New owners of historic Brazen Head building outline restoration, DDA-funded facade work

Angelica and Drew, owners of the property commonly known as the Brazen Head (now operated under Great Outdoors Holdings), presented plans and asked the Historic Preservation Committee for guidance on façade work, a historic front door replacement and site improvements after receiving a DDA grant for the highway-facing side.

The owners said the building has decades of deferred maintenance — including deteriorating logs, a patched parking area and nonhistoric additions — and that they sought the committee’s advice on restoration priorities, site drainage, lighting and whether specific changes would require permits. Committee members and local architects advised a phased approach: stabilize logs and roof, pursue historically sympathetic door design (potentially a custom reproduction), and plan parking improvements with future building work in mind to avoid redoing paving.

Staff advised that straightforward door replacements are often treated as repair work and typically do not require a permit, but larger exterior changes that alter historic integrity should be reviewed by the committee before permits are issued. The committee also cautioned that significant exterior changes could affect a structure’s landmark status if they remove or cover character-defining features.

Owners discussed programming and history, noting work to collect oral histories and photographs and the loss of an old Brazen Head sign; committee members offered research contacts and technical referrals. Staff pointed the owners toward state historic funding opportunities (including potential tax-credit pathways) and recommended coordination with planning staff on lighting so designs comply with city standards.