Measured drawing involves a methodical process to capture the form, arrangement and physical dimensions of a building. Using a variety of tools including paper and pencil, drafting equipment, measuring tapes and rules, string, plumb hobs, levels, photography, etc. The field team seeks to create a quality and accurate set of field notes. Special photographic processes involving the use of perspective correcting camera lenses are also implemented.
The photographic images and field notes are then used to produce a set of measured drawings for the building(s). Modern technology plays a key role in this process. All drawings are produced using computer-aided drafting (CAD) technology. Photographs are converted into digital format to assist in the development of measured drawings.
During the short time in New Plymouth, the Survey Team documented three of the town’s historic buildings. The buildings we documented include the Cecil Lowe house, Mama Issie’s House, and Uncle Pres’s House.
Another drawing that came out of the week in New Plymouth was a strip elevation and plan of Parliament Street. This drawing is intended to capture the arrangement of the buildings in plan and their appearance in elevation. The buildings of New Plymouth all have similar width, height and spacing proportions. This is an important feature of the local architecture that was recognized by the work of the Survey Team.
A Nolli Map of New Plymouth was developed as a result of the fieldwork. This special drawing is essentially a site plan of the city. It differs from a site plan in that it colors all open areas in black and leaves buildings in white. The drawing is intended to portray the arrangement and spacing of buildings within the community. The Survey Team identified the arrangement and proximity of the New Plymouth buildings as an important characteristic of the community’s physical features.
One of the first priorities of the Survey team was to develop an accurate site plan of the community. Each structure was numbered for identification.
Using the format of the Bahamas Register of Historic Places form as a basis, the team developed an Historic Inventory form that reflected the model form but included items of particular importance to the New Plymouth Survey. The use of a graphic format allows quick identification of architectural features and increases the usability of the survey form. The form was completed for all buildings of historic importance and architectural significance, some 87 in all. These selected buildings were also photographed and videotaped.