Historic districts
Historic districts and your windows and siding
A National Register listing alone limits nothing you fit. A local district or landmark can, and in several towns here a new material or new sash needs a certificate first.
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Southern Maine has a lot of old houses in a lot of districts, but the force of a designation varies from a 90-day delay to an outright ban on vinyl. What matters is whether the town created the district by its own ordinance.
How much force each town's review has
| Town | How much force it has |
|---|---|
| Portland | Binding. Any visible exterior alteration on a designated property needs historic preservation approval before work and before any permit; in-kind ordinary maintenance is exempt, and the city charges an $82 review fee for exterior work in a district. |
| Saco | Binding and specific. Installing vinyl siding and replacing wooden window sash both need a certificate of appropriateness, and vinyl is prohibited on buildings not already sided with it. |
| Biddeford | Binding. Any change in siding materials or in door and window sash, other than minor repair, needs a certificate from the Historic Preservation Commission before a permit. |
| York | Binding. The Historic District Commission reviews exterior changes in three districts and on landmarks, and says it does not expect to depart from its guideline on artificial siding. |
| Kennebunk | Binding. No building permit for exterior work in the Historic Preservation Overlay District is issued until the commission grants a certificate of appropriateness. |
| Brunswick | Binding review by the Village Review Board, which reviews siding changes and window muntin profiles, prefers repairing original clapboards, and allows vinyl only as its guidelines illustrate. |
| Freeport | Mixed. Siding replaced in wood, fiber cement or engineered wood of the same profile is exempt; other visible siding goes to the Project Review Board; same-size windows go to staff review. |
| Topsham | Binding for work visible from the street: a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission. |
| Bath | Binding inside the Historic Overlay District: altering or covering exterior details needs Historic District Review, and the code asks for original materials or close substitutes. |
| South Berwick | Binding in the Village Center and Liberty Street districts: any change in exterior appearance needs a certificate. |
| Yarmouth | Required but advisory. The Historic Preservation Committee reviews siding changes and window replacement in the town's districts; its decision is a recommendation. |
| South Portland | A delay, not a veto. Exterior work on a home built in 1940 or earlier, or on an inventoried property, can be held up to 90 days for review. |
Which designation you are under
| Designation | What it means for siding and windows |
|---|---|
| Local historic district or landmark | Created by town ordinance; it can regulate materials, window sash and muntin patterns. Check its standards before anything is ordered. |
| National Register listing alone | Matters for tax credits and federally funded work, not for what a private owner may fit. |
What the review boards ask for
- Repair before replacement. Portland's standards and Brunswick's guidelines both prefer repairing original material, and Saco asks that every reasonable effort be made to keep historic wooden sash.
- In kind, or close to it. Bath's code asks for original material, or a substitute of the same color, shape, size and texture; Portland exempts in-kind ordinary maintenance from review altogether.
- The window pattern. Freeport keeps the existing lite pattern on a replacement window, with true or simulated divided lites; Brunswick reviews changes to muntin profiles.
- Visible from the street. Most of these rules reach only what can be seen from a public way.
Ask before you order
A window ordered before the review is a window that may have to be sent back. In Portland the review comes before any permit is issued, and most projects are approved by staff; larger ones go to the Historic Preservation Board.
Where this comes into the work
Sources: content.civicplus.com · ecode360.com · ecode360.com · yorkmaine.org · brunswickme.gov · freeportmaine.com · yarmouth.me.us
Common questions
How do I find out whether my house is in a local district?
Ask the town. Portland publishes an interactive map of its historic designations; elsewhere the planning or code office will tell you whether the property is in a district, a landmark, or neither.
Can I put vinyl windows in a historic district?
It depends on the town and the side of the house. Rules here aim at what is visible from the street, and several boards care most about the sash pattern and profile. Ask before ordering.
Does a storm window need review?
Often not: Yarmouth, for one, treats storm windows as reversible alterations that need no review. Check your own town's rule.
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In a district?
Tell us the address and we will find out which rules apply before anything is ordered.
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