2513. VINTAGE AND HISTORIC SIGNS

VINTAGE AND HISTORIC SIGNS Vintage and historic signs express distinctive characteristics or aesthetics of an earlier period and provide character to historic property. The Board and HPO shall evaluate vintage and historic signage for its significance and for preservation when it may be affected by proposed construction work. A vintage sign should be considered for preservation or reuse where feasible. A historic sign that is integral to the design of historic property, such as a sign that is carved or etched into masonry or included as part of the design of a parapet or cornice, shall be retained. A historic sign that is not integral to the design of historic property, such as the ghost of a painted sign, shall be retained where feasible. Replication or installation of a close copy of a documented historic sign is considered an appropriate preservation treatment unless it clearly conflicts with the D.C. Building Code or the Board’s design standards. Documentation of the historical appropriateness of a proposed sign may consist of early photographs, original drawings, or similar sources. SOURCE: Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 57 DCMR 2281, 2292 (March 19, 2010).