Cuyler,

You bring up something else I am curious about. You mention a 'first 
class 1960's restoration crew'. W/in the context of an East Coast urban 
environment, NYC, I get the impression that the chances of previously 
intelligent 'first class' interventions are slim to zero. And yet there 
is here in NYC all this beaurocratic system developed to 'protect' the 
resulting outcome. My bile came up recently in a conversation where 
someone rather innocently implied that turning over a particular 
historic structure to the City (and we are not talking Phelps here) 
would save the property. Their reasoning was that this is an important 
historic structure and that the City will recognize that. My response 
was that the City does not give a crap. That in fact the system of the 
City would more likely accelerate the destruction of the historic fabric 
of the building, leastways what the termites don't eat first. [I see it 
as a similar to those folks who believe their old National Geographics 
must be worth money. Just because you have held onto them for ages does 
not mean anyone else wants them.] I advised that thorough investigation 
and collection of verifiable and well reasoned facts about the structure 
would form the basis of a strategic plan and that only the undaunted 
diligence of those invested with a personal interest in the building 
would ever save the building. So, what you bring up that I am curious 
about is the geographic context on one hand of a highly structured 
'system' as opposed to a less structured one... the situation of a place 
of many rules as opposed to a place of fewer rules... and the relevance 
of finding out who is of a 'first class' persuasion -- seems very 
difficult to specify that quality -- and simply to leave them alone to 
find their way through the trees... or the overlay of a cluster by 
committee of experts.

I am reminded of Langley vs. Wright Bros when it came to figure out how 
to fly an airplane.

Really kool description of Craigflower Manor & Schoolhouse National 
Historic Site - I look forward to future reports.

][<en

Cuyler Page wrote:

> An example of character mixed with tactile material shows up in the 
> classy 1855 farm house I am currently working with.

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