Forgotten and Restored Spaces: Historical Sites - Assignment Example

Importance of Historical Sites Historical sites are often at the center of vigorous debate as communities struggle to determine whether to maintain the cost of keeping them up or to tear them down and construct something new in their place. Arguments are offered on both sides and may be very different depending upon the reason why the site is historical and what kind of structures, if any, are involved. Concerns over antiquated and perhaps dangerous building materials, location in the center of what is now a sprawling metropolis and the high dollar cost of maintenance and repair all seem to work against the concept of honoring historic sites. It is perhaps a mark of our times that the most pressing concern regarding historic sites is the cost of protecting them as historic sites. A prime piece of property in the center of town may be difficult to keep clear in spite of its distinction as a Civil War battlefield unless there are enough people available to remember its significance and the reason nothing has been built there. An auditorium constructed in the days of asbestos and lead paint will require a great deal of work at considerable expense to bring it back in line with today’s understanding of these materials before it can be made usable again. Yet, no matter the site or how dangerous its original building materials might have been, it seems there is always someone on hand to fight for the original structure as an important historical site. Despite the challenges against them, in many ways, the historical site must be protected as a memory tool for the community, as a source of comfort in a world gone suddenly insane with the new and as a source of instruction for the future. Unlike the golden memories of a slower world, where news traveled on horseback and changes took time to implement, today’s world is characterized by almost instantaneous change and constant information overload. Assailed on all sides by these threats to any peace of mind, people cling more and more to the familiar and the loved. Better the old teddy bear with the missing ear than the spiky new model of the space-ship. Better the shabby old building which is also part of the landscape than the brash modern construction which seems to shriek ‘Notice me, I am new!’ Not all buildings can survive time or the ignorance of human nature, always striving to move forward. However, the ones that do remain prove that the modern public experience isn’t always a match for the anxiety of modern times. A result of this anxiety is the need to preserve, maintain, restore and recycle remnants of historic buildings. We often feel obliged to hold on to whatever remains possible, saving buildings from destruction at times, as a means of making up for what we take for granted. We hold onto these old structures because we feel they contain history worth being remembered. “Despite efforts, many historic buildings disappear. And sometimes, all that remains are a few paper records.” By protecting whatever we can of these historic buildings, their social history does not end. They become the monuments of those long forgotten and abandoned. We save them because we are not done experiencing them, because people want the next generation to see it in its glory as it has always been; no matter the current state or function of the structure. It’s about carrying forth the essence of place and memory and preserving the experience of mankind beyond the specter of death. Part of a building’s living legacy is its contribution to social history and a community’s identity. Built for the principle reason of bringing people together within a space and to experience it, historical sites can become containers from which memory remains long after the people who constructed it have gone. Theatres, such as the old Eglinton Theatre, turned Eglinton Grand, exemplify this need, this desire to keep those experiences alive; to bring the past into the present tense. Edward S. Casey points out, “What is remembered is well-grounded if it is remembered as being in a particular place – a place that may well take precedence over the time of its occurrence.” Most memories, if not all, are fuelled by the recollection of place. This is why it is so important to preserve historical buildings. If we take away the building, we take away its history; there no longer exists a place of memory and the memories that were made there begin to fade as well. By maintaining or restoring the structure of a building, the stories of the people who gave it life continue to have concrete meaning. In most cases, when the people whose memories are tied to the past die away, the buildings remain as testament to what was accomplished in their day. We chose to hold onto to these physical spaces because the spirit of memory resides there. And for those who do not share these memories, imagination becomes the link to what was and what that means now. The Eglinton Grand is no longer the theatre in used to be; it is now used for a different venue. However, because of its protection and restoration in fitting with the present, physically, it has not changed its fundamental character. By having been brought to the present, it carries on an illusion of the past and conveys ideas of a time of simplicity and elegance; when attention to detail was truly important in architecture. Like the many other historical structures still standing, it contains more than history. These buildings were made to be strong and durable against the physical and sometimes social challenges of time. Buildings now, it seems, are meant to morph with the changing times; always being recreated into something new as a means of reflecting a societys modernity. By preserving at least the outer physical framework of historical buildings, we can see and understand them as a monument of the past standing in the space of the present. Because these buildings reflect another time, we know there is history to them. And associated to that history is human memory. Having a historical building still present allows people to experience history’s lessons using their imagination. Without a physical presence, nothing can be imagined or felt. However, the question must be asked, what is worth saving? This is a fundamental question, for anything and everything can disappear. Finances and disinterest are often the reasons why many historic buildings do not win the battle against demolishing and neglect. They become new spaces with merely the physical structure of the old as any associations to the past are cleared away or they simply disappear without a trace because we let them. By taking away something culturally preserved for so long, people lose a bit of history without realizing it. By protecting and preserving historical buildings, we still have a connection between the past and the present. There is always going to be an association between historical sites and memory. Our collective memory shapes our identity, which is shaped by our sense and perception of place. When that place is gone, all that can sustain it is memory. Noticeably, the less people remember, the more things are forgotten; particularly when the structures in which these memories were made are replaced by an entirely different physical structure, weakening any ties with the past. By protecting the structures of the past within the framework of the present while still preserving its historical significance, there is always still something to be remembered. “To strive, to seek, to find and NOT to yield” – this is the essence of the historical building. Read More