June 2024 News

“The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards – Guiding the ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of Older Home Rehab” – Paul Simo, Principal Preservation Consultant – Simo Community Design

Using the Berrong-Oakley House as a “living laboratory” of historic preservation activity in North Georgia much of the work being done is in close coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office and to a certain set of standards set by the National Park Service. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation have been in place and unchanged since the late 1960s as a solid and practical guide for the sensitive treatment of older strructures, irreplaceable materials and the ultimate preservation of living history.

Historic preservation consultant, Paul Simo, with Simo Community Design, LLC, has been helping the Towns County Historical Society on their journey of rehabilitation of the home. He will join the Society for a brief presentation on how the “Standards,” that may seem lofty or confusing at times, form a common sense road map to long term maintenance, funding and spending goals, and respect for the overall mechanics of not just this important site but for all older home owners out there.