Literature Review for Historic Rock Hill

Kaitlyn Samuels Faith Cook Patrick Nelson Cara Morgan

Integrated Marketing Communications Senior Seminar

IMCO 475 Section 001
Dr. Sabrina Habib

Introduction
Historic Rock Hill and its White Home, conducts programs and projects to encourage historic
preservation, but there is a gap in knowledge: the effects that historic preservation can have on the
town of Rock Hill and its surrounding areas. There is also the question of how Historic Rock Hill can be
affected by these areas, and how to use some factors to the organizations advantage. This literature
review addresses research conducted on factors often related with historic preservation: the
surrounding communities, sustainability, and the economy. Academic articles and the ideas creative
minds are used to discuss how historical preservation effects the corresponding variable, and how
historical preservation may be effected. How the research could help Historic Rock Hill is also
discussed.

Historic Preservation and the Surrounding Community

The number one factor to consider when beginning a project involving the history and story of
a town or city is the community that resides there. In order to be successful in telling a historic story,
you should first keep in mind the kind of story the community wants to tell.
In Derek Pralls article

Preserving places (2012), he talks about the importance of building a connection with the
community and being open to the idea of rehabilitating historic sites in order to preserve them. The
city in this case created goals in order to preserve a historical site. Goals were set in place in order to
help residents understand where they came from, and to create a small-town atmosphere that would
attract tourists as well as business owners. Community members were able to visit the site and
participate in programs that have included teaching groups how to churn butter, wash laundry by
hand, cook using an open fire, and make ice cream from scratch. Director to this historic park John
Shafer (2012) said, "We get people physically involved so they can experience the past in a way they
can make a connection with." For financial reasons, "instead of tearing down structures and

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rebuilding, Madison has had to rehabilitate rather than build new," Shafer says. "The result is a
jaw-dropping amount of historic buildings along Main Street."which follows the restoration wishes
of our client Historic Rock Hill.
In his article, Selecting Heritage, Lucas Lixinski (2010) warned against the political dangers
related to historic preservation. Lixinski argued that allowing state and local authorities to select
which historical relics should be preserved severely limits the ability for community involvement. The
importance of realizing what the community deems worth preserving historically, without any push
from their local government, and using that knowledge as the basis of selecting which parts of their
heritage should be protected.
The historical object in question should be unique and distinctive to the community hosting it.
This fosters not only a sense of pride, but also attracts tourism. Another issue that the article raises is
that historical landmarks relevant to minority groups within the community are often left out of the
selection process. Historical Rock Hill should be careful not to contribute to the erasure of minority
storytelling, but rather contribute to educating its community about the influences of minority
populations.
In The Guide for Future Preservation, Hunter Edwards (2009) discusses using a creative,
strategic approach to preserving historical buildings. In this article, historic landmarks and properties
in Charleston are examined. Charleston is host to several historic sites, and faces the task of seeing
which ones will be preserved, and which ones will be demolished. In order to resolve the issue, the
city decided not to consider the buildings individually, but as a district. As a result, the community
could easily identify the areas that are historic and would have a set of recognizable landmarks that
attracted tourism. This results in a strong preservation ethic within the community, which is vital in a
city with new developments. In Douglas Applers article, Municipal Archaeology Programs, he talks

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about tying outdoor activities with historical sites help build community involvement. The activities in
question are archaeological digs, urban walking and cycling trails, museums, and public art.
In Preservation Programs Give Students Tools, Eleanor Yates discusses how involving
community colleges could help with local preservation. In her article, several community colleges
including Randolph Community College in Asheboro, North Carolina support their local historical sites
by applying business principles to rebrand or refurbish the buildings. In the case of Asheboro, N.C.,
they turned an old home into a small bed and breakfast.

Historic Preservation and Sustainability

Other than community involvement, sustainability is one of the largest factors when it comes
to historic preservation. Moving forward, many historic preservation projects advocate for
sustainability because it is more interesting to the community audience than historic preservation
alone. The idea of recycling a building, becomes so much more than the idea of restoring a historic
money pit.
In Economic Benefits of Preservation Session, Sustainability and Historic Preservation
by

Donovan Rypkema (2010), he discusses his international study of the relationship between
sustainable development and historic preservation. Rypkema states that people in the U.S. restrict
sustainable development to ecological sustainability and green buildings. This means, people
believe sustainability is only limited to specialized buildings that were created specifically for
environmental protection. However, Rypkema discusses other forms of sustainability and how it can
center around historic preservation. For example, repairing and rebuilding historic wood windows
instead of using a window manufacturing plant ensures that the dollars are spent locally and a
minimum amount of new materials are used. This, according to Rypkema is what economic
sustainability and sustainable development is about.

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Rypkema also argues that the act of tearing down historical sites does a disservice to their
communities. According to his article, he believes that Razing historic buildings results in a triple hit
on scarce resources (2009, 21). In addition, he continues to argue that the act of destroying buildings
that have historic value, throws away thousands of dollars of embodied energy, which is a huge factor
when it comes to sustainability and historic preservation. Instead, he advocates for continued use of
historical buildings and the embodied energy these properties provide in order to promote
sustainability.
Historic preservation is Smart Growth, and it can provide many opportunities that aid the
local government and community both economically and as a way to preserve national heritage
(2009, 20). In Australia for example, many of their historic buildings and landmarks have become a
component of a high quality urban environment. Rypkema even goes so far as to suggest that there is
no sustainable development without historic preservation. It creates jobs, betters the community, as
well as providing tourism revenue. In Historic Rock Hill, this information should be taken with a grain
of salt, considering this report focuses on larger cities and countries, while Rock Hill is still in its
upward growth phase.
Historic Preservation and Sustainable Development: Lots to Learn, Lots to Teach, by
Carl
Elefante (2005, 53) begins with a question, What does sustainability have to offer preservation?
According to Elefante, the two go hand-in-hand. His argument is that you cannot have preservation
without sustainability, and that you cannot have sustainability without preservation. The main
reasoning behind this belief is that sustainability, at its core, is to seek solutions to problems that
threaten the standard of living. This means that to demolish a historic home or area would be a
disservice to the entire global economy. With resources being stretched thin in many countries,
building something else in an area that was previously historically preserved hurts everyone.
According to Elefante, sustainability and historic preservation can ultimately become the savior of the

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next generation. He calls for the life cycle of buildings to be reconsidered as well as their required
maintenance to be performed swiftly and without error. However, this sort of work has more to do
with keeping buildings up-to-date and preserved for people to live and work in than it does to do with
sustaining historical museums, but the need for preservation is still there.
Embracing sustainability in the preservation field begins with assessing what helps and hurts
the community that the preservation project is a part of. That is, sustainability has to move beyond
efficiency and effectiveness and look holistically at material use. For example, Elefante believes all
preservation projects should first ask What can I offer this community? and What could this be
used for in the future? before their project begins.
Much like Rypkema, Elefante also brings up the

term embodied energy as a reason for sustainability in historic preservation. According to Elefante,
the energy can either take on another dimension, or it can be multiplied in order to aid the
community and minimize materials needed to continue the communitys lifespan and upward growth.
In Teaching Sustainability to Preservation Students, J
effrey M. Chusid (2010, 43) discusses
the need to address sustainability in college preservation programs. According to Chusid, if these
programs choose to introduce a broader critical discourse and highlight the importance of
preservation and sustainability, a healthier future may be in other. In the beginning of his article,
Chusid believes that historic preservation is inherently sustainable By virtue of its principles and
subject matter. This means that preservation argues for reuse rather than demolition, and it
understands that existing structures contain valuable embodied energy (2010, 43). The same term
both Rypkema and Elefante hit on at the core of both of their articles regarding historic preservation
and sustainability.
Chusid also states that preservation and sustainability already have so much in common that
it would be a waste not to use them both concurrently. Preservationists should be able to pinpoint
where to use sustainable measures in their projects, and know how to continue accordingly. This is

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because more often than not, the act of sustainability aids in cementing the long life span of a
community and supporting upward growth.
Historic Rock Hill and The White Home might consider joining in on sustainability projects in
the community, other than their own needs of sustaining historic preservation. Thus far, it seems they
have stood on their own, but it is in their best interest to support the growth of Rock Hill and
advocate for sustainability. While historic preservation may not appeal to all audiences, the act of
sustaining a community, and ultimately the entire globe, is a hot button topic for many people,
especially our target audience.
In Capturing Energy-Efficient Opportunities in Historic Houses, James Cavallo discusses a
case study that demonstrated an Illinois communitys incorporation of monetary and energy savings
into historic houses. According to Cavallo, Successful sustainability requires an ecosystem that
maintains its capacity to conserve resources while accomplishing particular tasks. An example of this
would be for said ecosystem to maintain a certain standard of material from one generation to the
next. There is no room to waste materials, and in order to be a sustainable property, recycling is key.
The next step in sustainability is to examine and analyze the energy consumption in historic
houses, and to discover opportunities that improve upon it. According to Cavallo, there is always
room for change and updating a property to save energy costs and stretch tight preservation budgets.
In Illinois, historical properties collaborated with the Division of Energy and came up with a plan to
reduce energy consumption. Even though some of the changes required updating the property, in the
end it was cost effective and worth it to pursue these alternative forms of energy and sustainability.
This could mean updating wiring, air conditioning systems, light bulbs, etc. in order to make the home
consume less energy on a regular basis. In Charleston, their historic district is LEED certified which
stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This means that despite the upfront cost

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of installing their modern energy systems, they are able to yield even larger savings when it comes to
their energy expenditures.
In the winter, these Illinois homes suggested that the use of space heaters in place of an
ancient central air system could cut spending on energy significantly. However, for homes as big as
The White Home in Rock Hill, this solution may not be feasible. Also suggested, for the summer
months is a blower door, or a giant fan located in the doorways of the structure to cool the house as
people walk through it. The success of these doors in Illinois may not be applicable further South
where air conditioners are necessities for the summer months. Cavallo warns against this in his
article, stating that historic homes need to stay cool in order not to degenerate and lose value over
time.
Sustainability and energy conservation is difficult, and may be even more difficult for historic
homes located in the Southern United States. The White Home should consider applying for an
energy-rating grant in order to upgrade some of their energy features to take them into the next
generation, and restore their home to something more than a money pit. Though it may sound
difficult at first, it worked for historical homes in this case study and could ultimately work to sustain
The White Home for many years to come.
In Integrating Environmental and Cultural Sustainability for Heritage Properties, Andrew
Powter and Susan Ross (2005, 5-11) explain that meeting sustainability goals is directly dependent
upon economics, community, social values, and culture. Powter and Ross also believe in applying a
larger, broader definition of sustainability in communities that celebrate historic preservation. It is
their belief that when one applies this broader definition, the reuse and operation of existing
buildings not only minimizes negative effects on that community through conserving and recycling
resources, but it also recognizes the role construction of historical buildings plays in fostering a
healthy community. This is the same concept Elefante and Rypkema suggested; reusing existing

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historic buildings can be of great help to any community. In fact, Powter and Ross frequently quote
Dwell in their article, citing that the first guideline for sustainability is to use what already exists.
When you start from scratch you can achieve environmental efficiency, but its more sustainable to
adapt existing buildings and how we live in them.
The definition of cultural and historic sustainability continues to evolve, while according to
Powter and Ross, applying sustainability to historic preservation is often overlooked. Even though this
could ultimately aid many of the projects in nearly unlimited ways. Sustainability could help provide
funding for future historical projects, in the interest of saving materials and recycling buildings as well
as energy. Supporting community life and traditions helps a historical property or landmark grow in
popularity over time. A landmark that has been historically preserved in a community becomes less
of a building and more of a voice of the community, telling its story throughout time, and helping it to
make future conclusions and decisions.

Historic Preservation and Economics

One of the issues the white house is facing is the monetary resources necessary to keep a
historic structure running. They have been attempting to implement several different strategies in
order to improve resources, such as turning the home into a museum, building membership, and
applying for government grants. This is the right direction for them to be moving in, however, there
are still other avenues worth exploring. It is important to examine articles and resources that discuss
historic preservations role in economics: not only for an organizations benefit, but for the benefit of
the surrounding community as well.
In Historic Preservation and Cluster Based Economic Development, John Laurie discusses a
method of cluster-based economics. The idea is that by collaborating with other business and
organizations in related fields you can improve the overall economic atmosphere of the area. This
means helping other organizations be successful through partnerships as well as competition. In this

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cluster based method, the other organizations and industries such as tourism, film, housing, and
environmental preservation gain success that leads to more customers. Those customers tend to be
interested in the related industries and the cluster grows together.
Another topic Lauries article referenced that would be advantageous for The White Home,
would be finding creative new sources of revenue. The article talks about how other historic areas
have been converting their facilities to attractions that the public are willing to pay for. These
attractions could be converting areas to business such as restaurants, bed and breakfasts, or
museums. It could also be as simple of an idea as renting the space out. The White Home has already
begun implementing some of these creative revenue models into their organization. Moving forward
with the strategy for The White Home we can look into additional methods for attracting customers
and raising revenue.
In Rhonda Phillips and Jay Steins (2013) article An Indicator Framework for Linking Historic
Preservation and Community Economic Development, they discuss another model that provides the
steps necessary to maintaining an area involved with historic preservation. The idea consists of four
basic points, gauging, protecting, enhancing, and interfacing. Enhancing is the point that stresses the
economics behind historic preservation the most. According to Phillips and Stein, it is imperative that
these historic entities work with other programs to ensure they stay relevant. Joining these programs
can mean participating in nationally sponsored programs, becoming certified by the local government,
and other certification participation. The White Home currently puts effort into obtaining grants and
additional funding through programs like these. However, they have a potential to gain greater
financial stability by finding and registering with these programs.
Beyond government assistance, non-profit organizations have additional sources of income.
Russell (2013, 35) talked about a situation in which downtown Main St. in Douglas Georgia was losing
business. In order to restore the appeal of the area they used the local historic preservation society.

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By collaborating with the non-profit organization, they were able to get access to funds such as
donations and grants. Normally business such as the ones downtown would not be able to accept
these types of revenue. In order for Historic Rock Hill and the White Home to sustain a level of
profitability, they will also need to take advantage of being a non-profit.

Conclusion
After a review of the literature, a few conclusions can be made about historic properties.
Historic preservation could engage the community, act in a more sustainable way in regards to
energy, and create new revenue by hosting more engaging and community-related events. In a sense,
both the biggest opportunity and threat to historic preservation is the community.
Through our research on historic preservation and their relationship with surrounding
communities, a few possibilities and opportunities were unveiled. The opinions and engagement of
the community can either have an impact on the funds and the reputation of Historic Rock Hill and
the White Home, so it is important to create positive lasting impressions on the citizens of Rock Hill to
build a sense of community. The White Home strongly relies on the history of its building, and has
great potential to host a variety of community events.
Historic Rock Hill also has an opportunity to adapt their story and use storyscaping to connect
with a wider audience. It is important for historic landmarks to present themselves as more than
simply history; rather, Historic Rock Hill could present themselves as a beacon for sustainability and
environmental cause, in addition to being able to tell a compelling story. It is possible to involve the
community in their story by using activities that help them build a connection.
The White Home could apply the cluster based method to improve their involvement in an
economic ecosystem, which they may have been unaware of previously. The article does also mention

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that they cluster model tends to become less effective in certain areas. One of the factors that would
be a concern for The White Home would be that low involvement within the community leads to a
decline in effectiveness. Advocating for sustainability can help get the community on their side, as
well.
The White Home could also consider the use of solar power in order to become more
sustainable. In Charleston many of the historic districts use solar power in order to cut costs and
provide a better service to the surrounding community. Many of the properties are also LEED
certified, meaning they will be eligible for more grants which will help The White Home achieve its
long term goals.
We will conduct further research within the surrounding Rock Hill and York County community
to look into the areas interpretation of Historic Rock Hill and the White Home. First, we will conduct
secondary research on demographics and psychographics of the Rock Hill and York County
communities. The second stage of our research will include areas of focus on community experiences
and opinions. It would be pertinent to build a survey to conduct this primary research. Within this
survey, we will ask a variety of questions pertaining to the participants familiarity with The White
Home and Historic Rock Hill, past experiences with The White Home and other historic sites and
museums, and reasons for visiting Old Town Rock Hill and events in the area. Not only will this survey
give us an insight into the communitys behaviour and preferences, but may also leave an impression
upon the participants that Historic Rock Hill is here for the community.

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