If you’re like most people, being able to identify a building’s architectural style is about the same as being able to recognize whether your favorite song is in 2/4 time or 4/4 time. It matters little to most of us. All we know is we like certain songs and not others. Similarly, most of us may like the way a certain historic building looks, but very few of us care how the slight nuances in the size, shape or location of its elements can define it as one style or another.

But even if we don’t have a desire to learn all about the various types of historic buildings, it is still important that architectural surveys are done to help us identify the structures in our districts. Knowing a building’s style is like a blueprint. It provides clues to what a building would have looked like originally, especially if it has undergone changes in the past. Knowing a building’s style can help to determine roughly when it was built, and conversely, knowing when it was built can sometimes help us determine what style it is/was and what window styles and storefront designs are appropriate.

If we strive to respect our local heritage, then our historic buildings are vital in helping us understand the people, times, fashions, lifestyles, technologies, and industries that existed before us, and how they shaped our communities, regions, and state.