ABSTRACT
The appraisal of weathering, deterioration and/or distress in historic buildings is often difficult given the lack of available construction history information. Yet it is an essential step as preservation programs have to rely on relevant preliminary investigations. Professionals in historic preservation need detailed information on the construction history of buildings/structures. Therefore, we investigate the construction history of an existing masonry building to inform preservation approaches. This paper uses construction history records of a case study, the Mission San José church (San Antonio), to support preservation approaches. Construction history investigations revealed that the 1930s church roof reconstruction introduced modern materials that may interfere with current interior finish deteriorations. In the same idea, mortar joints and limestone erosion ask for special attention near the 1928 construction joint of the bell tower. Conversely, preservation works performed at the sacristy revealed new information on the construction history of the church.
