This collection of technical bulletins addresses the core question of how to maintain, repair, and preserve historic structures without compromising their architectural integrity. The National Park Service provides these guidelines, drawing upon decades of federal expertise in cultural resource management and building science to establish standardized best practices for property owners, architects, and developers.

Experts and preservation professionals consider these briefs to be the foundational standard for historic building maintenance in the United States. Readers frequently note the technical density of the prose, which is designed for practitioners rather than casual homeowners.