When the trouble is taken to preserve historic buildings, the past is kept alive and tangible. These buildings help to preserve local culture, and can even benefit the community as a whole.
What is historic and worth saving depends on the values of different communities. Historic buildings are generally defined, however, as old buildings that are worth all the trouble of restoration and care, because they played an important role in a community’s past. When the trouble is taken to preserve historic buildings, the past is kept alive and tangible. These buildings help to preserve local culture, and can even benefit the community as a whole.
Older Buildings Were Built To Last
Historic buildings, especially those built before World War II, were generally built with higher quality materials. These include hardwoods and even wood from old forests that we have long since destroyed. Many of these buildings were built to higher standards than modern homes, and with the proper care might even outlast them. Simply demolishing them and starting from scratch is wasteful and often unnecessary.
Historic Buildings Inspire The Business Of The Future
In her 1961 book, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” Urban activist Jane Jacobs discusses the advantages old buildings offer new business. Her book actually revolutionized the way people look at older buildings. While chain stores, which are often sterile and impersonal, work fine in new buildings, startups, coffee shops, entrepreneurs, and others businesses that imbue a city with life and personality thrive in buildings with old world charm.
Historic Buildings Keep A City’s Culture Alive
The culture of a place cannot really be recreated, fabricated, and sold with a neat bow on top. Many travelers and tourists come from around the world seeking authenticity, and tearing down all of the old buildings in a place only to replace them with the same department stores that are in 50 other countries is not the way to go. When you preserve historic buildings you boost tourism and attract locals, giving them a sense of identity and pride.
HIRE A WONDERFUL CRAFTSMAN FOR YOUR INTERIOR DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK
Mahogany Inc. is a general contractor that specializes in quality construction for residential and commercial projects. We have the expertise and experience to tackle whatever your custom woodwork job is (and acquire those hard to find woods you might want to use!). If you are looking for work that will set your living room, kitchen, or business apart, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 727-0334. To see examples of our wonderful work and see what our customers have to say, check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.