Historic Preservation: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice

This book was a requirement for an undergraduate course in Public History. For a student just starting out in the preservation field, it is a wonderful informative book encapsulating everything from the philosophy of the historic movement to homeowners purchasing a historic structure. Mr. Tyler has taken his expertise and knowledge and shared it with those of us within the realm of historic preservation. I would highly reccomend this to anyone interested in saving America's heritage.

I had a graduate class in historic preservation, and while certain books were recommended, none was required. If I were teaching historic preservation, this would be the text. This is a book largely about Main Street America, not about the U.N. or ICOMOS or preserving the Parthenon, but about preservation in a country that in many cases is philosophically opposed to it. Toward the end of the book is the best explanation of the use of historic tax credits I have ever read. As Tyler notes, these tax credits are the best friend the American preservation community has today. If you're interested in historic preservation in America, buy it and read it. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's the only book on historic preservation that has a drawing of the jewelry store in Huntington, W.Va., where my wife and I bought our wedding rings.

This book provides a concise and thorough overview of Historic Preservation. It has become the building block on which I will continue my studies of Preservation.

Having recently purchased an older home in an historic neighborhood, I thought it would be a good idea to aquaint myself with the topic of historic preservation. Norman Tyler's "Historic Preservation" was originally written as a text for a college class on historic preservation. His purpose was to expose his students to the major themes in the field of preservation. The book starts with a philosophical overview of preservation and moves onto chapters dealing with historic districts and the legal basis for preservation. I found his chapter on the documentation and designation of individual historic properties to be most valuable. Tyler concludes with chapters on design issues, preservation technology, downtown reviatalization and preservation economics. This book is a well written introduction that will get you started in learning more about historic introduction. Highly recommended.

For the past seven years I have worked full time as a historic preservation professional, compiling historic resource surveys, writing nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, and a wide variety of other preservation related projects. I serve on our local historic district commission and have just completed a city-wide survey of Kalamazoo's historic resources. Currently I am also teaching Historic Preservation at Western Michigan University and I was delighted to find Norm Tyler's book. This book is an excellent resource for the beginning preservationist, whether they be a student in a formal academic setting or someone who just likes old buildings. My students find it to be very readable and comprehensive. I am especially pleased to find the variety of real-life examples Tyler presents reflecting the way preservation is practiced and not just idealistic theory. This book was the preferred Christmas gift among preservationists in my area in 2000. I can recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone interested in preserving our history.