[MassHistPres] Best Practices for House Marker Programs

[Chris Skelly]

Hi Sara, I’m a big advocate of house marker programs.  I think they are an
excellent method of building community recognition and appreciation for
historic properties.  The homeowners themselves take great pride in having
a plaque on their home. Below are a few tips.



*Organization Capacity*

Consider the long term capacity of the administering organization.  I would
say it is best administered by a non-profit organization, such as the local
historical society, rather than the historical commission.  However, it
really depends on where the interest and capacity for managing the program
lies.



*Reliable Information*

How are you going to determine the dates of construction and historic names
to include?  Consider how recent your historic property survey is and
whether you have good, reliable dates of construction and names.



*Plaque Guidelines*

It is good to have a set of guidelines for what properties are eligible to
receive a plaque.  Most importantly, has the property been properly
documented? If not, it shouldn’t be eligible at this time.  A building
altered beyond recognition would be another consideration on eligibility.



*Plaque Installation*

Another consideration is how and where the plaque is fastened to the
building.  Will it damage any historic materials during installation?  This
might be especially true on masonry buildings. Will it damage or cover
character defining features?



*Plaque Materials*

Will the plaques you choose be able to be repaired and easily replaced? How
durable is the material?  Will it fade or peel off?



*Plaque Content*

I think the plaques that have a date of construction, and a historic name
are much better than just a date of construction.  Even better are the
plaques that say a word or two about the occupants. I have walked around a
village sometimes and only seen male names listed on all the plaques.  It
is good to have room for two names on a historical plaque so that
spouses/other people can be recognized.  The name or emblem of the plaque
program administering organization should also be on the plaque.


*Chris Skelly*
*Skelly Preservation Services*
Community Planning and Preservation
www.skellypreservationservices.com
ccskelly12 at gmail.com

On Thu, Sep 18, 2025 at 12:48 PM Zarrelli, Sara via MassHistPres <
masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:

> Morning all--
> The Holliston Historical Commission is considering starting an "official"
> historic house marker program. Many residents want a marker that says the
> date their home was built. Currently, there are a couple of different types
> of these markers, put up by two different organizations, with
> varying degrees of research and accuracy. Both organizations are no longer
> operating or engaged with the markers.
>
> As a starting point, we are looking for some best practices or guidelines
> for other communities that have town-run marker or plaque programs.
>
> Thanks in advance for sharing ideas or information!
>
> Sara
>
> --
> Sara Zarrelli
> Chair
> Holliston Historical Commission
> Local Project Coordinator--MHC Survey and Planning Grant
> 720-289-0392
> zarrellis at holliston.k12.ma.us
> _______________________________________________
> MassHistPres mailing list
> MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> https://mailman.cs.umb.edu/listinfo/masshistpres
>


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