1. Masonry. Decorative masonry includes both brick and stone work ranging from corbelled cornices and arched window heads to storefront piers.
   
   
2. Terra Cotta. Decorative terra cotta was commonly used from 1880's to the 1930's; most commonly as a veneer or as a masonry unit in combination with brick or stone.
   
   
3. Cast Iron and Sheet Metal. Usually found in buildings constructed before 1900, cast iron and sheet metal were used for cornices, window surrounds or entire facades.
   
   
4. Wood. Wood details are often subtle; as the moldings around windows, and are important in creating the total facade effect.
   
   
5. Decorative Glass. Beveled, leaded, etched, carrara and spandrel glass are all forms of decorative glass used in the buildings downtown.

One of the strongest visual elements on a facade is the continuous molded or projecting cornice. It not only protects the facade from the elements, it also provides a strong visual "cap" or termination to the vertical composition of the facade. The cornice is often decorated with fine details that give scale to the buildings. As a major design element, cornices should be retained, repaired or replaced. It cannot be too strongly emphasized that most downtown buildings need a cornice to be architecturally complete.

Guidelines:

1. Deteriorated details, decorations and cornices should be repaired rather than replaced whenever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the original material in composition, design, color and texture. Repair or replacement of missing architectural decorations and details should be based on accurate duplications, substantiated by historical, physical or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural design.
   
   
2. Heavy or numerous coats of paint that obscure architectural decorations and details should be removed before repainting.
   
   
3. Sagging details, decorations and cornices should be firmly re-anchored.
   
   
4. When replacing or repairing masonry details, decorations or cornices, care should be taken to prevent an obvious and unsightly patch. Materials, joints, etc. should match the original as closely as possible in composition, color and texture.
   
   
5. Corbelling should be retained and restored whenever possible.
   
   
6. Care should be exercised whenever dealing with terra cotta for replacement is difficult. Repair cracked or chipped glazed surfaces as c1osely as possible.
   
   
7. Metal and cast iron which has signs of corrosion, tears, holes, or missing pieces should be repaired or replaced as closely as possible to the original.
   
   
8. Soft, dry or split areas in wood surfaces should be filled, caulked, primed and painted or stained to match the original.
   
   
9. Replacement glass should resemble the original as closely as possible.
   
   
10. Where the original cornice has been removed or altered, it should be replaced or restored with a duplication of the original. Where this is not possible, a simplified version of the original should be designed.
    
    
11. Avoid unnecessary changes in cornice height.
    
    
12. Avoid fake "historic" details, decorations and cornices.