“Saving the best” is an old idea in preservation, dating from the early 20th century, the period when architects “professionalized” the practice. It survived into the 1960s when preservation became a popular phenomenon thanks to historic district activists. For the last forty years, it has been an outdated idea. For two generations, preservation has been about vernacular architecture, social history, historic districts and “background” buildings. It has been about improving a place by rebuilding, not building new.

Yes, there are still masterpieces, like the Farnsworth House, that escaped the recent floods by an inch or two. (See www.landmarks.org for cool photos of the flood and Brad Pitt too – should be a link at right). Continue Reading

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