Restoration & Preservation
For common questions about restoration, preservation, renovation, and more, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions
Why Preserve?
A Note From the Olympia Heritage Commission
Taking care of a historic home is more than upkeep, it’s an act of stewardship that connects you as a homeowner to Olympia’s unique heritage and ensures that it lives on. Across Olympia, historic properties are tangible reminders of the city's history, character, and growth. When homeowners invest in restoration and maintenance, they help safeguard these important landmarks for future generations of Olympia residents.
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Restoring your historic property strengthens our city’s identity and enhances our neighborhoods. It also contributes to Olympia’s economic vitality by improving property values and encouraging compatible development that respects the character of older homes. Preserving existing structures also makes practical sense because it conserves energy, reduces construction waste, and keeps the historic materials in active use. The City of Olympia is committed to identifying and preserving historic properties while fostering a sense of place that's rooted in our shared history. Preservation supports that mission and, as neighbors, we play a vital role in this process. Whether it’s repainting original wood siding, repairing traditional windows, or thoughtfully updating your home’s features, restoration is a meaningful way to honor Olympia’s past while building a more vibrant, connected community.
Historic Code in Olympia
There are many local and statewide policies that regulate historic preservation. Generally, the goal is to ensure that homes on the Olympia Heritage Register retain their historic integrity and are well maintained. This means that if you are doing work to a historic home, the goal is to keep the historic materials and design intact, and if something must be replaced, it would be ideal to have a like-for-like replacement. For example, replacing wooden windows with vinyl windows is discouraged, and the Heritage Commission has educational materials on how to avoid compromising the historic integrity of the home with incompatible window products. (Handout: What Replacement Window's Can't Replace) (Handout: Sustainability - Developing a Materials Evaluation Methodology)
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In Olympia Municipal Code (OMC), Chapter 18.12 provides basic framework for the City’s role in Historic Preservation (Click here to view). In this section of code, you will find information on the Heritage Commission, the Heritage Register, and details on what the City’s purview is for preservation requirements for projects through Olympia City Limits. For information on what the design review process looks like for alterations to historic structures, visit the BNA’s FAQ.
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If you would like to learn more about the design criteria for alterations to historic homes or homes within historic districts, OMC 18.105 provides the local guidelines that are used. The guiding principles for the treatment of historic properties comes from the Federal level, via the National Parks Service (Click here to view NPS guidance).