Category: Reading Reflections

Once again I found the assigned chapters in Historic Preservation both interesting and informative. I specifically enjoyed chapter 11 with its discussion on heritage tourism and areas as well as cultural and natural landscapes. The case study on the Illinois & Michigan National Heritage Center was of particular interest to me with its explanation of a “hybrid model” in respect to “park development and management” (333). I think the idea of a cooperative agreement to manage a heritage site is integral to a sites success. It promotes participation from a number of agencies and people who offer a diverse set of skills. Additionally, it negates a narrow preservation or interpretative ideology. While the book provided an excellent example of how a partnership can excel, I would have liked a bit more discussion on what difficulties collaborations often face. Cooperative agreements require a great deal of patience and I can image not all achieve their ultimate goal. Furthermore, relationships might be strained or broken if an agreement took a turn for the worse.

On a different note, while I was delighted with most of the book’s content I was disappointed with its lack of footnotes on specific sections. Selfishly (for my thesis project), I would have liked references in chapter nine under the section of “Urban Growth Boundaries and Rural Preservation” and also in chapter 11 in respect to heritage interpretation associated with natural landscapes.

 

After completing the reading I learned a great deal about how sites are designated for preservation and in which ways they are preserved.  I also enjoyed learning more about land that is included in preservation, including; Civil War battlefields, parks, and gardens.  When I’ve traveled and visited historic sites, I especially enjoy looking at the gardens, and grounds.  The gardens at Mt. Vernon, Monticello, and the governor’s mansion at Colonial Williamsburg are all very beautiful.  I think it is just as important to preserve the buildings as it is to preserve the grounds and the gardens.

I also found chapter 10 interesting, although it was not part of our reading.  On page 308, an order of Catholic nuns, Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary decided to rehabilitate their compound as a “green” residence and offices for the two hundred nuns.  The IHM Motherhouse in located in Monroe, Michigan.  The renovation took 2 years, and outdated pluming, electrical, and living spaces were all improved and many items were recycled or re-used in the buildings.  They installed a gray water recycling system, expanded the use of natural lighting, and reused windows, doors, marble, and many other building materials. The project was so energy efficient that they were recognized by several agencies and given several awards.  One was from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with three “Energy Star” awards in 2007.

I was so interested in their building that I also looked at their website.  They also included the use of a geothermal system to heat and cool their 376,000 square feet building –the Motherhouse.  Also, by using the gray water recycling system, they reduced their fresh water use by almost 50%.  Their campus is also home to native trees over 100 years old and an endangered oak savanna ecosystem.  They wanted to restore and improve their building, so as not to re-build somewhere else on the property and have to cut down any trees.  They also have a 2 acre organic community garden.  The garden provides educational opportunities to the community to get involved in environmental responsibility and healthy living.

 

http://www.ihmsisters.org/www/Sustainable_Community/Sustainable_Renovation/sustainrenovation.asp

http://www.ihmsisters.org/www/Sustainable_Community/garden.asp

 

I enjoyed the chapters on preservation and I thought that the book did a great job giving concise explanations of everything and then providing relevant examples that exemplified different theories on historic preservation.  When I finished chapter nine, and read that we were not going to look at chapter ten on preservationists partnering with environmental movements I was a little disappointed.  I decided to read through it anyway because I found myself truly intrigued with the idea of re-purposing historical buildings.  I believe that this is one of the most effective compromises between the need to preserve significant buildings and districts in our cities and towns without having wasted real estate.  It also limits unnecessary urban sprawl and expansion by having the existing buildings evolve with the needs of the community.  During my spring break travels I stopped at an old train depot with the facade intact, but the interior had been renovated to accommodate a Mexican Restaurant.  I remembered the Starbucks discussion from the reading that mentioned adding value, and in this particular instance it went both ways.  The restaurant had a great eclectic ambiance from the already existing structure and the old depot benefited from having a tenant the respected the historical value of the building and had an incentive to maintain it.  I realize that there are many obstacles to maintaining a historical building or home, but it was nice to see a successful example.  I would love to see more of this in Boise; there is something so compelling about blending historic architecture with newer businesses.

This week’s reading on the details of preservation was informative and thought provoking. I find that I have not yet completely worked out my own preservation philosophy, however. I am still debating controversial questions such as which buildings are worthy of preservation and how the preservation of those buildings should be funded.

On that note, the book’s discussion of the debate behind preservation of churches and other religious buildings particularly intrigued me. I like to think of myself as a strong First Amendment supporter, so at first something about the thought of taxpayer money supporting the upkeep/conservation/restoration/reconstruction/preservation/whatever of a building used for a specifically religious purpose made me uncomfortable. However, I firmly believe in the historical integrity and significance of many of these types of buildings, so my inner preservationist wanted to cast those misgivings aside. (Not to mention that the architecture of churches like the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston is just awesome!) I still don’t know how I feel about the St. Bartholomew’s case (which “established that religious organizations are subject to historic preservation ordinances of local government, and that such regulations are not a violation of the First Amendment separation of church and state” [130]). By the end of the book, however, I became more convinced of the legal legitimacy of preserving religious buildings, as they seem to comply with several of the “eight points” of the “historic context framework” discussed in chapter 5 (namely the first three: “peopling places,” “creating social institutions and movements,” and “expressing cultural values”). American history is bursting with religious themes, and the preservation of sites with historic religious integrity must certainly be justified; it only must be done so cautiously.

So, I’ve spent the last 8 days revisiting a place I’ve lived in for 19 years, attempting to approach an all too familiar city within the context of this course. Public history and Boston coexist, and it is nearly impossible to go any amount of time before being reminded of the city’s significance in the country’s history.

The preservation work is absolutely astonishing. I’ll post pictures once I arrive back in Boise (I left my USB cable at home… go figure). The best representation of a building being preserved amongst modernity is a picture I took of Faneuil Hall being surrounded by sky scrapers that barely fit in the frame. Old cathedrals are nestled between more dominating commerce structures, and facades of old are masking buildings of new.

Public history is intertwined with every aspect of daily life. From the coaster under your beer telling the story of the pub you’re in, to the character of the sagging shelves holding up the glasses – all pay tribute to a city that is proud of their heritage and holds dear anything with proof of its longevity.

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel that any older, worn out building has character. Sure, your new Corey Barton home has a fancy granite countertop with impeccable wall to wall hardwood floor, but give me a house with creaky floorboards and brick walls any day (a little lead paint creates some excitement, too!). Something about a structure built for a family or a specific purpose, rather than a cookie-cutter McMansion design makes for a better appreciation for what you have and how you got it.

Of course it’s easier to tear down and rebuilt something shiny and exciting. Like the city I grew up in, I prefer to acknowledge my past and celebrate its influence in my daily life. I am in no way stating that we should all settle for a subpar structure to work or live in, but I do need a better argument than it’s just ‘old’.

“We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.” – Winston Churchill

The question of whether to preserve any specific structure is an interesting one. Preservation has to be balanced against many factors, such as site usage, cost of preservation/renovation, and its cultural and historical importance. As with some of the Basque sites in the downtown area these factors can vary with time. While many sites which are now on the Basque block might have been historically important, it was not until recently, about the 1980s, that they became culturally important. Their cultural importance–rather than there historical–is what sets these buildings apart. For whatever reason it was not until the 1980s that the Basque community in Boise began to coalesque around a physical area in the city. This began when the old boarding house next to the museum was purchased. It became a rallying point for other Basque cultural institutions-such as the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Bar Gernica, the Basque community center, and a few other resturants and stores. The success of the Basque cultural preservation (or it might better be termed cultural renovation) has lead to the non-Basque owners of other Basque sites (such as former chapels and boarding houses) to associate their building with the Basque community. The Boise Basque’s are an example of successful grass roots preservation efforts–as opposed to relying on the more formal structures described in our text. They show the importance of not only preserving buildings, but of connecting them with a vibrant culture.

After completing the reading I found it interesting that most of the chapters focused on preserving historic buildings, however there was a brief mention of the importance of National Parks, and historic battlefields.  When I think of preservation, I think of all areas that include; ocean/river ways, land areas, as well as historic buildings.  I assume most of you do as well.  I’ve been to a few tide pools along California’s coast and the coastal communities there are very involved with preserving their tide pools for future generations.  They organize volunteers to clean the tide pools, and community members even volunteer to educate visitors and help with class field trips.  The connection I saw in the reading is the importance of being involved in your community and fighting for preservation.  Some examples included, the ladies association to preserve Mt. Vernon, as well as Clete’s example in saving Wallace, Idaho.  Local organizations, and donations make a significant contribution to preservation.  However, even some wealthy preservationists do receive negative comments.  For example, Henry Ford’s preservation efforts at Greenfield Village were “criticized as too much a product of Ford’s personal tastes…” pg.38.

Our government has made efforts to preserve historic buildings, and the National Parks Service also does great work in preserving buildings, land, and trails at our national parks.  Last week on PBS there was an interesting documentary about Idaho fire lookouts and cabins that are being preserved, and people are able to rent them out.  The program was organized by the Forest Fire Lookout Association or the FFLA.  Here is their website http://www.firelookout.org/lookout-rentals.htm Many cabins have been restored, however it is expensive, and other cabins that have been deserted for years are falling apart.  The longer they are left empty the further in disrepair they become.

I was also interested to learn how Japan, and China deal with preservation.  Preservation is important in terms of their language and culture, but not so prevalent in the age of their buildings.  I was surprised to learn about the Ise Shrine in Ise city, Japan; and that they rebuild the shrine every 20 years.  Japan and China have an abundance of historic shrines that locals and tourist often visit.  The Ise Shrine reminded me of an article I read about the Three Gorges Dam in China that was built across the Yangtze river.  The intention of the dam was to control flooding, and provide electricity.  However, the construction forced at least 1.4 million residents to move, and it altered the course of the river which flooded several archaeological sites.  Some historic shrines were relocated, however it was too expensive to move everything.  The river dolphins are also being threatened and may face extinction.  It is a difficult decision to make when it is time to modernize, but that may threaten or destroy historic sites.

I enjoyed reading about the history of preservation this week. As many people who have already posted have mentioned, the details of different architectural styles have always eluded me (and will probably continue to do so despite Tyler’s valiant efforts at making me more architecturally literate). Thus far, though, the book has focused on preservation of buildings. I would like to know more about views and approaches towards preservation of historic sites that do not include buildings.

The infamous “Wilderness Wal-Mart” is a situation that I have been following for the last few years, since Wal-Mart proposed to build a supercenter on or next to the Wilderness (Civil War) Battlefield in Virginia. The corporation was granted permission to build (albeit with certain restrictions) back in the summer of 2009, but the battle by preservationists raged on, and Wal-Mart finally renounced its plans just a few months ago. (See http://blog.preservationnation.org/2011/01/26/breaking-news-national-trust-for-historic-preservation-commends-wal-mart%E2%80%99s-decision-to-withdraw-plans-for-supercenter-at-wilderness-battlefield)

This twenty-first century battle over a nineteenth-century battle brings up issues that were mentioned in the book regarding what should be preserved and to what extent. (Somehow I don’t think that Wal-Mart would apply a Contextualist approach to its building plans.) Space is often scarce in cities, and thus some historic buildings must be renovated to accommodate modern functions; likewise, land is becoming a precious commodity in our increasingly urbanized and suburbanized nation–even if it has historical significance.  Preservationists can ask, “Do we really need another Wal-Mart?” But on the other hand, proponents of commercial “progress” can question–probably with reason, though I am loath to admit it–just how much of an expansive battlefield really needs to be used to exhibit its historical significance. Is land equally as worthy of preservation as buildings?

(Here is an interesting article about the “development versus preservation” debate. Apparently it is going on at other battlefields and historic sites as well: http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/12/battle-over-the-battlefields.html)

This is the story of  Harry F. Magnuson and his leadership in the battle from 1970 to 1986 to save the Town of Wallace from destruction at the hands of State and Federal highway officials. Born in Wallace in 1923, Harry became a legendary business leader and philanthropist in the Northwest and beyond who never forgot his roots in his beloved hometown. The Federal Highway Administration and the Idaho Transportation Department planned to route Interstate 90 directly through the center of Wallace. Slated for the wrecking ball were blocks of historic buildings, including the iconic Northern Pacific Railroad Depot, that linked the Town to its storied past.  Harry Magnuson sued the FHA and ITD, alleging that they had failed to file an Environmental Impact Statement. A Federal judged concurred, entered an injunction, and halted the imminent bulldozers.  Harry [together with Nancy Lee Hansen] secured placement of the entire Town of Wallace on the National Register of Historic Places, creating insurmountable roadblocks in the agencies’ paths.  The stoplight at the corner of 7th and Bank Streets, the last on I-90 between Seattle and Boston, became a stirring national symbol of Wallace’s fight for survival.  As a result of Harry’s efforts, a compromise was struck, preserving Historic Wallace. A new overhead freeway was designed to bypass the Town. The Depot was moved across the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River to its new location on 6th Street.  The battle won, the Townspeople conducted a ceremonial funeral for the storied stoplight in 1991. Media from around the world reported the event. Charles Kuralt of CBS News wanted to know how a town of 1,000 people could stand up to the Federal government. The answer was “Harry.”  Historic Wallace is Harry Magnuson’s legacy to the Town he loved so deeply. Without his efforts, the elegant historic district you see today would be nothing more than four lanes of concrete. With this in mind, a grateful citizenry has dedicated the original routing of I-90 through Wallace as the  “Harry F. Magnuson Way.”

While reading this week’s chapters from Historic Preservation I kept thinking back to Dr. Lubamersky’s presentation to us about Sweden and her observation that the Swedish are not afraid to mix the old with the new. I love to see old buildings preserved, but…. I appreciated that on page 18 of the introduction there was a listing of several perspectives held by preservationists: “Some see their role primarily as saving old buildings, some as preserving a cultural heritage, some as fostering urban revitalization, and some as contributing to sustainability and an alternative approach to current development practice.” I would like to think that all those views are important and taken into consideration. I’d also like to believe there is an option that sometimes a building might not be not worth saving.

I had very mixed feelings about one of the Boise Architecture Project’s picks for their endangered list, the Googie style Japanese Restaurant. I remember when it was a Sambo’s. That’s right. A shortening of the name Little Black Sambo. It may be kind of like a slave cabin in its historical and cultural significance. It might be really important for Idaho to have an example of that kind of architecture. Or we could question its deteriorated state and say bye-bye. Recently, I suggested to a friend who was having trouble purging useless, old knickknacks that he should take digital photos of them and save the images, not the actual items. I might be okay with a digital photo of that restaurant in a digital archive.