As repeatedly demonstrated in this paper, uncertainty is the only constant in historic preservation. From local landmark laws to the sites themselves, historic preservation is an imprecise science, susceptible to the whims of the surrounding community. However, this subjectivity should not invalidate preservation's importance – if anything, it should reinforce it. Architectural landmarks openly reflect aesthetic, historic, and cultural values in a way that other media cannot. Consensus is rare in preservation projects, and the agency required to save some structures can undermine popular sentiment; but ultimately, what a community once was – for better or worse – is seldom as telling as what it elects to keep. Sentimentality aside, preservation has proven itself a valuable economic development tool and an eco-friendlier way to adapt to changing markets than continual demolition and reconstruction. However, there will always be tension between history and progress, and properly mediating the two will usually require more than a development pro forma, an environmental impact statement, or an angry public meeting.
Historic Preservation Conclusion
Sep 11, 2013
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
CMAP would like to thank the following people listed below who assisted by providing data and/or gave useful insight on the topic of historic preservation. The contents and recommendations contained herein do not necessarily reflect their opinions or the policies of the organizations they represent.
Nicholas P. Kalogeresis, AICP, Vice-President, The Lakota Group
Anthony Rubano, Project Designer, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
References
Bhatt, Sanjay. "Surprise: Denny's Declared Landmark," Seattle Times, Feb. 21, 2008.
Bluestone, Daniel. (1994). "Preservation and Renewal in Post-World War II Chicago." Journal of Architecture Education, 47:4, 210-223.
Cahan, Richard. They All Fall Down: Richard Nickel's Struggle to Save America's Architecture, John Wiley & Sons, 1994
Church, David. "Overlay Districts" The Community and Economic Development Tool Box, Published Online: http://www.cdtoolbox.net/development_issues/000191.html
Clark, David E. and William E. Herrin. (1997). "Historical Preservation Districts and Home Sale
Prices: Evidence from the Sacramento Housing Market." Review of Regional Studies, 27:1, 29-48.
Cultural Heritage Tourism. "Cultural Heritage Visitor Profile." Accessed October 28, 2008, from
http://www.culturalheritagetourism.org/resources/visitorProfile.htm
Duffy, Robert J.,Jeff Levine, Greer Hardwick and Roger Reed. "Neighborhood Conservation District Study for the Town of Brookline," Larson Fisher and Associates, Woodstock, NY, 2005
Hughes, Keenan. "Reuse vs. Tear Down." Planning, January 2008, pp. 40-42.
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. "Main Street Reports." Accessed October 28, 2008,
from http://www.illinoishistory.gov/ps/mainstreet_report.htm
Jackson, Mike (2005). "Embodied energy and historic preservation: A needed
reassessment." Journal of Preservation Technology. 36:4, 47-52.
Kamin, Blair. "Chicago's Landmarks Law 40 Years Later: The City That Wrecks Does a Better Job of Preserving its Past, But Challenges Loom." Retrieved July, 2008 from http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2008/05/chicagos-landma.html
Landmarks Illinois. Retrieved November 25, 2008, Web site:
http://www.landmarks.org/incentives.htm
Levy, Daniel J. (2005). "Does History Matter? Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Fake Historic Architecture and Historic Preservation." Journal of Architectural Planning Research 22:2, 148-159.
Listokin, David, Listokin, Barbara, & Lahr, Michael (1998). "The contributions of historic
preservation to housing and economic development." Housing Policy Debate. 9:3, 431-478.
National Park Service, "Antiquities Act of 1906." Retrieved June, 2008 from http://www.nps.gov/history/history/hisnps/NPSHistory/antiq.htm
National Park Service, "Department of Transportation Act." Retrieved July, 2008 from http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/fhpl_dotact.pdf
National Trust for Historic Preservation, "National Trust Main Street Center: About the
Main Street Center." Retrieved November 25, 2008, from http://www.mainstreet.org/content.aspx?page=2§ion=1
-----, "The Four Points." Retrieved November 25, 2008,
from http://www.mainstreet.org/content.aspx?page=47§ion=2
-----, "Heritage Tourism," Retrieved October 28, 2008, from
http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/heritage-tourism/
Neil, J. Meredith (1980). "Is There a Historian in the House? The Curious Case of Historic Preservation," The Public Historian 2:2, 30-38.
Rose, Carol (1981). "Preservation and Community: New Directions in the Law of Historic Preservation," Stanford Law Review 33:3, 473-534.
Rypkema, Donovan (2003). Planning for the future, using the past: The role of historic
preservation in building tomorrow's Washington, DC. Washington, DC: Place Economics.
Rypkema, Donovan (2003). "The Importance of Downtown in the 21st Century." APA Journal 69:1, 9-15.
Schaeffer, P.V., and Millerick, C. (1991). "The impact of historic district designations on
property values: An empirical study." Economic Development Quarterly. 5, 301-312.
Stipe, Robert E. A Richer Heritage: Historic Preservation in the Twenty-First Century, The
University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2003.
Travel Industry Association. "Executive Summaries - The Historic/Cultural Traveler,
2003 Edition." Accessed October 28, 2008, from http://www.tia.org/researchpubs/executive_summaries_historic_cultural.html
Village of Riverside, "Riverside Community Website: History" Retrieved August, 2008 from http://www.riverside-illinois.com/History.htm
Waite, John G., Clay S. Palazzo, Chelle M. Jenkins (1997). "Watching the Evidence: An HSR to
Guide the Preservation of George Washington's Mount Vernon" APT Bulletin 28:1, 29-35.
Weyeneth, Robert R. (2005). "The Architecture of Racial Segregation: The Challenges of Preserving the Problematical Past" The Public Historian. 27:4, 11-44.
Wilson, Adele, and Gary Petri. "Trash or Treasure." American School & University, July
2007, pp. 14-16. Accessed October 28, 2008, from http://asumag.com/Furniture/university_trash_treasure/
Wilson, David (2003). "Making Historical Preservation in Chicago: Discourse and Spatiality in Neo-Liberal Times." Space and Polity 8:1, 43-59.
Sep 11, 2013
Conclusion
As repeatedly demonstrated in this paper, uncertainty is the only constant in historic preservation. From local landmark laws to the sites themselves, historic preservation is an imprecise science, susceptible to the whims of the surrounding community. However, this subjectivity should not invalidate preservation's importance – if anything, it should reinforce it. Architectural landmarks openly reflect aesthetic, historic, and cultural values in a way that other media cannot. Consensus is rare in preservation projects, and the agency required to save some structures can undermine popular sentiment; but ultimately, what a community once was – for better or worse – is seldom as telling as what it elects to keep. Sentimentality aside, preservation has proven itself a valuable economic development tool and an eco-friendlier way to adapt to changing markets than continual demolition and reconstruction. However, there will always be tension between history and progress, and properly mediating the two will usually require more than a development pro forma, an environmental impact statement, or an angry public meeting.
Acknowledgements
CMAP would like to thank the following people listed below who assisted by providing data and/or gave useful insight on the topic of historic preservation. The contents and recommendations contained herein do not necessarily reflect their opinions or the policies of the organizations they represent.
Nicholas P. Kalogeresis, AICP, Vice-President, The Lakota Group
Anthony Rubano, Project Designer, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
References
Bhatt, Sanjay. "Surprise: Denny's Declared Landmark," Seattle Times, Feb. 21, 2008.
Bluestone, Daniel. (1994). "Preservation and Renewal in Post-World War II Chicago." Journal of Architecture Education, 47:4, 210-223.
Cahan, Richard. They All Fall Down: Richard Nickel's Struggle to Save America's Architecture, John Wiley & Sons, 1994
Church, David. "Overlay Districts" The Community and Economic Development Tool Box, Published Online: http://www.cdtoolbox.net/development_issues/000191.html
Clark, David E. and William E. Herrin. (1997). "Historical Preservation Districts and Home Sale
Prices: Evidence from the Sacramento Housing Market." Review of Regional Studies, 27:1, 29-48.
Cultural Heritage Tourism. "Cultural Heritage Visitor Profile." Accessed October 28, 2008, from
http://www.culturalheritagetourism.org/resources/visitorProfile.htm
Duffy, Robert J.,Jeff Levine, Greer Hardwick and Roger Reed. "Neighborhood Conservation District Study for the Town of Brookline," Larson Fisher and Associates, Woodstock, NY, 2005
Hughes, Keenan. "Reuse vs. Tear Down." Planning, January 2008, pp. 40-42.
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. "Main Street Reports." Accessed October 28, 2008,
from http://www.illinoishistory.gov/ps/mainstreet_report.htm
Jackson, Mike (2005). "Embodied energy and historic preservation: A needed
reassessment." Journal of Preservation Technology. 36:4, 47-52.
Kamin, Blair. "Chicago's Landmarks Law 40 Years Later: The City That Wrecks Does a Better Job of Preserving its Past, But Challenges Loom." Retrieved July, 2008 from http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2008/05/chicagos-landma.html
Landmarks Illinois. Retrieved November 25, 2008, Web site:
http://www.landmarks.org/incentives.htm
Levy, Daniel J. (2005). "Does History Matter? Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Fake Historic Architecture and Historic Preservation." Journal of Architectural Planning Research 22:2, 148-159.
Listokin, David, Listokin, Barbara, & Lahr, Michael (1998). "The contributions of historic
preservation to housing and economic development." Housing Policy Debate. 9:3, 431-478.
National Park Service, "Antiquities Act of 1906." Retrieved June, 2008 from http://www.nps.gov/history/history/hisnps/NPSHistory/antiq.htm
National Park Service, "Department of Transportation Act." Retrieved July, 2008 from http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/fhpl_dotact.pdf
National Trust for Historic Preservation, "National Trust Main Street Center: About the
Main Street Center." Retrieved November 25, 2008, from http://www.mainstreet.org/content.aspx?page=2§ion=1
-----, "The Four Points." Retrieved November 25, 2008,
from http://www.mainstreet.org/content.aspx?page=47§ion=2
-----, "Heritage Tourism," Retrieved October 28, 2008, from
http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/heritage-tourism/
Neil, J. Meredith (1980). "Is There a Historian in the House? The Curious Case of Historic Preservation," The Public Historian 2:2, 30-38.
Rose, Carol (1981). "Preservation and Community: New Directions in the Law of Historic Preservation," Stanford Law Review 33:3, 473-534.
Rypkema, Donovan (2003). Planning for the future, using the past: The role of historic
preservation in building tomorrow's Washington, DC. Washington, DC: Place Economics.
Rypkema, Donovan (2003). "The Importance of Downtown in the 21st Century." APA Journal 69:1, 9-15.
Schaeffer, P.V., and Millerick, C. (1991). "The impact of historic district designations on
property values: An empirical study." Economic Development Quarterly. 5, 301-312.
Stipe, Robert E. A Richer Heritage: Historic Preservation in the Twenty-First Century, The
University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2003.
Travel Industry Association. "Executive Summaries - The Historic/Cultural Traveler,
2003 Edition." Accessed October 28, 2008, from http://www.tia.org/researchpubs/executive_summaries_historic_cultural.html
Village of Riverside, "Riverside Community Website: History" Retrieved August, 2008 from http://www.riverside-illinois.com/History.htm
Waite, John G., Clay S. Palazzo, Chelle M. Jenkins (1997). "Watching the Evidence: An HSR to
Guide the Preservation of George Washington's Mount Vernon" APT Bulletin 28:1, 29-35.
Weyeneth, Robert R. (2005). "The Architecture of Racial Segregation: The Challenges of Preserving the Problematical Past" The Public Historian. 27:4, 11-44.
Wilson, Adele, and Gary Petri. "Trash or Treasure." American School & University, July
2007, pp. 14-16. Accessed October 28, 2008, from http://asumag.com/Furniture/university_trash_treasure/
Wilson, David (2003). "Making Historical Preservation in Chicago: Discourse and Spatiality in Neo-Liberal Times." Space and Polity 8:1, 43-59.