Purcellville businessman Robert Lauten was recently approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Historic Resources for a substantial tax credit for historic renovation work on the building at 131-133 East Main Street.

Directly across from the Purcellville Town Hall, the building houses Lauten Construction Company and Piper Dan's Celtic Shop. It was formerly an antique store, an inn and boardinghouse, and also served as a stagecoach stop. It was originally the home of Valentine V. Purcell, the Town's first Postmaster.

The work integrated well with Lauten Construction Company's historic renovation and general remodeling business and the extensive work the firm handled included interior and exterior renovations at the site; removal of an old fuel tank; replacement of the main sewer line; installation of a new roof and gutters; construction of a new stone porch; heating and cooling systems; shutters and painting.

To qualify for the tax credits, all work must conform to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, which basically require restoration or repair, instead of replacement of deteriorated architectural elements, and preservation of as much of the original historic building as possible.

In 2006 the Town of Purcellville was successful in having the central area of the town, including the historic downtown, designated as a State and National Historic District. Those who renovate contributing buildings within the Historic District are eligible to apply for both State and Federal tax credits for those renovations.

The Town offered a Tax Credit seminar in 2006 for property owners, which started the ball rolling for Lauten. Because his Main Street building is within the Historic District, the work he hoped to do on it when it was purchased in 2,000, was done to Historic Renovation standards to ensure that it would qualify for tax credits.

Now that the tax credits have been approved, Lauten says the wait was "well worth it."

Nichelle Marshall in the Lauten office handled most of the paperwork for the renovation and said the process went fairly smoothly. "It is most important to keep good records," she said. "You need to understand fully all the information that will be required for approval so you can keep really detailed records during each stage of renovation."

For further information on the Town's historic district or the tax credit program, contact the Purcellville Planning Department at 540-338-2304.