BELLEFONTE — Bellefonte, “Pennsylvania’s Victorian jewel,” is taking new steps to preserve its historic character.

During this week’s meeting, Bellefonte Borough Council unanimously approved updated design guidelines for the town’s historic district.

“The purpose of the guidelines is to preserve the integrity of Bellefonte’s nationally recognized architecture, which is a collection of different architectural styles from various eras,” said Gina Thompson, an administrator for Bellefonte’s Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB).

At the meeting on Dec. 16, Thompson provided a recap of the updated guidelines, recently finalized by the Historic Architectural Review Board. The guidelines, which will help property owners understand how they can alter their properties without jeopardizing their historic character, apply to several hundred buildings in the heart of the community.

Designated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, the Bellefonte Historic District features remarkable historic buildings in Victorian styles, including Second Empire, Gothic Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne, alongside pre-Victorian structures.

In the Historic District, any changes to the exterior of buildings must be reviewed by the HARB. The HARB evaluates each project using the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Each application is considered on its individual merits, meaning that what is acceptable in one location may not be appropriate in another. The goal is to preserve the character-defining features of the buildings in the district — those prominent or distinctive aspects, qualities or characteristics that contribute significantly to a historic property’s physical character.

The design guidelines seek to guide property owners within the Historic District in finding appropriate and compatible design solutions for their buildings.

“This is a guiding document to help HARB, myself and residents to know what kinds of things they should be looking for when they’re looking to do projects in the Historic District,” Thompson said.

In addition to written policies and recommendations, the design guidelines include photographs, drawings and graphics to illustrate the architectural features, concepts and approaches described.

Thompson said that one goal of the guidelines is to serve as a starting point for creating educational and programming materials to inform both residents of the historic district and the broader community about preservation efforts.

“The district continues to contribute to Bellefonte’s overall quality of life, economy, property values and attractiveness to residents and tourists,” said Thompson.

The development of the guidelines was funded through the Certified Local Government Program, which is overseen by the National Park Service and administered in Pennsylvania by the Pa. State Historic Preservation Office of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).

Thompson extended special thanks to the consulting firm Landmarks SGA for their assistance in developing the guidelines, as well as to Community Preservation Coordinator Frank Grumbine from PHMC, who worked to fine-tune the guidelines to ensure their long term sustainability.

Thompson shared with Council that during the development process one of HARB’s collaborators remarked that Bellefonte has one of the most well-preserved historic districts in Pennsylvania.

“I think we should take a lot of great pride in that and continue to try to make an effort and a commitment to historic preservation,” she said.

A draft of the guidelines is available on the Borough’s website for public viewing, at bellefonte.net/2024/draft-design-guidelines-for-bellefonte-boroughs-historic-district/.