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According to Secretary of the Interior publications, historic preservation is "the act or process of applying measures to sustain the existing form, integrity and material of a building or structure, and the existing form and vegetative cover of a site including stabilization and ongoing maintenance." More simply, it is a procedure that conserves irreplaceable resources - resources that often give variety and character to what would otherwise be visually bland residential neighborhoods and commercial areas. Historic preservation is not only the preservation of physical relics from the past, more importantly it is the conservation of ideas - the intentions and fulfilled dreams of our ancestors and the exemplification of their way of life as reflected in the built environment.
Although many people associate historic preservation with the restoration of important or noteworthy buildings, it also encompasses the repair and maintenance of individual modest structures, entire neighborhoods, or business districts. This area of preservation is equally important as the protection of landmark buildings, because it provides a more complete context of the historical and cultural qualities of a city. By preserving or improving property values and strengthening public services with increased tax revenues, it also can help stabilize neighborhoods and business districts economically.
To preserve a structure appropriately, one should recognize its particular physical qualities, the intentions of the original designer, if possible, and its initial function. While the building's original function may be known already, or is relatively simple to determine, the other two may be difficult to define. The intention of the designer may or may not be evident and, unless documented at the time of the building's conception, impossible to discover. The examples and descriptions of specific Lubbock buildings in this book should be helpful in determining the physical qualities or stylistic classifications of many structures within the city, but, if necessary, additional sources of information may be found in the bibliography.
Once the need for preservation has been determined, it takes research, planning, patience, and a commitment to quality to achieve the appropriate solution. Following the biography are accepted guidelines for rehabilitations to historic buildings as defined by the Department of the Interior. These recommendations are intended to be flexible enough to allow imaginative solutions, but with respect for the original character of a structure or neighborhood. A seasoned or historically sensitive property owner may find some of them obvious, but others may not be evident to a first-time, but enthusiastic, building owner. Before starting on any project it is important to research the history of any old house or commercial building.