Historic Staunton Foundation's Resources and Services
TJ Collins & Son
Architectural Drawings Archives
Spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the
Collins collection includes over 1,100 project files with architectural
drawings, many renderings of projects, a library of bound periodicals, magazines
and reference books, and files of correspondence, photographs, and notes.
T.J. Collins began his architectural firm in Staunton in 1891, designing or
remodeling over 200 structures in the area before his retirement in 1911.
The legacy of his work, and his sons Will and Sam who followed him, left a
distinct
impression on Staunton’s landscape, scattering unique residential, commercial,
and religious architecture in the varied and popular styles of the late 19th and
early 20th centuries throughout the town.
The collection is process of being housed in the third floor archives of the R.R. Smith Center for History & Art.
Tax deductible donations to support our ongoing
efforts to conserve this important collection are gratefully
accepted.
Please contact
barbarahsf@ntelos.net for an appointment
to view the collection.
HSF
Preservation Resource Rooms
Historic Staunton Foundation's Preservation
Resource Center offers numerous reference sources for property owners
researching the history of their home or building, or planning
restoration or repair of historic features.
This is a free resource and is open to the public, Monday - Friday from
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. We suggest that you make an appointment,
although drop ins are welcome. Located on the 4th Floor of the
Smith Center for History & Art. We suggest that you bring a
digital camera.
Resources
Available:
P
Architectural Inventories of all buildings in Staunton's
historic districts
P
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps - 1886, 1891, 1894, 1899 (copies) &
1904, 1909, 1914, 1921 and 1929 (orig.)
P
Other historic maps of the city-1870 Hotchkiss insert & 1877
Gray's Map (copies), 1905 Building zone map and Staunton
Development Co. maps
P
Historic Photos of Staunton
P
Facade Improvements files
P
Technical resources including Trust's Preservation Briefs
P
Preservation periodicals including Old House Journal and
Traditional Building
Please contact
barbarahsf@ntelos.net for an appointment.
HSF's Special Walking Tours and Lectures
HSF's Executive Director provides special
walking tours and lectures to civic and school groups about the
history, development, and revitalization of Staunton. Contact
hsf@ntelos.net for more
information.
HSF Exterior Technical and Design Services
From mortar formulas to
guides on restoring your historic windows, HSF is here to answer
your questions. This is a free service. Contact
hsf@ntelos.net for an appointment.
HSF also offers exterior paint color
assistance at the following rate: one-hour free to members, $25/hr
afterwards & for non-members.
HSF recommends the following books for
assistance with Victorian paint colors:
~Victorian
Exterior Decoration: How to Paint your 19th Century American House
Historically by Roger W. Moss and Gail Caskey Winkler
~Victorious
Victorians: A Guide to Major Architectural Styles by Peg B. Sinclair
& Taylor B.
Lewis
~Century
of Color: Exterior Decoration for American Buildings 1820 - 1920 by
Roger Moss
These books are available from the HSF
Resources Rooms and the Staunton Public Library.
In 1997, Staunton passed an historic districts ordinance which states, synopsis:
~any exterior change to your home that resides within a Staunton historic district that is visible from a city street must be approved by Staunton's Historic Preservation Commission.
The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is a City appointed committee
of volunteers who review applications for exterior changes in historic
districts (called Certificates
of Appropriateness or COAs).
The Process:
COA applications may be picked up from the City's Planning office (3rd
floor, City Hall) or downloaded off the City's website. COAs submitted to the City's Planning Office by the 1st of the month
are reviewed and voted on at that's month's HPC meeting. The HPC meets 5:30 p.m. at City Chambers on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Homeowners/Building owners are required to be in attendance.
Frank Strassler, HSF's Executive Director, writes COA reviews for the
HPC based on the Secretary of Interior's Standards and Guidelines and Staunton's historic districts design guidelines. He is not a voting member of the HPC.
Historic Staunton Foundation is here to help homeowners & building owners understand the guidelines and how they apply to their project. This is a free service.
Please make an appointment! Contact Frank Strassler at
hsf@ntelos.net for more information. Note: HSF will not design your project or offer any design services that conflicts with the review process.