Mt. Lebanon’s new design guide is a great resource for identifying the style of your historic home and making architecturally appropriate updates. Can you answer the following questions? If not, check out the guide online.

1. Mt. Lebanon’s National Register District contains:
A) All the houses built here before 1945
B) 4300 properties built here before 1945
C) Houses scattered around the community that were here when Mt. Lebanon was founded in 1912
D) Tudor and Colonial homes built anytime

2. If your home is not considered a contributing property to the district, it may be because:
A) It predates the creation of Mt. Lebanon in 1912.
B) It is too new.
C) You did not pay to have your home included.
D) It is not in good condition.

3. Mt. Lebanon Design Guide is:
A) Applicable only to Mission Hills and Virginia Manor.
B) Available in hard cover at the library.
C) Available as a gift if you pledge $150 to WQED.
D) Applicable to historic houses anywhere.

4. If your home is located in our National Register Historic District, you are eligible for:
A) Membership in the Mayflower Society
B) A 50 percent cut on your school district taxes.
C) An appearance on “Love it or List it” on HGTV
D) Purchase of an identifying medallion from the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon

5. If you live in our National Register Historic District, you:
A) May not paint your house salmon, sage or teal
B) May not tear your house down
C) May not park cars in your governor’s drive
D) None of the above.

Design Guide Answers

1. B – 1945 was selected as an arbitrary cutoff date for the district, which has a continuous border enclosing 4,300 houses in Mt. Lebanon’s older, centrally located subdivisions. Many homes outside the district share the same historic attributes.

2. B – Non-contributing properties are included in the district but do not meet the historic criteria because they either were built post-1945 or because the original architecture has been very significantly altered.

3. D – Mt. Lebanon’s guide was prepared by an architect and historic preservationist especially for Mt. Lebanon, and the pictures included are specific to Mt. Lebanon homes, but the basic design principles apply to older houses anywhere.

4. D – We wish we could get you a TV gig, but the best we can do is recommend the beautiful medallions ($214) at the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon shop, www.lebohistory.org. You’ll need to supply your address to prove you’re in the district.

5. D – Being in a National Register District places no special restrictions on your home. You are governed by the municipal zoning ordinance, just like everyone else in town. Although the design guide is completely voluntary, we hope you’ll refer to it and contact the historic preservation board, lpace@mtlebanon.org, if you have questions.