Williamsville commission: follow Secretary of the Interior standards for meeting house paint touch-ups

The Williamsville Historic Preservation Commission on Jan. 28, 2025, advised that painting and touch-ups to the interior of the locally designated meeting house should follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and applicable preservation briefs.

Commission staff told members that for painting work on a historic structure, contractors should follow the Secretary of the Interior standards and related preservation guidance. “Just follow those standards,” a staff member said during the exchange about how to proceed with ceiling patching and other interior touch-ups.

Commission discussion clarified that minor maintenance and in-kind touch-ups do not require a formal submission to the commission, but work beyond routine maintenance should be brought to the commission for review. A commissioner asked whether the work must be done by a professional painter; the staff response was that it did not have to be a professional painter so long as the work follows preservation treatment guidance and matches existing finishes where appropriate. The transcript records a reference to matching the existing paint (the speaker mentioned Sherwin‑Williams as the likely previous paint source) and advised contractors to try to match existing colors and finishes as closely as possible.

The commission’s guidance was procedural rather than prescriptive: follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and applicable preservation briefs, document paint products and colors used, and bring non‑routine changes back to the commission for review.

The commission adjourned after the discussion.