Historic Home Addition Contractor in Western Massachusetts

What makes a historic addition succeed

The standards are well-established. The Secretary of Interior's standards for rehabilitation (which most local historic commissions follow) require that an addition be: (1) clearly differentiated from the original so a future viewer can tell what's new, but (2) compatible in scale, mass, and material. In practice, this means the addition is usually smaller, lower, and set back — and uses matching cladding, trim, and roofing — without exactly mimicking original detail.

Typical historic addition projects

• Rear additions — first or first-and-second story additions extending off the back of the house, often containing a new kitchen, family room, or primary bedroom suite.
• Ell additions — side wings tucked behind the front facade, often for in-law suites, home offices, or expanded primary suites.
• Second-story additions over existing one-story sections — usually possible if the framing supports it.
• Detached accessory units — guest cottages, garage apartments, or in-law studios; see our Heritage Cottage, Modern Minimalist, and Studio Loft models.

Historic-district process

For projects in a locally designated historic district, we prepare a complete certificate-of-appropriateness package — site plan, elevations, materials specifications, and color samples — and present at the local historic commission hearing. We've handled this process across Springfield, Northampton, Holyoke, and most Pioneer Valley historic districts and know the local commissions' priorities.