I have often argued this point, and remember years ago touring a cranberry warehouse at a historic site in New Jersey. Restoration work on this frame building included repair work to stabilize a number of wall studs that had been damaged by termites. The bottom 2-3 feet of much of the structure (as I recall they were a yellow pine post, appx 4 inches square, with no decoration or other distinguishing characteristics) had been damaged by termites. The preservation plan called for repair of the structure by sistering-in and bolting in place replacement sections of new wood. The site manager had wanted to simply replace the entire post, but was required to repair the post and do the expensive sistering project, that was also very visible (you could see the bolts from every angle). The posts could have been replaced with lumber milled from the same mill (still in operation) and grown in the same part of the country, for a significant cost savings over the sistering technique.

 

While I understand the necessity to save historic material, I think that a rational approach to understanding what information is being saved, for what intention, and at what cost, is a must for these projects. In the case of the cranberry warehouse, I always felt that the beauty and interpretation of the structure had been compromised by all the visible repair work. There was very little potential for new or additional information to be yielded from the remains of these structural parts, and the repair work visually intruded on the ability to view the function of the building. In the case of the Victorian sewing table, I have to ask, would a replacement tabletop interfere with or sustain the ability to utilize or interpret the object? I certainly think that charring and damage would be a significant barrier to utilizing the object in any sort of display. Would a photograph and documentation of the original top provide enough information for future scholars?

 

Preservation must be more than just material. It is about preserving design and function, as well. The accidental damage of the material should not forever compromise the design or function of a structure or object.

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Sent: Sun, Dec 6, 2009 10:43 pm
Subject: [BP] Our previously precocious prescient precious heritageabililty....