Define historic preservation and name one standard principle guiding it.

• A. Protection and maintenance of historic buildings; principle: authenticity and reversibility.
• B. Repairing new buildings to look old.
• C. Destruction of historic features to facilitate modernization.
• D. Replacing old materials with modern substitutes.

Answer: (A)

Historic preservation is about safeguarding built heritage by protecting and maintaining historic buildings so their cultural significance remains legible for future generations. A guiding principle in this work is authenticity and reversibility: preserve original materials, design, craftsmanship, and appearance as much as possible, and design interventions so they can be undone in the future without harming the structure. This ensures the building’s character and historic identity are retained rather than replaced or masked. The other options miss the goal of preservation—trying to make new buildings look old, destroying historic features, or replacing old materials with modern substitutes all undermine authenticity and the ability to understand the past.