Historic Structures Report: Nathan Care House & Barn

HDR, Inc.; John Milner Architects, Inc.

The National Park Service wishes to document the history, development and condition of the Nathan Care House and Barn, located on Clement Brooke Lane, adjacent to Pine Swamp Road (Route 345) in Union Township, Pennsylvania. The house and barn are both associated with the events that took place at Hopewell Furnace during the 19th century. Today the house serves as an interpretation of a mid‐19th century dwelling, as well as former living quarters for Park employees. The barn serves as an interpretation of a mid‐19th century agricultural building, while providing storage space for the Park. As a basis for planning upcoming projects, the National Park Service commissioned the preparation of this Historic Structures Report by HDR, Inc. and John Milner Architects, Inc. (Project No. HOFU ‐ PMIS 141610). The scope of work for this project is to document the evolution of the structures through archival research and physical investigations, culminating in the preparation of a Historic Structures Report, as defined in Director’s Order – 28, Chapter 8. Part 1 of the report will identify and document the original appearance, integrity, and historic evolution of the building while identifying the 1856 house and 1859 barn appearances, extant historical architectural materials and character‐defining features. Part 2 of the report is intended to guide the preservation, use and interpretation of the Nathan Care House and Barn in the 21st century. In order to fulfill these requirements, the following primary tasks were completed: • Archival research to retrieve information related to the significance and developmental history of the buildings. • Architectural investigations to retrieve and document physical evidence of the chronology of development and use of the buildings. • Assessment of existing conditions to formulate the scope of required preservation, rehabilitation and restoration work. • Identification of work required for applicable codes including life safety and accessibility upgrades. • Documentation and assessment of visual structural components and the capacity to support the proposed work. • General documentation of visible mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

Historic Structures Report: Nathan Care House & Barn

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