptt.nps.gov

National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers

www.ncshpo.org

National Council on Public History

www.ncph.org
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National Main Street Center
www.mainst.org

National Park Service Preservation Programs

www.nps.gov/history

National Preservation Institute

www.npi.org

National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.nationaltrust.org

Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism

www.txed.state.tx.us

Partners for Sacred Places

www.sacredplaces.org

Partnership Notes, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/hps/pad/partnership/index.htm
• Local Preservation Reference Shelf
• Zoning and Historic Preservation
• Subdivision Regulation and Historic Preservation
• Issues Paper: Conservation Districts

Preservation Directory
www.preservationdirectory.com

Preservation Texas
www.preservationtexas.org

Preserve/Net
www.preservenet.cornell.edu

The Recent Past Preservation Network

www.recentpast.org

Scenic America
www.scenic.org

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties

www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide

Texas Historical Commission

www.thc.state.tx.us

Texas History, Texas Culture - Humanities Interactive

www.humanities-interactive.org

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Texas Parks and Wildlife
www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Texas State Historical Association

www.tshaonline.org

Texas State Preservation Board

www.tspb.state.tx.us

Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing Design Advisor

www.designadvisor.org

Austin Housing Finance Corporation – S.M.A.R.T. Housing

www.ci.austin.tx.us/ahfc/smart.htm

The Campaign for Affordable Housing

www.tcah.org

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program

www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/training/web/lihtc/basics/

National Community Reinvestment Coalition

www.ncrc.org/

National Low Income Housing Coalition

www.nlihc.org

Texas Low Income Housing Information Service

www.texashousing.org/about/about.html

TIF Housing Program – Rock Island, Illinois

www.rigov.org/citydepartments/ced/tifhousingprogram.html

Archeology

Print Resources

“Archeology and the Federal Government,” Cultural Resource Management

17, No. 6 (1994).

“Archeology and the Public,” Cultural Resource Management 18, No. 3

(1995).

Cushman, David W., ed. “The Power to Preserve: Public Archeology and
Local Government,” Cultural Resource Management 21, No. 11 (1998).

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 102

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Lerner, Shereen. Archeology and Historic Preservation. Washington, D.C.:
National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1995.

Electronic Resources

Archaeological Institute of America

www.archaeological.org

Archeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of the Interior’s Standards

and Guidelines
www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_0.htm

ArchNet, Online Archaeological Library

http://archnet.asu.edu

Society for American Archeology

www.saa.org

Society for Commercial Archeology

www.sca-roadside.org

Society for Historical Archaeology

www.sha.org

Strategies for Protecting Archeological Sites on Private Land, National Park

Service
http://tps.cr.nps.gov/pad/main.cfm

Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin

www.utexas.edu/research/tarl

Texas Archeological Society

www.txarch.org

Texas Beyond History, Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory

www.texasbeyondhistory.net/index.html

Texas Historical Commission, Archeology Division

www.thc.state.tx.us/archeology/aadefault.shtml

Architecture

Guidebooks and Dictionaries

Blumenson, John J.G. Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide

to the Styles and Terms, 1600-1945. Nashville: American Association
for State and Local History, rev. ed., 1981.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 103

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Carley, Rachel. The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture.
New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1994.

Greene, Fayal. The Anatomy of a House. New York: Doubleday, 1991.

Harris, Cyril. Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. New York:

McGraw-Hill, 1993.

Howard, Hugh. How Old is This House?: A Skeleton Key to Dating and
Identifying Three Centuries of American Houses. New York: The
Noonday Press of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1989.

Howe, Barbara, et. al. Houses and Homes: Exploring Their History.
Nashville: Association for State and Local History, 1987.

Kyvig, David E. and Myron A. Marty. Nearby History: Exploring the Past
Around You. Nashville: American Association for State and Local
History, 1982.

Lounsbury, Carl R. An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture

and Landscape. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York:
Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.

Pevsner, Nicholas, Hugh Honour and John Fleming. The Penguin Dictionary
of Architecture. New York: Penguin Books.

Phillips, Steven J. Old-House Dictionary: An Illustrated Guide to American

Domestic Architecture, 1600 to 1940. Washington, D.C.: Preservation
Press, 1992.

Poppeliers, John S., Allen Chambers and Nancy B. Schwartz. What Style Is
It? Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press, 1983.

Rifkind, Carole. A Field Guide to American Architecture. New York: New

American Library, 1980.

Smith, Henry Atterbury, compiler. 500 Small Houses of the Twenties. Dover
Publications, June 1990 (reprint edition).

Walker, Lester. American Shelter: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the

American Home. New York: Overlook Press, 1981.

Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press,

1993.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 104

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Print Resources for the History of American Architecture: Popular
House Types

Clark, Clifford. The American Family Home, 1800-1960. Chapel Hill:

University of North Carolina Press, 1986.

Foy, Jessica and Thomas Schlereth, eds. American Home Life, 1880-1930.
Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1992.

Handlin, David. The American Home: Architecture and Society, 1815-1915.

Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1979.

Jackson, Kenneth. Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United

States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.

Schrenk, Lisa (foreword). Your Future Home: The Architects’ Small House
Service Bureau. Washington, D.C.: American Institute of Architects,
1992.

Stevenson, Katherine Cole. and H. Ward Jandl. Houses by Mail: A Guide to

Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company. New York: Preservation
Press by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1986.

Wright, Gwendolyn. Building the Dream: A Social History of Housing in

America. Cambridge, MIT Press, 1993.

Print Resources for Non-Domestic Building Types

Baker, T. Lindsay. A Field Guide to American Windmills. Norman:

University of Oklahoma Press, 1985.

Falkenburg, Ruth and John Hankey. Railroad Depot Acquisition and

Development. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic
Preservation, 1991.

Gebhard, David. The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America. New
York: Preservation Press by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1996.

Hautaluoma, Grey and Mary Margaret Schoenfeld. Curtain Up: New Life for
Historic Theaters. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic
Preservation, 1993.

Humstone, Mary. BARN AGAIN! A Guide to the Rehabilitation of Older

Farm Buildings. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic
Preservation, 1997.

Humstone, Mary and Dexter W. Johnson. Using Old Farm Buildings.

Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2000.
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 105
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Humstone, Mary. BARN AGAIN! A Guide to the Rehabilitation of Older
Farm Buildings. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic
Preservation, 1997.

Humstone, Mary and Dexter W. Johnson. Using Old Farm Buildings.

Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2000.

Liebs, Chester. Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside

Architecture. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1985.

Longstreth, Richard. Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial

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

Rubman, Kerri. A Community Guide to Saving Older Schools. Washington,

D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2000.

Snyder, John. Preserving Historic Bridges. Washington, D.C.: National Trust

for Historic Preservation, 1995.

Print Resources for Texas Architecture

Abernathy, Francis Edward, ed. Built in Texas. Waco: E-Heart Press, 1979.

Alexander, Drury B. Texas Homes of the Nineteenth Century. Austin:

University of Texas Press, 1966; 1979.

Brandimarte, Cynthia. Inside Texas: Culture, Identity and Houses, 1878-

1920. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1991.

Cohen, Judith. Cowtown Moderne: Art Deco Architecture of Fort Worth,

Texas. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1988.

Coursey, Clark. Courthouses of Texas. Brownwood: Banner Printing, 1962.

Culbertson, Margaret. “Mail-Order Mansions: Catalogue Sources of

Domestic Architecture in North Central Texas.” Legacies: A History
Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas. Fall 1992, 8-20.

Culbertson, Margaret. Texas Houses Built by the Book: The Use of Print
Designs, 1850-1925. College Station: Texas A&M University Press,
1999.

Fox, Daniel. Traces of History: Archaeological Evidence of the Past 450

Years. San Antonio: Corona Publishing Company, 1983.

Francavaglia, Richard. Main Street Revisited. Iowa City: University of Iowa

Press, 1996.
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 106
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George, Mary Carolyn Hollers. O’Neil Ford, Architect. College Station:
Texas A&M University Press, 1992.

Goeldner, Paul, comp. Texas Catalog: Historic American Buildings Survey.

San Antonio: Trinity University Press, 1974.

Goeldner, Paul. “Temples of Justice: 19th Century County Courthouses in the

Midwest and Texas.” Ph.D dissertation, Columbia University, 1970.

Harwood, Buie. Decorating Texas: Decorative Painting in the Lone Star

State from the 1850s to the 1950s. Fort Worth: Texas Christian
University Press, 1993.

Heimsath, Clovis. Pioneer Texas Buildings: A Geometry Lesson. Austin:

University of Texas Press, 1968.

Henry, Jay. Architecture in Texas, 1895-1945. Austin: University of Texas

Press, 1993.

Jordan, Terry. Texas Log Buildings: A Folk Architecture. Austin: University

of Texas Press, 1978.

Kelsey, Maris and Donald Dyal. The Courthouses of Texas: A Guide. College
Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1993.

Robinson, Willard. “Architecture.” The New Handbook of Texas, 1996, Vol.

1: 226-234.

Robinson, Willard. Gone From Texas. College Station: Texas A&M Press,
1982.

Robinson, Willard. The People’s Architecture. Austin: Texas State Historical

Association, 1983.

Robinson, Willard. Reflections of Faith: Houses of Worship in the Lone Star

State. Waco: Baylor University Press, 1994.

Robinson, Willard. Texas Public Buildings of the Nineteenth Century.

Austin: University of Texas Press, 1974.

Sasser, Elizabeth. Dugout to Deco: Building in West Texas, 1880-1930.

Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press, 1993.

Simons, Helen and Cathryn Hoyt, eds. Hispanic Texas: A Historical Guide.
Austin: University of Texas Press and the Texas Historical
Commission, 1992.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 107

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Welch, June Rayfield and J. Larry Nash. The Texas Courthouse. Dallas: GLA
Press, 1971.

Welch, June Rayfield and J. Larry Nash. The Texas Courthouse Revisited.
Dallas: GLA Press, 1984.

Electronic Resources

American Architecture, A Style Guide

www.realviews.com

American Institute of Architects

www.aia.org

BARN AGAIN! National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org/issues/rural-heritage/barn-again

Historic House Architecture

www.ragtime.org/arch

Partner for Sacred Places

www.sacredplaces.org

Roadside Architecture
www.roadsidepeek.com/archit/index.htm

Society of Architectural Historians

www.sah.org

Texas Historical Commission, Historic Properties

www.thc.state.tx.us/historicprop/hpdefault.shtml

Texas Society of Architects

http://texasarchitect.org

Theatre Historical Society of America

www.historictheatres.org

Bibliographies

Print Resources

Gagliardi, Neil and Stephen Morris. Local Historic Preservation Plans: A

Selected Annotated Bibliography. Washington, D.C.: National Park
Service, 1993.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 108

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Massey, James. Readings in Historic Preservation: An Annotated

Bibliography to the Key Books and Periodicals. Washington, D.C.:
National Preservation Institute, 1986.

Electronic Resources

Heritage Preservation Services Free Bookshelf, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/freepubs.htm

Preservation Links – National Alliance of Preservation Commissions

www.uga.edu/napc/programs/napc/links.htm

Partnership Notes, National Park Service – Local Preservation Reference

Shelf
www.nps.gov/hps/pad/partnership/index.htm

Design Review

Print Resources

Adams, Rachel. “Finding a Better Fit.” Preservation, March/April 2003: 26-

27.

Beasley, Ellen. Reviewing New Construction Projects in Historic Areas:

Procedures for Local Preservation Commissions.
Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1986.

Berry, Wendell, editor. Good Neighbors: Building Next to History. Denver:

Colorado Historical Society, 1980.

Cox, Rachel. Design Review in Historic Districts. Washington, D.C.:

National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1994.

Frazier, Kathleen O. and William T. Frazier. “Virginia Historic District

Design Guidelines Research Project.” Historic Preservation Forum,
Spring 1996: 4-11.

Kaplan, Marilyn E. “Building Code Changes Impact Historic Buildings.”

Forum News, Jan./Feb. 2000, Vol. 6, No. 3.

Pregliasco, Janice. Developing Downtown Design Guidelines. Sacramento:

California Main Street Program, 1988.

Electronic Resources

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 109

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City of Fort Worth Urban Design Standards
www.dfwi.org

City of Grapevine Design Guidelines

www.grapevinetexas.gov/IndividualDepartments/HistoricPreservation/Desig
nGuidelines/tabid/661/default.aspx

City of Wichita Architectural Design Guidelines

www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/Planning/Preservation/old_town_design_guide
lines.htm

Creating and Using Design Guidelines, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/hps/workingonthepast/writingsteps.htm

City of Georgetown Design Guidelines for the Downtown Overlay District

http://files.georgetown.org/downtown-design-guidelines/

Design Guidelines for Downtown Greenville

www.ci.greenville.tx.us/index.aspx?nid=353

Historic Preservation in Salisbury, North Carolina

www.salisburync.gov/lm%26d/historic/historic.html

Historic Rockville Technical Guides for Exterior Alterations

www.rockvillemd.gov/historic/tech-guides.html

Town of Truckee Historic Design Guidelines

www.truckee2025.org/planning/hdgcont.htm

Urban Design Standards

http://winter.phpwebhosting.com/~cspivey/APA/Urban%20Design.htm

Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Center for Rural Entrepreneurship

www.ruraleship.org/

Center for the Study of Rural America

www.kansascityfed.org/RuralCenter/RuralMain.htm

Let’s Talk Business: Ideas for Expanding Retail and Services

www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/publicat/letstalk.html

National Business Incubation Association

www.nbia.org

National Main Street Center

www.mainst.org

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Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
www.tcre.org

Texas Enterprise Zone Program

www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/enterprise_zone/ez_program.html

USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/bprogs.htm

Financial Incentives and Economic Benefits

Print Resources

Affordable Housing Through Historic Preservation: A Case Study Guide to

Combining the Tax Credits. Washington, D.C.:
National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service, 1995.

The Economic Benefits of Preserving Community Character: A Practical

Methodology. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic
Preservation, 1991.

Historic Preservation at Work for the Texas Economy. The Texas Historical
Commission, Preservation Dallas, the City of Abilene, the City of Fort
Worth, the City of Grapevine, the City of Laredo, the City of Lubbock,
the City of Nacogdoches, the City of San Antonio and the Grapevine
Heritage Foundation, 1999. Available on the THC web site.

Leith-Tetrault, John and Erica Stewart. “Historic Texas Credits: Expanding

Their Use on Main Street.” MainStreet News, May 2002: 1-5, 10-12.

Preservation Tax Incentives for Historic Buildings. National Park Service and
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, 1987.

Electronic Resources

ADA Tax Credits, United States Department of Justice

www.ada.gov/taxpack.htm
www.ada.gov/taxcred.htm

Certified Local Government Grants

www.thc.state.tx.us/grantsincent/graclg.shtml

City of Dallas Historic Preservation Tax Incentives

www.dallascityhall.com/

City of Waxahachie Historic Building Restoration Program and Incentives

www.waxahachie.com/c3web/incentives page.htm

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 111

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Community Development Block Grant Programs

www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/index.cfm

Federal Financial Assistance for Rural Buildings

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs

The Foundation Center, Finding Funding

http://fdncenter.org

Funding for Historic Preservation, National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.nationaltrust.org/help/funding.html

Historic Preservation at Work for the Texas Economy

www.thc.state.tx.us/publications/reports/EconImpact.pdf

Incentives! A National Park Service Guide

www.nps.gov/history/tax.htm

Keep Texas Beautiful

www.ktb.org/

Local Incentives for Preservation

www.preservationtexas.org/newsletter/preservation_newsletter_incentives.
html

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program

www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/training/web/lihtc/basics/

Main Street Brenham

www.ci.brenham.tx.us/ComDev_MainStreet.cfm

National Main Street Center

www.mainst.org

National Park Service: Grants, Tax Credit, and Other Assistance

www.nps.gov/history/grants.htm

National Trust Community Investment Fund

www.ntcicfunds.com/

National Trust Loan Funds

www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/loans/national-trust-
loan-fund

Rehabilitation Mortgage Loan Insurance

www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/203k/203kmenu.cfm

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Rehabilitation Tax Credit Guide, National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org/issues/rehabilitation-tax-credits/

Small Deal Fund, National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/nonprofit-public-
funding.html

Sources of Financial Assistance for Historic Preservation Projects,

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
www.achp.gov/funding.html

Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship

www.tcre.org

Texas Department of Agriculture, Rural Economic Development

www.agr.state.tx.us/agr/program_render/0,1987,1848_6052_0_0,00.html?c
hannelId=6052

Texas Historical Commission, Grants and Incentives

www.thc.state.tx.us/grantsincent/gradefault.shtml

Texas Parks and Wildlife, Recreation Grants Program

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/grants/

Texas Tax Increment Financing Zone Registry

www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/registry/zone.html

Texas Yes!
www.texasyes.org

Web-Available Studies on the Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation

www.achp.gov/economicstudies.html

Heritage Tourism

Print Resources

Baker, Priscilla. Touring Historic Places. National Trust for Historic

Preservation and National Tourism Association, 1995.

Fleming, Ronald Lee. If Walls Could Talk: Telling the Story of a Historic
Building to Create a Market Edge. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for
Historic Preservation, 1989.

Geiger, Debbie. Public Relations Strategies for Historic Sites and

Communities: Offering a Media Tour. Washington, D.C.: National Trust
for Historic Preservation, 1998.

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Levy, Barbara Abramoff, Sandra Mackenzie Lloyd, and Susan Porter
Schreiber. Great Tours!: Thematic Tours and Guide Training for Historic
Sites. AltaMira Press, 2002.

Share Your Heritage: Cultural Heritage Tourism Success Stories.

Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2001.

Electronic Resources

Alliance of National Heritage Areas

www.nationalheritageareas.com

Association of Travel Marketing Executives, Marketing Toolkit

www.atme.org/pubs/members/75_310_1324.cfm

Destination Texas
www.destinationtexas.cc

Historic Accommodations of Texas

www.hat.org

Historic Travel, National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites

National Register Travel Itineraries

www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel

National Scenic Byways

www.byways.org

National Tour Association

www.ntaonline.com

Preserve America
www.preserveamerica.gov

Trails and Rails Partnership Program, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/trails&rails

Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program – Community

Toolbox
www.nps.gov/phso/rtcatoolbox/index_comtoolbox.htm

Rural Information Center Resources

www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ruralres/tourism.htm

Statewide Arts and Cultural Events

www.arts.state.tx.us/caltca/calregions.cfm

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Texas Historical Commission, Heritage Travel
www.thc.state.tx.us/heritagetourism/htprogram.shtml

Texas Parks and Wildlife

www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Texas Travel Industry Association

www.ttia.org

Tour Texas
www.tourtexas.com

Travel Industry Association of America

www.tia.org

TravelTex.com, the Official Site of Texas Tourism

www.traveltex.com

Utah Heritage Tourism Toolkit

http://history.utah.gov/httoolkit

Historic Districts

Print Resources

Ames, David L. and Linda Flint McClelland. Historic

Residential Suburbs: Guidelines for Evaluation and
Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places.
National Register Bulletin, September 2002.

Beasley, Ellen. Design and Development: Infill Housing

Compatible with Historic Neighborhoods. Washington, D.C.:
National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1989.

Cassity, Pratt. Maintaining Community Character: How to

Establish a Local Historic District. Washington, D.C.: National
Trust for Historic Preservation, 1992.

Guidelines for Drafting Historic Preservation Ordinances and

Model Ordinance. Local Government Assistance Series, No. 1.
Certified Local Government Program.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 115

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Headley, Hope. Historic Districts: An Introduction to Information
Resources. Information Sheet No. 35. The Preservation Press, 1983.

Roddewig, Richard J. Preparing a Local Preservation Ordinance.

Planning Advisory Report, No. 374. Chicago: American Planning
Association, 1983.

Skelly, Christopher. “Promoting Innovative Historic Preservation

Ordinances.” Zoning News, January 2002.

Wright, Russell. A Guide to Delineating Edges of Historic Districts. The

Preservation Press, 1976.

Electronic Resources

Partnership Notes, National Park Service – Conservation Districts

www.nps.gov/hps/pad/partnership/index.htm

Working on the Past in Local Historic Districts, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/hps/workingonthepast

Historic District Boards and Commissions

Print Resources

Certified Local Governments in the National Historic Preservation

Program. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service.

Peters, Rober, ed. A Comprehensive Program for Historic Preservation in

Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha: Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission,
December 1980.

Procedural Due Process in Plain English: A Guide for Preservation

Commissions. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation,
2004.

Electronic Resources

National Alliance of Preservation Commissions

www.uga.edu/napc/

Working on the Past in Local Historic Districts, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/hps/workingonthepast

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 116

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Historic Landscapes

Print Resources

Birnbaum, Charles. Protecting Cultural Landscapes: Planning, Treatment,

and Management of Historic Landscapes. Preservation Brief 36, National
Park Service, 1994.

Focus on Landscape Preservation. National Trust for Historic

Preservation, Historic Preservation Forum (May/June 1993, Volume 7,
Number 3).

Electronic Resources

The Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation

www.ahlp.org

American Society of Landscape Architects

www.asla.org

The Cultural Landscape Foundation

www.tclf.org

Family Land Heritage Program, Texas Department of Agriculture

www.agr.state.tx.us

Historic Landscape Initiative, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/hps/hli/

Institute for Cultural Landscape Studies

www.icls.harvard.edu

Historic Preservation Easements

Print Resources

Coughlin, Thomas. Appraising Easements. Land Trust Alliance, 1984.

Watson, Elizabeth and Stefan Nagel. Establishing an Easement Program

to Protect Historic, Scenic, and Natural Resources. Washington, D.C.:
National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1980.

Electronic Resources

The Facts about Preservation Easements

www.preservationnation.org/resources/legal-resources/easements/

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 117

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Historic Preservation Easements, National Park Service
www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/tax/easement.htm

Preservation Easement Trust

www.preservationeasement.org/home

Land Trusts and Conservation Easements

Print Resources

Diehl, Janet and Thomas S. Barrett. The Conservation Easement

Handbook. Alexandria, VA: Land Trust Alliance and Trust For Public
Land, 1988.

Doing Deals: A Guide to Buying Land for Conservation. Land Trust

Alliance and The Trust for Public Land, 1998.

Lind, Brenda. The Conservation Easement Stewardship Guide. Land Trust

Alliance, 1991.

Small, Stephen J. Preserving Family Lands. Boston: Landowner Planning

Center, 1992.

The Standards and Practices Guidebook. Land Trust Alliance, 1989.

Electronic Resources

American Farmland Trust

www.farmland.org

Conservation Fund
www.conservationfund.org

Hill Country Conservancy

www.hillcountryconservancy.org

Land Trust Alliance

www.lta.org

Legacy Land Trust

www.llt.org

Native Prairies Association of Texas

www.texasprairie.org

Natural Area Preservation Association

www.napa-texas.org

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 118

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
The Nature Conservancy, Texas Chapter
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/texas

Texas Land Trusts

www.texaslandtrustcouncil.org/

Trust for Public Land

www.tpl.org

Legal Issues

Print Resources

Duerksen, Christopher J., editor. A Handbook on Historic Preservation

Law. The Conservation Foundation and the National Center for
Preservation Law, 1983.

Duerksen, Christopher and Richard Roddewig. Takings Law in Plain

English. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1994.

Miller, Julia. Layperson`s Guide to Preservation Law: Federal, State, and

Local Laws Governing Historic Resource. Washington D.C.: National
Trust for Historic Preservation, 1997.

Preservation Law Reporter. A monthly publication covering federal, state

and local developments in preservation law. Washington, D.C.: National
Trust for Historic Preservation.

Preservation Law Updates. Twice-monthly newsletters on matters of

preservation law. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Preservation Law.

Roddewig, Richard J. and Christopher J. Duerksen. Responding to the

Takings Challenge. Planning Advisory Service Report No. 416. Chicago:
American Planning Association, 1989.

Electronic Resources

Land Use and Planning, McTex Law

www.mctexlaw.com/atf-land.asp

Legal Advocacy, National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org/resources/legal-resources

Preservation Action
www.preservationaction.org

Preservation Texas
www.preservationtexas.org/advocacy/index.htm

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 119

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Local Preservation Planning

Print Resources

Ames, David L. and Linda Flint McClelland. Historic Residential Suburbs:

Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of
Historic Places. National Register Bulletin, September 2002.

Arendt, Randall. Conservation Design for Subdivisions: A Practical Guide

to Creating Open Space Networks. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1996.

Beaumont, Constance Epton. A Citizen’s Guide to Protecting Historic

Places: Local Preservation Ordinances. Washington, D.C.: National Trust
for Historic Preservation, 1992.

Beaumont, Constance. How Superstore Sprawl Can Harm Communities:

And What Citizens Can Do About It. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for
Historic Preservation, 1994.

Beaumont, Constance Epton and A. Bruce Dotson. Preservation Planning

and Growth Management in Four States. Washington, D.C.: National Trust
for Historic Preservation, revised 1992.

Campoli, Julie, Elizabeth Humstone, and Alex MacLean. Above and

Beyond. Chicago: Planners Press, 2002.

Collins, Richard C., Elizabeth B. Waters, and A. Bruce Dotson. America’s

Downtowns: Growth, Politics and Preservation. Washington, D.C.: The
Preservation Press, 1991.

Currier, Ross and Deidre Schmidt. “Restoring Historic Buildings to Their

Communities.” Historic Preservation Forum, Spring 1996: 14-21.

Derry, Anne, Ward Jandl, Carol D. Shull, and Jan Thorman (revised by
Patricia Parker). Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation
Planning (formerly National Register Bulletin 24), 1985.

Duany, Andres. “A Long-Range Vision for Cities, and for Preservation.”

Forum Journal, Winter 2003: 37-42.

Duany, Andres and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Towns and Town-Making

Principles. New York: Rizzoli, 1990.

Duerksen, Christopher J. Aesthetics and Land Use Controls: Beyond

Ecology and Economics. Planning Advisory Service Report No. 399.
Chicago: American Planning Association, 1986.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 120

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Fleming, R.L. Saving Face: How Corporate Franchise Design Can
Respect Community Identity. Planning Advisory Service, No. 629.
Washington, D.C.: American Planning Association, 1993.

Gratz, Roberta Brandes. Cities Back from the Edge: New Life from
Downtown. Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1998.

Gratz, Roberta Brandes. The Living City: How America’s Cities Are Being
Revitalized by Thinking Small in a Big Way. Washington, D.C.: The
Preservation Press, 1994.

Herr, Philip B. Saving Place: a Guide and Report Card for Protecting
Community Character. Boston: National Trust for Historic Preservation,
1991.

Homsy, George. “Making Great Strips Happen.” Planning, December

2002: 24-27.

Innovative Tools for Historic Preservation. Washington, D.C.: National

Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Planning Association,
1992.

Longstreth, Richard. History on the Line: Testimony in the Cause of

Preservation. Ithaca, NY: Historic Urban Plans, Inc. 1998.

Mantell, Michael A., et al. Creating Successful Communities: Resource

Guide for Creating Successful Communities. Washington, D.C.: Island
Press, 1989.

Moe, Richard and Carter Wilkie. Changing Places: Rebuilding Community

in the Age of Sprawl. New York: Henry Holt and Co, 1997.

Montgomery, Jim. “Where Caring Counts.” Planning, November 2002:

14-16.

Oltmans, Rebecca. “Bedroom Communities.” Hastings Tribune. January

2003.

Papasan, Wendy. “Building Communities and Economies Through

Heritage Tourism.” Museline, Summer 2003: 8-9.

Paseltiner, Ellen Kettler and Deborah Tyler. Zoning and Historic

Preservation: A Survey of Current Zoning Techniques in U.S. Cites to
Encourage Historic Preservation. Landmarks Preservation Council of
Illinois, 1983.

“Preservation Planning: Ensuring a Future for our Past.” Cultural Resource

Management 23, No. 7 (2000).

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 121

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Roddewig, Richard and Bradford White. “Preparing a Historic
Preservation Plan.” PAS Report No. 450, 1994.

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Preservation

Planning, September 1983.

Talarico, Wendy. “Teardowns Slowdown.” Preservation, March/April

2003: 11-12.

Tassan, Vickie. “The Partnership Role of Banks in Historic Preservation.”

Historic Preservation Forum, Spring 1996: 22-29.

Vogel, Lisa and Pratt Cassity. “The Buck Stops… Where?” Historic
Preservation Forum, Summer 1996: 15-22.

Waters, John C. Maintaining a Sense of Place: A Citizen’s Guide to

Community Preservation. Institution of Community and Area
Development, 1983.

White, Bradford J. and Richard J. Roddewig. Preparing a Historic

Preservation Plan. Chicago: American Planning Association, 1994.

Electronic Resources

American Planning Association

www.planning.org

American Planning Association, Texas Chapter

www.txplanning.org

Context Sensitive Solutions

www.contextsensitivesolutions.org

Historic Preservation Planning Program, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/hps/pad/

Livable Communities Task Force

http://blumenauer.house.gov/issues

Partnership Notes, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/hps/pad/partnership/index.htm
• Local Preservation Reference Shelf
• Zoning and Historic Preservation
• Subdivision Regulation and Historic Preservation
• Issues Paper: Conservation Districts

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

www.pedbikeimages.org

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 122

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Preserve America
www.preserveamerica.gov

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation Planning

www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_1.htm
Smart Growth America
www.smartgrowthamerica.org

Texas Downtown Association

www.texasdowntown.org

Texas Historical Commission, Certified Local Government

www.thc.state.tx.us/certifiedlocgov/clgdefault.shtml

Texas Historical Commission, The Texas Main Street Program

www.thc.state.tx.us/mainstreet/msdefault.shtml

Texas Historical Commission, Visionaries in Preservation Program

www.thc.state.tx.us/visioninpres/vpdefault.shtml

Walkable Communities, Inc.

www.walkable.org

Maps, Aerial Images and Photographs

Applying GPS to Historic Preservation and Architectural Surveys,

National Park Service
www.nps.gov/history/hdp/standards/CRGIS/hist_pres_gps.htm

Cultural Resources Mapping and GIS, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/hdp/crgis/index.htm

The National Map (USGS maps and aerial photography)

http://seamless.usgs.gov/

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

www.pedbikeimages.org

TerraServer (Aerial photography)

http://terraserver.com/

Texas Escapes
http://texasescapes.com/

Texas General Land Office (archival map collection dating from the
1820s)
www.glo.state.tx.us/archives/mapscol.html

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 123

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Texas Natural Resources Information System (USGS maps and other
collections)
www.tnris.org

TexShare Databases for the Texas State Library and Archives Commission
(Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps)
www.tsl.state.tx.us

TopoZone – The Web’s Topographic Map (USGS maps)

http://topozone.com/

Markers and Designations

Print Resources

“Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Properties Associated with

Significant Persons.” U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park
Service.

“Guidelines for Listing Your Neighborhood in the National Register of

Historic Places.” Texas Historical Commission.

“Historic Texas Cemetery Designation Guidelines and Application Form.”

Texas Historical Commission.

“How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation.” U.S.

Department of the Interior. National Park Service.

“How to Complete the National Register Registration Form.” U.S.

Department of the Interior. National Park Service.

“Official Texas Historical Markers: Guidelines and Application Form.”

Texas Historical Commission.

Electronic Resources

National Register of Historic Places

www.nps.gov/history/places.htm

THC Atlas – Database of Texas/State of Texas markers, National Register

properties, data and survey records
http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/

Texas Historical Commission, History Programs Division

www.thc.state.tx.us/markersdesigs/maddefault.shtml

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 124

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Museums and Archives

Print Resources

Donnelly, Jessica Foy. Interpreting Historic House Museums. Altamira

Press, 2002.

Heaver, Melissa. Housekeeping for Historic Homes and House Museums.

Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2000.

Electronic Resources

American Association of Museums

www.aam-us.org

Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums

www.alhfam.org

Institute of Museum and Library Services

www.imls.gov

Texas Association of Museums

www.io.com/~tam

Texas Historical Commission, Museum Services

www.thc.state.tx.us/museums/musdefault.html

Texas State Library and Archives Commission

www.tsl.state.tx.us

Preservation Education

Print Resources

Rubman, Kerri. Heritage Education: An Introduction for Teachers, Group

Leaders and Program Planners. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for
Historic Preservation, 1998.

White, Charles. Curriculum Framework for Professional Training and

Development. Washington, D.C.: National Trust for Historic Preservation,
1995.

Electronic Resources

Arkansas Historic Preservation Education Program

www.arkansaspreservation.org/preservation-services/youth-
education/default.asp

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 125

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Center for Understanding the Built Environment
www.cubekc.org

Heritage Education
www.ncptt.nps.gov/

The Heritage Education Network

http://histpres.mtsu.edu/then/

Kids and Community, American Planning Association

www.planning.org/kidsandcommunity

National Council for Preservation Education

www.uvm.edu/histpres/ncpe

Teaching with Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places

www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/index.htm

Texas State Historical Association, Education Program

www.tshaonline.org/education/

Preservation History

Print Resources

Hosmer, Charles B. Jr. Preservation Comes of Age: From Williamsburg to

the National Trust, 1926-1949. Charlottesville: University Press of
Virginia, 1981.

Lee, Antoinette. “From Tennis Shoes to Sensible Pumps: How Historic

Preservation Went from a Passion to a Profession.” History News, Summer
2002: 18-21.

Morris, Marya. “Innovative Tools for Historic Preservation.” American

Planning Association, Planning Advisory Service, Report No. 438.

Rypkema, Donovan D. “Historic Preservation: Where We’ve Been and

Where We Need to Go.” Forum Journal, Winter 2003: 43-56.

Young, Dwight. “Like an Old Shoe: The Cities of Tomorrow Need the
Seasoned Places of Today.” Preservation, November/December 2002: 84.

Small Towns and Rural Preservation

Print Resources

Arendt, Randall, et al. Rural by Design: Maintaining Small Town

Character. Chicago: American Planning Association, 1994.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 126

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Calderon, Richard. Planning Approaches for Growth in Rural Areas.
Leesburg, Va.: Loudon County Planning Department, 1989.

Campoli, Julie, Elizabeth Humstone, and Alex MacLean. Above and

Beyond: Visualizing Change in Small Towns and Rural Areas. Chicago:
American Planning Association, 2002.

Daniels, Thomas L., John W. Keller, and Mark B. Lapping. The Small
Town Planning Handbook (second edition). Chicago: Planners Press, 1995.

Does Farmland Protection Pay? The Cost of Community Services in Three

Massachusetts Towns. American Farmland Trust. Northhampton: The
Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture, 1992.

Farmsteads and Market Towns: A Handbook for Preserving the Cultural

Landscape. Preservation League of New York State. Albany: Preservation
League of New York State, 1982.

Glassie, Henry. “The Rural Landscape.” Forum Journal, Winter 2003: 32-
36.

Laskin, David. “New West Order.” Preservation, July/August 2003: 11-12.

Managing Change in Rural Communities. National Endowment for the

Arts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1995.

McClelland, L., J.T. Keller, G. Keller, R. Melnick. n.d. Guidelines for

Evaluating and Documenting Rural Historic Districts. National Register
Bulletin, No. 30. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior,
National Park Service.

Melnick, Robert Z. “Capturing the Cultural Landscape.” Landscape

Architecture 71, January 1981: 56-80.

Rural Development Guidelines. Dutchess County Department of Planning

and Development. Albany: New York Planning Federation, 1994.

Stipe, Robert E., ed. New Directions in Rural Preservation. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, 1980.

Stokes, Samuel, A. Elizabeth Watson, and Shelley S. Mastran. Saving

America's Countryside: A Guide to Rural Conservation. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins University Press, 1997.

Urbanizing Farmland: Dynamics of Land Use Change in Fast-Growth

Counties. U.S. Department of Agriculture Information Bulletin, No. 629.
Rockville, MD: Economic Research Service, 1991.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 127

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Village Planning Handbook. Doylestown, PA: Bucks County Planning
Commission, 1989.

Zube, E.H. and M. Zube, eds. Changing Rural Landscapes. Amherst:

University of Massachusetts Press, 1977.

Electronic Resources

American Farmland Trust

www.farmland.org

Association for Living History Farm, and Agricultural Museums

www.alhfam.org

BARN AGAIN! National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org/issues/rural-heritage/barn-again

Center for the Study of Rural America

www.kansascityfed.org/RuralCenter/RuralMain.htm

Conservation Fund
www.conservationfund.org

Land Trust Alliance

www.lta.org

Rural Heritage Program, National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationnation.org/issues/rural-heritage

Surveys of Historic Resources

Electronic Resources

Applying GPS to Historic Preservation and Architectural Surveys,

National Park Service
www.nps.gov/history/hdp/standards/CRGIS/hist_pres_gps.htm

Discover Dallas! A Survey of Dallas’ Historic and Architectural Properties

www.preservationdallas.org/new_site/survey/about.php

Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning

www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb24/

Historic Resource Surveys, Texas Historical Commission

www.thc.state.tx.us/survey/surdefault.shtml

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 128

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Technical Assistance

Print Resources

Auer, Michael, Charles Fisher, and Anne Grimer, eds. Interiors Handbook
for Historic Buildings. Historic Preservation Education Foundation and
National Park Service, 1988.

Auer, Michael, Charles Fisher, Thomas Jester, and Marilyn Kaplan, eds.
Interiors Handbook for Historic Buildings, Volume II. Historic
Preservation Education Foundation and National Park Service, 1993.

Caring for Your Historic House. Heritage Preservation and National Park
Service. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1998.

Fisher, Charles, ed. The Windows Handbook: Successful Strategies for

Rehabilitating Windows in Historic Buildings. Historic Preservation
Education Foundation.

Foulks, William, ed. Historic Building Facades: The Manual for

Maintenance and Rehabilitation. New York: Preservation Press (John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.), 1997.

Jester, Thomas, ed. Twentieth Century Building Materials. New York:

McGraw-Hill, 1995.

Kitchen, Judith L., Respectful Rehabilitation – Caring for Your Old House,
A Guide for Owners and Residents. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1991.

Preserving the Recent Past. Historic Preservation Education Foundation,

1995.

Preserving the Recent Past II. Historic Preservation Education Foundation

and National Park Service, 2000.

Respectful Rehabilitation: Answers to Your Questions about Old Buildings.

Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press, 1990.

Roofing Handbook for Historic Buildings. Historic Preservation Education

Foundation and National Park Service, 1999.

Weaver, Martin. Conserving Buildings: A Manual of Techniques and

Materials. New York: Preservation Press (John Wiley & Sons Inc.), 1997.

Window Rehabilitation Guide for Historic Buildings. Historic Preservation

Education Foundation and National Park Service, 1997.

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 129

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Electronic Resources

Association for Preservation Technology

www.apti.org

Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online (CAMEO)

www.mfa.org/cameo

Historic Preservation Technical Procedures, General Services

Administration
http://w3.gsa.gov/web/p/hptp.nsf

Old House Journal

www.oldhousejournal.com

This Old House Online

www.thisoldhouse.com

Preservation Briefs, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm

Preservation Tech Notes, National Park Service

www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/technotes/tnhome.htm

Preservation Trades Network

www.ptn.org

Preservation Web
www.alexa.com/siteinfo/www.preservationweb.com/

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic

Properties
www.nps.gov/history/standards.htm

Technical Preservation Services for Historic Buildings

www.nps.gov/hps/tps/

Traditional Building
www.traditional-building.com

Transportation

Print Resources

Marriott, Paul Daniel. Saving Historic Roads: Design and Policy

Guidelines. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998.

Community Guide to Planning and Managing a Scenic Byway. U.S.

Department of Transportation.
City of Blanco Design Guidelines 130
 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Electronic Resources

Context Sensitive Solutions

www.contextsensitivesolutions.org

National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse

www.enhancements.org

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

www.pedbikeimages.org

Rails to Trails Conservancy

www.railstotrails.org

Reconnecting America
www.reconnectingamerica.org

Surface Transportation Law, TEA-21

www.fhwa.dot.gov/tea21/

Texas Department of Transportation

www.txdot.state.tx.us

Transportation, National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.nationaltrust.org/issues/transportation/

Walkable Communities, Inc.

www.walkable.org

Periodicals

American Bungalow
Self-Print

Antique Homes Magazine

Self-Print

Cultural Resource Management

Printed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Historic Preservation Forum

Printed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation

History News
Printed by the American Association for State and Local History

Journal of the Association for Preservation Technology

Printed by the Association for Preservation Technology

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 131

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Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians
Printed by the Society of Architectural Historians

Main Street News

The monthly periodical of the National Trust’s National Main Street
Center

The Medallion
Printed by the Texas Historical Commission

Old House Journal

Printed by Restore Media, LLC

Planning
Printed by the American Planning Association

Platform
Printed by the University of Texas School of Architecture

Preservation
The official magazine for members of the National Trust for Historic
Preservation

This Old House

Printed by Time Publishing Ventures

Traditional Building: The Professional’s Source for Historical

Products
Printed by Restore Media, LLC

Zoning News
Printed by the American Planning Association

Preservation Partners
International Organizations

International Council on Monuments and Sites

US/ICOMOS
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW, Suite 311
Washington, D.C. 20001
202/842-1866
[email protected]
www.icomos.org/usicomos

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 132

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International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of
Cultural Property
Via di San Michele 13
I-00153 Rome, Italy
+39 06 585531
[email protected]
www.iccrom.org

National Organizations
Advisory Council for Historic Preservation
1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 809, Washington, D.C. 20004,
202/606-8503
www.achp.gov

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

645 College Ave.
Natchitoches, LA 71457
318/356-7444
www.ncptt.nps.gov

National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240,

202/208-6843
www.nps.gov

National Trust for Historic Preservation — National Office, 1785

Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-2117 202/588-6000,
www.nationaltrust.org

U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C.

20240, 202/208-3100
www.doi.gov

USDA Forest Service, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.

20250-0003, 202/205-8333
www.fs.fed.us

State Organizations

Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, P.O. Box 12874, Austin, TX
78711, 512/936-8746
www.thestoryoftexas.com

Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, Inc., P.O. Box 13497, Austin,
TX 78711, 512/936-2241 www.thc.state.tx.us/friends/fredefault.shtml

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 133

 Resources DRAFT 9.00
Preservation Texas
Julianne Fletcher, Executive Director
P.O. Box 12832
Austin, TX 78711
512/472-0102
www.preservationtexas.org

Texas African American Heritage Organization, Dr. David A. Williams, P.O. Box
141038, Austin, TX 78714, 512/837-1405
Texas Commission on the Arts, P.O. Box 13406, Austin, TX 78711-3406, 512/463-
5535
www.arts.state.tx.us

Texas Historical Commission, P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276, 512/463-

6100
www.thc.state.tx.us

Texas Historical Foundation, P.O. Box 50314, Austin, TX 78763, 512/453-2154

Visionaries in Preservation, Texas Historical Commission

Josh Lasserre, P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276, 512/463-3345
[email protected]
www.thc.state.tx.us/visioninpres/vpdefault.shtml

State University Resources

Steven F. Austin State University

Dr. Archie P. McDonald, P.O. Box 6223-SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962,
936/468-2190
www.sfasu.edu

Texas A&M University

Dr. Robin F. Abrams, A-405 Langford A, Department of Architecture, College of
Architecture, College Station, TX 77843-3137 979/845-7050
www.tamu.edu

Texas State University

James Kimmel, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, 512/245-3201
www.txstate.edu

Texas Tech University

James E. White, P.O. Box 42091, Lubbock TX 79409, 806/742-3169
www.ttu.edu

University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Christopher Long, Historic Preservation Program, Goldsmith Hall 2.208 B7500,
Austin, TX 78712, 512/471-1922
www.utexas.edu

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 134

 Table of Contents
DRAFT
Preface

1.00 History and Development of Blanco 1-2

2.00 Purpose of the Design Standards and Guidelines 3
3.00 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards 4-11
3.01 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties 5
3.02 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation 6
3.02 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation 7-8
3.03 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Restoration 9-10
3.04 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Reconstruction 11
4.00 General Information 12-17
4.01 Priority Planning for Historic Commercial and Residential Buildings 13
4.02 Maintenance for Historic Commercial and Residential Buildings 14
4.03 Restoring Previously Modified Historic Commercial and 15-16
Residential Buildings
4.04 New Construction within Commercial and Residential 17
Historic Buildings
5.00 Design Standards and Guidelines for Historic Commercial Districts 18-37
5.01 Historic Commercial Building Types and Styles 19-21
5.02 Components of Historic Commercial Buildings 22-28
Storefronts 23-24
Canopies and Awnings 25
Upper Floor Windows 26
Cornice and Roof Lines 27
Alley Facades and Sides 28
5.03 Characteristics of the Historic Commercial District 29-35
Building Alignment 30
Rhythm and Visual Continuity 31
Ground Floor Rhythm 32
Horizontal Organization 33
Upper Floor Organization 34
Common Building Heights 35
5.04 Signage and Historic Commercial District Buildings 36-37
City of Blanco Design Guidelines
135
 Table of Contents
DRAFT
6.00 Design Standards and Guidelines for Historic Residential Districts 38-73
6.01 Historic Residential Buildings Styles 39-52
6.02 Components of Historic Residential Buildings 3-61
Foundations 54
Porches 55-56
Exterior Wall Surfaces 57
Exterior Doors and Entrances 58-59
Windows 60
Roof Forms and Details 61
6.03 Characteristics of Historic Residential Neighborhoods 62-73
Neighborhood Characteristics 63-64
Site and Yard 65-66
Rhythm and Visual Continuity 67
Height and Orientation 68
Color 69-70
Alterations and Modern Amenities within the 71-84
Historic Residential Districts
7.00 Materials for Historic Commercial and Residential Districts 74-84
Brick 75-76
Stone Rubble and Cut Stone 77
Wood 78-79
Metal 80-81
Synthetic Materials 82-83
Glass 84
8.00 Glossary 85-97
9.00 Resources 98-134

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 136

 Preface
DRAFT

City of Blanco Design Guidelines 137

 DRAFT

Design Standards and Guidelines for

the City of Blanco, Texas

Mainstreet Architects Inc.

133 West Mistletoe Avenue
San Antonio, Texas 78212
210.732.9268
[email protected]

138