>In a message dated 7/23/98 5:33:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
><< I thought Ken Follett was joking about "accidental preservation" and  <
> running their car into an historic building >.  In fact, I still think he's
> joking. >>
>
>Citizen Grin,

<snip>

>Has anyone a recollection of a building that caused them to panic?

>I think cars and ISTEA and roads and trains, horses, and the transport
>infrastructure have a very central role in our ideas about movement, go west,
>go east, go to outer space, and that this constant relocation is an historic
>aspect of our consciousness. I think our restlessness somehow conditions how
>we perceive what we consider to be historic value.
>
>I may have been taking the idea a bit far, but I find it more enlightening to
>go to the extreme viewpoint in order to refresh the view of our more mundane
>assumptions.

My wild meritless absolutely without even any empirical evidence to back it
up assumption is that this point you raise may even be a contributing
factor toward the philosophical question George Cramer poses about why
american society does not bias towards preservation.  Our history is one of
moving on.  Heritage resources are about putting down roots.  Respecting
one's elders for their wisdom.  Our society still favors the young.  Be a
Pepper.

I want to know if any PRESERVATIONISTS have run their cars into a historic
building while gawking at the magnificent splendors of a new town, or while
touring their visiting family around their new professional staging area;
or at least whether someone has had an accident with another vehicle while
gawking.  Anybody wanna confess?

We have a fine Italianate frame residence in Oakwood H.D. the side of which
rests at the end of North Street, where it 'T's into Person Street.  Its
side porch was mightly mashed when a scofflaw of no familiarity with
downtown, while evading the forces of law and order, neglected to apply his
binders sufficiently to impede his progress toward said porch.  That's
where the chase ended.  I feel pretty confident that the building caused
the scofflaw to panic.  The insurance company took care of restoration.

_______________________________________________
Dan Becker,  Exec. Dir.         "Conformists die, but
Raleigh Historic                      heretics live on forever"
Districts Commission                        -- Elbert Hubbard
[log in to unmask]                  Proud member of Team Heretic