Humans seem to need a sense of being connected to the past so that they have confidence that there will be a future. Many older buildings offer qualities that are difficult or impossible to reproduce today. Prime locations, quality craftsmanship, elaborately detailed woodwork, gracefully proportioned rooms, authentic historic styles and materials rich with the patina of age all contribute to what makes these buildings valuable.
Older buildings have acquired a collage of narrative that a new building does not contain. This quality immediately engages one’s imagination concerning the previous layers of events that took place within the walls. One is constantly reminded of the positive aspects of past eras implied by surviving details and spaces.
The reassuring experience of turning a heavy cast brass doorknob attached to a solid four-panel mahogany door and entering a original Victorian room with its parquet floor, three-piece paneled wainscot, papered walls, crown molding and plaster ceiling triggers images of the past. Such exposure contrasts with the general lack of character of current building materials. Experiencing the past through these older buildings inspires an emotional response that enhances and enriches the substance of contemporary life.
How many times have people communicated to me that they moved to Oak Park or River Forest or Riverside to live in one of the many historic homes, walk the tree-lined streets and experience a 20th century village? It is a compelling vision that drew us to these beautiful streets on the near West Side. So we deal with the property rights advocates with their vision of democracy and the preservationists with their concern for history and authenticity.
Renovation is the act of renewing and updating an older building’s original use to satisfy contemporary needs. This is our major concern in our communities as our buildings need to be altered to accommodate elements that did not exist 50 or 100 years ago. Mud rooms, insulation, closets, open kitchens, family rooms, energy conservation or new baths are all reasonable and needed improvements to consider for our homes.
Fortunately, the economy for the last three years has done more to preserve our historic materials than our collective efforts. Now we are starting to see more building activity and I suspect it will increase as the pent-up demand for improvements, additions and new construction resumes.
Within eight blocks of our home, north and west of the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District, I noticed three new tear downs with new homes rising. Unfortunately, these houses lack the scale, character and sympathy to the neighborhood that we see within the district. This protection works. Without review and Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission the zoning only addresses the most basic issues of size and set-backs.
How would we feel if a mini-mansion was built next door to one of our precious Wright houses? Of course these landmarks are protected because they are within historic districts. Yet, imagine one of these bloated buildings being built next to your house? What would this say about our citizenship and sense of responsibility?
I would argue that whatever it takes to protect and maintain the historic context in our villages should be employed. For any society that preserves its culture, venerable landmarks are not the only structures worthy of concern. I would be appalled if this happened adjacent to our home, which is far from a significant structure. I am concerned that these mini-mansions or incongruous buildings are being built again.
Oak Parker Garret Eakin is an architect, a preservationist and an educator.