National Trust for Historic Preservation’s easy-to-understand illustrated steps for those making first attempts at researching their home’s history. Their ‘Preservation Tips and Tools’ section is designed to help anyone save historic places in their own community. The recommendations are practical and the resources are easily accessible. A good introduction.

Published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, non-profit organization; the authors are listed as Emily Potter and Priya Chhaya, but no other information is provided.
Online article.

An online archive of architectural trade catalogues, house plan books and technical building guides printed before 1964. To date, the BTHL has more than 9,800 documents on its site. This could be helpful for someone looking for original specs and technical information, capitalizing on the fact that because modernism is so recent, many of the original plans and specs are still available, or someone looking for popular designs of the time for ideas and inspiration.

Published and maintained by Internet Archive in partnership with the International Association of Preservation Technology (APT).
Online archive of images and complete original documents, downloadable in a few formats.

This is an open digital collection of major US 20th-century architecture magazines with approximately 2.1 million downloadable pages, all free. Great for researching and viewing original source material and articles.

Managed and published by usmodernist.org, a non-profit educational archive.
Online archive of 20th century architecture magazines, downloadable.

Vast network of homeowners, vendors and services focusing on, though not exclusive to, the Northern California mid-century developments of Joseph Eichler. Back issues of their newsletter (1996-2005), their current publication CA-Modern are for sale on the site, as well as numerous articles covering maintenance issues, preservation, and an updated blog.

Published by the Eichler Network.
Website and blog format.

This is a three-part walkthrough guide by Technical Preservation Services for identifying and understanding the distinctive visual character of an historic building with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for rehabilitation in mind. It was developed out of the TPS’ Preservation Brief 17 on the subject of Identifying Architectural Character. Ideally, the guide is consulted before any kind of rehabilitation work begins so that character-defining features aren’t accidentally lost or ‘upgraded’ in the process. The main concepts here are continuity and authenticity, not necessarily of material, but of design elements which define historic character. In their own words: The approach...is intended to make the layman look at a historic building as a set of tangible materials and features, not as any particular style.

Published by Technical Preservation Services, part of the National Park Service.
Online illustrated toolkit/guide format.

Technical Preservation Services’ Preservation Brief 18 focuses on identifying and preserving character defining elements of an historic interior. This could include floorplans and arrangement of space or features and finishes. The Brief assists in identifying interior elements, assessing damage and offers 10 recommendations for approaching an interior rehabilitation. As with the others in the series, this Brief considers the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation as a basis for judgement.

Published by Technical Preservation Services, part of the National Park Service; written by H. Ward Jandl.
Web version of a Preservation Brief, also available in printed format.

National Register Bulletin with “chapters” covering Historic Context, Comparative Evaluation of the Significance of a Property, Time and National Register Criteria, specifically for buildings or districts of the more recent past.

Published by National Park Service.
Bulletin/article, also available in downloadable pdf.

The National Park Service’s National Register Program includes a brief description of the property, which was nominated and approved at only 43 years of age, as well as the complete registration form that may serve as a guide for those considering designation as it shows how a proposal is assembled.

Published by the Douglas House.
Website, downloadable pdf.

The conference proceedings from both the first and second ‘Preserving the Recent Past’ conferences, published by the Historic Preservation Education Foundation. The publication from the first conference in 1995 is a ‘landmark publication on evaluating, maintaining, and reusing cultural properties from the 20th century. It features information on resource evaluation, preservation and reuse strategies, conservation of modern material, and includes a detailed reference list.’

Published by Historic Preservation Education Foundation (HPEF), 1995. (hpef.us).
Pdf format; binder print format.

This list focuses on fundamental resistance to preserving Modernist buildings from a social and philosophical perspective, rather than a technical perspective. The concepts are presented metaphorically through various tropes and in that way are relatable, compelling and easily understood.

Published originally in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Forum News; written by Adrian Scott Fine.
Online article.

Thomas Jester’s updated edition available from Amazon. It was first published in 1995 by the National Park Service but has been updated with a new preface from the original author. It includes essays from leading experts, illustrations, and technical information on how to care for materials including linoleum, plywood, and glass block.

Published by Getty Conservation Institute, 2014.
Paperback book

Preservation Briefs 1-50 provide guidance on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings. These NPS Publications help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to work. The briefs are especially useful to Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program applicants because they recommend methods and approaches for rehabilitating historic buildings that are consistent with their historic character.

Some of the web versions of the Preservation Briefs differ somewhat from the printed versions. Many illustrations are new and in color rather than black and white; Captions are simplified and some complex charts are omitted. Quoted from the website.

Published by the National Park Service.
Online version of a Preservation Brief; print version available to order through the website.

The Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings features color illustrations of Recommended and Not-Recommended treatments that are easy to apply to real-life situations. Topics include masonry, wood and metals, roofing and electrical systems, efficiency, accessibility and safety.

Published by Technical Preservation Services, part of the National Park Service.
Web version of a printed book, with some updates to images and information.

Thirty-page guide with history, types/styles of houses and common materials used for mid-century construction. They’ve elaborated on maintenance methods for common materials, with ‘Recommended’ treatments and ‘Not-Recommended’ treatments. Helpful information presented in one place, not too technical or intimidating, drawn primarily from the NPS Preservation Briefs.

Published by the Cleveland Restoration Society with a grant from the National Park Service and the Ohio State Historic Preservation Fund.
Downloadable pdf guide.

‘The Critical Path to Project Success’ short pamphlet published by Haus – Architecture, an Indianapolis design firm specializing in contemporary residential. Basically, a checklist or set of guidelines to consider before beginning a project, designed to help with the planning phase.

Published by HAUS – Architecture.
Online/print pamphlet.

This guidance addresses some common concerns in historic rehabilitation projects. Windows, interior treatments, new additions and new technologies and materials are some of the categories which include multiple links within.

Published by Technical Preservation Services, part of the National Park Service.
Website.

This publication is the most comprehensive guide available on the preservation and rehabilitation of windows in historic buildings. Containing over 600 pages of valuable information, it covers appropriate window treatments and provides technical guidance.

Technical guidance and a series of brief-well-illustrated case studies (NPS Preservation Tech Notes) are included in this popular 190-page handbook.

Published by HPEF and NPS.
Free, downloadable pdf book.

In-depth report on History, Maintenance, Repair, Weatherization and Replacement of historic steel windows.

Published by Technical Preservation Services, part of NPS; written by Sharon C. Park
Online version of the Preservation Brief, printed version also available to order.

Preservation Tech Notes are designed to provide practical information on practices and innovative techniques for successfully maintaining and preserving cultural resources. This is essentially a case study of a 1920s house in upstate New York. The Tech Notes are technical, but provide a detailed condition assessment and documentation of the preservation work only on the steel windows. Very thorough information.

Published by NPS.
Downloadable pdf.

History of use, in-depth repair techniques and case studies for the preservation of historic aluminum windows.

Published by NPS.
Downloadable pdf.

Addresses the maintenance, repair, and replacements of historic roofs. This handbook contains a compilation of essays, technical reference materials, and information on both historic roofing and the application of modern material to historic buildings.

Published by HPEF.
Downloadable pdf book, 400pp; print copy also available for sale.

‘This web feature is a facsimile of an exhibit on roofing for historic buildings entitled: "From Asbestos to Zinc", prepared for roofing professionals attending the 1999 Roofing Conference and Exposition for Historic Buildings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.’ Quoted from website.
Information about the appearance, composition, manufacture and application of roofing materials and systems.

Published by NPS.
Online guide.

Article from Old House online detailing the restoration of a 1957 house in Santa Barbara with a list (towards the end of the article) of material options for flat roofs and their Pros and Cons.

Published in Old House magazine online; written by Brian D. Coleman.
Online article format.

Technical Preservation Services’ Illustrated Guidelines for applying the Standards. Color illustrations of Recommended and Not-Recommended treatments are easy to apply to real life situations.

Published by Technical Preservation Services, part of the National Park Service.
Web version of a printed book, with some updates to images and information.

‘The Preservation of Historic Pigmented Structural Glass.’ There are sections on history of use, installation specifications, maintenance, replacement, substitute materials and an extended reading list. Very specific niche, but could be helpful in the right circumstance.

Published by Technical Preservation Services, part of National Park Service; partially adapted from the article, ‘Material Conservation for the Twentieth Century: The Case for Structural Glass’, written by Douglas A. Yorke, Jr., AIA, which appeared in the Bulletin for the Association for Preservation Technology, 13 (1981).
Online article/brief; print version available.

Information and technical guides on installation, maintenance and removal of flooring encompassing vinyl and linoleum.

Published by Resilient Flooring Covering Institute.
Website and downloadable pdf guides.

The Wood Database is an online, searchable resource for wood identification with information on workability, resistance to rot, toxicity, sustainability and more for hundreds of different species of wood.

Published by wood-database.com
Website.

In-depth description of types of paint used historically, their different reactions with the surface, and how to work with them now. There is also a section on identifying deteriorated and damaged paint surfaces and diagnosing repair/replacement. This article isn’t limited to painting on a wooden surface and therefore could be helpful for some of the modern building materials.

Published by NPS; written by Sara B. Chase.
Web version of Preservation Brief; printed version available to order.

This post is part of a monthly series that explores the historical applications of building materials and systems through resources from the Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL), an online collection of AEC catalogues, brochures, trade publications, and more.

Published by architectmagazine.com using Building Technology Heritage Library archives.
Online article, ‘A Colorful History of Paint’ by Mike Jackson.

The findings of extensive color research on the interior color schemes of the Aalto’s Paimio Sanatorium make up the Appendix of this conservation management plan.

Published by the Getty Conservation Institute.
Downloadable pdf, 495pp.

Sections on Historic Interiors, Concrete Characteristics, Modes of Deterioration, Preservation, Maintenance and Repair. The Reading List at the end contains references to GCI publications and several other key reads.

Published by NPS; written by Paul Gaudette and Deborah Slaton.
Web version of Preservation Brief; downloadable pdf available; printed version available to order.

The primary purpose of this annotated bibliography is to assist those interested
in the conservation of concrete by identifying specific resources on the subject. This annotated bibliography covers mass concrete, reinforced concrete, cast-in-place
concrete, post-tensioned prestressed concrete, and precast concrete. Quoted from the Introduction.

Published by the Getty Conservation Institute.
Downloadable pdf, 78pp.

Making Postwar Landscapes Visible contains seventeen essays by leading practitioners in landscape architecture and historic preservation with papers from Canada, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.

Published by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, edited by Charles A. Birnbaum.
Book.

The Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability begins with an overview focusing on the fact that historic buildings are themselves often inherently sustainable and that this should be used to advantage in any proposal to upgrade them. These guidelines offer specific guidance on how to make historic buildings more sustainable in a manner that will preserve their historic character and that will meet The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
The Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings replaces the chapter on ‘Energy Conservation’ in the Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings published in 1992.

Published by NPS.
Online guide.

An explanation of compatible and incompatible new additions to historic structures, with a focus on preservation principles like authenticity and materiality.

Published by NPS; written by Anne E. Grimmer and Kay D. Weeks.
Web version of Preservation Brief; downloadable pdf available; printed version available to order.

This 450-page illustrated handbook is a ready reference tool on the restoration and rehabilitation of historic interiors. The Handbook is divided into eight sections: Planning; Architectural Features and Materials; Finishes and Accessories; Systems and Fixtures; Fire Protection and Codes; Adaptive Reuse; Manufacturers, Sources and Literature; Annotated Bibliography. Volume 2 is another 500 pages!

Published by HPEF.
Downloadable pdf.

George H. Marcus’ book documenting iconic houses conceived as complete works of art, or Gesamtkunst. 'Each of the spectacular houses making up Total Design demonstrates how an architect realized a unifying vision through all aspects of design - architecture, furniture, fittings, decorative objects, color, and gardens.' Available on WorldCat, Amazon, and in many major bookstores. Could be a good introduction to the concept of a unified design vision throughout a house.

Published by Rizzoli, 2014.
Hardcover book.

Lincoln, MA
Article in Old House magazine detailing the post-fire rehabilitation of a 1949 cinderblock construction with practical advice and resources for handling fire damage, replacing windows and radiant floor heating.

Published in Old House magazine online (oldhouseonline.com). Article by Barbara Rhines, board member of Friends of Modern Architecture (FoMA)/Lincoln.
Online article format.

This article focuses on the owner’s desire to make the Ross House energy efficient. The owner is an architect in the Chicago area whose firm has worked on the restoration of 20 Wright houses. The house wasn’t landmarked at the time he purchased it and began rehabilitation so he had a great deal of flexibility in his design decisions. However, changes were made with an eye for future designation and he was careful to restore the exterior of the house to its original appearance.

Published by National Trust for Historic Preservation; originally published in Preservation Magazine; written by Lisa Skolnik.
Online article format.

Cape Cod, MA
Four different houses in various states of disrepair that the Cape Cod Modern House Trust leased from the National Park Service and subsequently restored. The CCMHT incorporated as a non-profit in 2007 to save some of the area’s important houses and to renovate and repurpose them as platforms for creativity, scholarship and public access. Their website features some biographical information for each house but many before, during and after images. They also offer a platform to book overnight stays in the four houses.

Website maintained by the non-profit group Cape Cod Modern House Trust (ccmht.org). The projects were completed in collaboration with the National Park Service between 2009 and 2019.
Blog format.
Hatch House
Kohlberg House
Weidlinger House
Kugel/Gips House

The Weidlinger House is also listed in our section Stay in an Iconic House.
The Kohlberg House is also listed as as saved icon in our section Icons at Risk.

New Canaan, CT
The New Canaan Mid-Century Modern Houses Survey is a comprehensive study of mid-twentieth-century, architect-designed, Modern domestic properties located in New Canaan, Connecticut. The project aims to systematically document the area’s Modern houses, place them in an historical context, and assess their architectural and historical significance. To meet these goals, the study included a field survey of properties using a specifically tailored survey form, historic research, the creation of a glossary of Modern architectural terms and an assessment of the resources using the National Register of Historic Places Criteria for Evaluation.

Published by Building Conservation Association with funding by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, The New Canaan Historical Society and The Philip Johnson Glass House.
Pdf format; Dropbox document.

Michigan City, IN
Blog focused on the restoration of a prefabricated modern house designed by Emil Tessin for the Alside Homes Corporation. The current owners of the home manage the blog, where they share details of the projects they have undertaken on the property, as well as information for site visits and useful links.

Written by the current owners of the Frost House.
Blog.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park, IN
Article in Old House about the preservation of a 1949 prefabricated Lustron House with most original features intact. One of the owners is a preservationist for the Historic Landmarks Foundation in Indiana so his perspective and approach helped guide the preservation of the house and can be a model for others’ approach during their own projects.

Published by Old House magazine online (oldhouseonline.com).
Online article.

Carbondale, IL
32 video episodes documenting the six-month-long restoration process of the world’s first geodesic dome, built for Buckminster Fuller in 1960. The ‘FullerDomeHome’ website is run by a not-for-profit group dedicated to preserving Fuller’s work and legacy and also features a blog on all manner of topics relating to Fuller. An accompanying in-depth article from Architect magazine on the history of the house and its preservation can be found here.

Website is run by RBF Dome NFP, a non-profit began in 2002 by a group of volunteers in Illinois dedicated to preserving the Fuller legacy.
Video and blog.
The article is published by Architect magazine 04.2018.2014 (architectmagazine.com), written by Wanda Lau, journalist and civil engineer.
Online article format.

America's brilliant mid-century Modernist houses are livable works of art sadly torn down in record numbers, largely because buyers, sellers, and realtors do not realize the importance of what they have or how to preserve, repair, and protect these houses. You cannot save something without knowing where it is or why it is important. USModernist is a nonprofit 501C3 educational archive for the documentation, preservation, and promotion of residential Modernist architecture. With four major sections, USModernist is America's largest open digital archive of Modernist houses and their architects.

Includes products, services and vendors, case studies, and online articles for houses from the Arts and Crafts movement and its many off shoots. Also has a section for tours. Many of the descriptions of house styles include details of restoration projects that current homeowners have undertaken. Back Issues of the print magazine are online here as well. Could be helpful as a precursor to Modernism and establishing some context, plus practical information.

artsandcraftshomes.com
Online magazine format; print magazine format.

Comprehensive online version of Old House Journal with Products and Services, repair and How To guides, informative articles and an extensive book list specifically for residential modernism references. Sound advice without being overly technical. The print version is published 8 times a year.

oldhouseonline.com
Online magazine; print version available.

Online accompaniment to the print magazine with case studies, preservation articles, vendors and services for homeowners. The ‘Preservation Corner’ and ‘Resources’ sections could be helpful for homeowners.

atomic-ranch.com
Online magazine; print version available.

CA-Modern magazine is the full-color quarterly publication of the Eichler Network — mailed in January, April, July, and October. Its content is aimed at mid-century modern homeowners and enthusiasts, with an emphasis on Eichler, Streng, and other mid-century modern homes and communities throughout California. It also focuses on home maintenance features, solutions, and furnishings for modern homes; profiles on special California neighborhoods; mid-century arts and lifestyle; and much more.

Published by the Eichler Network.
Online magazine format; print magazine format.