Heritage, 2009, Volume 4 Page: 27
31 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Communities across Texas must carefully weigh the merits of preservation, according to Professor Don Frazier. Above: Mor-
ris Ranch School, in rural Gillespie County, was saved in 2005. Photograph courtesy of the Texas Historical Commission.given only a hint of the Serengeti when viewing cheetahs pacing in their
enclosure. Even so, extinction may be the unwelcome alternative.
Historic preservation is not egalitarian. Buildings of merit to people
of means are saved while ordinary structures important to the people
fade. Most old buildings are left in situ (where they were originally
located) to face their fates. The Texas Historical Commission, for in-
stance, prefers a structure to remain where craftsmen raised it, with
some looking out of place in their changing neighborhoods, straining
the relationship of the old to the modern. Others are so far out in the
boondocks that they are doomed to die in place. A few may thrive in
their old neighborhood, especially when there is a cluster of similarly
preserved structures. Other well-intentioned attempts to keep the old
roofs intact can lead to a never-ending cycle of crises fundraising as
supporting communities disperse and financial stewardship dwindles.
In the end, historic preservation is an attempt to come to grips with
the passage of time, an effort to attach honor to the contributions of
those who came before. Good historic preservation understands the
economics of old buildings, makes allowances for their perpetuation,
and recognizes what stories need to be told and which can rest in peace.
There is no point in preserving a building that will become a burden
to future generations through crushing and unsupported maintenance
costs. The decision to invest-or not invest-will allow community
leaders and donors to move forward with a clear conscience. Only then
will some of these life-sized relics of our past remain to guide the next
generation toward its future and its own quest for meaning.
'Excerpted with permission from Donald S. Frazier, Robert F. Pace, and
Steve Butman, Abilene Landmarks: An Illustrated Tour (Buffalo Gap,
Texas: State House Press, 2007).PRESERVING THE PA5T
FOR THE FUTURE
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Cultural Resources Services
2105 Donley Avenue, Suite 400 * Austin, Texas 78758-4513
Tel: (512) 459-3349 Fax: (512) 459-3851
E-mail: staff@paiarch.comHERITAGE E Volume 4 2009
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2009, Volume 4, periodical, 2009; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254215/m1/27/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.