In a message dated 8/24/99 11:21:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Now that we seem to
>  have a lot of choices, it is hard to imagine a more unified style-time
>  developing.

I wonder though... are our choices so much more varied than ages past, or
have we simplified the past to create order out of the miscellany? I'm not so
sure that the past was all that unified-- we just tend to preserve the bits
that make us believe it to be true.

Certainly our technology today gives us a wider array of building materials
and devices. If we have more choices, wouldn't it seem logical that we would
have a commensurate array of building styles? However, it seems to me that,
at least here in New Jersey, most of our new domestic buildings are tied
closer to the idea of 'traditional' than ever before. To define traditional,
read 'appealing to the greatest mass of people."

But please forgive my negative attitude-- it's been a bad week. I had a guy
come into my office to ask me about a building that he thought was a
registered historic building in town. His relief was palpable when he found
out it wasn't registered. Why? Because now he can tear it down. He can build
a new vanilla box house for less money than it would take to (in his words)
"bring the other house up to standard." So he can have maintenance-free
siding, and a jacuzzi bath that never gets used.

Sign me,
"Paint the walls beige, it'll sell faster."