Capitol Hill Restoration Society

Publications

CHRS News, newsletter for members

Published ten times a year, CHRS News keeps members up to date on issues affecting our community, coming Society and community events, and committee activites, along with special articles on the history of Capitol Hill.

2010 CHRS News Issues
(Clicking on an issue below will open a PDF file in a new window)

2009 CHRS News Issues
(Clicking on an issue below will open a PDF file in a new window)

2008 CHRS News Issues
(Clicking on an issue below will open a PDF file in a new window)

2007 CHRS News Issues
(Clicking on an issue below will open a PDF file in a new window)

2006 CHRS News Issues
(Clicking on an issue below will open a PDF file in a new window)

ARCHIVES: 2005 and earlier issues of CHRS News

CHRS Historic District Guidelines

July 2008: CHRS Guidelines Enter Digital Age!

All of the CHRS Historic Guidelines are now available online (see link below) in addition to the traditional print format available through the CHRS Office and in the Capitol Hill libraries. This expanded availability should make it easier for members and others to have quick access to the information in this publication series.

The Guidelines were developed by the Society, starting in the early 1990’s, as an effort to explain important characteristics of the Capitol Hill Historic District, and to provide advice on maintenance and similar issues. Topics included: building styles, entrances, windows, paint color, cast iron, brick, public space, stained glass, and permits. The publication on re-pointing and paint removal will also be posted.

Guidelines are informative not only for building owners in the historic District, but also for owners of historic buildings throughout the city. This series has also been used by preservation organizations across the country. City agencies find the public space guideline very helpful in explaining the District’s unusual arrangement of publicly-owned, privately-maintained gardens between sidewalks and property lines (usually at the building façade).

Click here for descriptions of all available guidelines
Red Brick, Brown Brick, Pressed Brick, and Common: Capitol Hill Brick
Repointing and Paint Removal: A Capitol Hill Restoration Society Case Study
Capitol Hill’s Unpainted Ladies
The Stained Glass Windows of Capitol Hill
Building Styles in the Capitol Hill Historic District
The How, When, and Why of Getting a Building Permit
Yours, Mine, and Ours: Front Yards and Other Public Space on Capitol Hill
Cast Iron: Firmness, Commodity, and Delight
Entrance—When a Door is More Than a Door
Windows: The Eyes of a Building
Replacement Windows

Membership Benefit
Become a member for $25 and receive print versions of all 10 guidelines for no
additional charge. More information.

DC Historic Preservation Office Handouts

The Historic Preservation Office has also developed a series of short handouts relating to repair and replacement of historic property elements. Clicking on a link below will open a PDF of the document in a new window.

In addition to these handouts, the HPO web site posts Historic Preservation Design Guidelines. These Guidelines provide useful guidance on many maintenance and repair problems encountered in historic buildings.

For more information go to the DC Historic Preservation Office web site.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Preservation Briefs include such subjects as repairing historic windows, historic masonry, and historic roofs. They are produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and are available at the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, 614 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, or for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

A subscription to The Old House Journal is a worthwhile investment (The Old House Journal, P.O. Box 50214, Boulder, California, 80321-0214). It is also available at the District of Columbia Public Library, Martin Luther King Branch.

Also see the Capitol Hill Restoration Society Guidelines, available on a variety of topics.

Book on Capitol Hill Homes Available Through CHRS at a Special Member Price

The Majesty of Capitol Hill, a book by Hill resident Thomas Grooms, is available at a special, discount price of $20 from the Capitol Hill Restoration Society.

Grooms, a Hill resident since 1969, is the author of numerous books and monographs on buildings and architecture in cities throughout the U.S.

Packed with stunning color photographs by Taylor Lednum, also a Hill resident, The Majesty of Capitol Hill is a beautiful coffee table book that offers a rare glimpse into more than 20 of Capitol Hill's most interesting houses, both inside and out. Readers will learn more about the house in which Charles Lindberg grew up, the local haunts of William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody, and the real history of the "Philadelphia Row" houses on 11th Street, S.E.

The 144-page book highlights the rich urban context of Capitol Hill, includes details about significant and well-known Hill buildings and sites, and examines the charming exteriors and stylish interiors of more than two dozen homes of various styles of 19th century American architecture.

To purchase a copy of this important publication for $20, complete the PDF form below, print and mail with your payment (by check) to:

Capitol Hill Restoration Society
P.O. Box 15264
Washington, DC 20003-0264

Open book order form (PDF file)

NOTE: To avoid the shipping charge, you also may pick up your book(s) at the CHRS office at 420 10th Street S.E. (corner of 10th & Pennsylvania). Please call (202) 543- 0425 to arrange for pick-up.

Questions: Call CHRS at (202) 543-0425 or email: info@chrs.org