The National Trust for Historic Preservation publishes an annual list of the 11 most endangered historic places in the US. There have been a few industrial sites on the list in past years, but their net is pretty broad, and the industrial heritage sites we know and treasure might not make their prioritized lists. The list is a great thing, and benefits these sites immensely. Recognition by a national organization with excellent connections and influence has helped many of these sites in past lists to survive. The record isn't perfect, but even if not every site is preserved, it's a great thing that some are.
I wonder if the SIA (and perhaps allied organizations?) should undertake creation of a similar list? We are all WAY too familiar with seeing a significant industrial heritage site simply disappear with little or no public awareness or comment. By helping to identify significant sites that pass some level of SIA scrutiny, we, as an organization can help local groups preserve these sites.
Obviously, this needs LOTS more thought and work before even becoming a proposal. Right now, consider it to be just some more musings. But, isn't that what all blogs are...
jay
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Shortly after I wrote this, the 2008 list came out, and had TWO sites we visited as part of SIA 2008 (if you stretch the pt...) The first is Hanger 1 at Moffett Field, built in the early 1930s to house the dirigible USS Macon, which crashed off Big Sur in 1935. We drove by this structure on the Roots of High Tech tour when we stopped at the Moffett Field Museum, which symbolized the aerospace industry in the Valley. Almost all of the tours caught sight of this landmark. This week, an apparent compromise was reached on this magnificent structure, with the Navy agreeing to mitigate some aspects of it's pollution. We'll see if this holds up...
ReplyDeleteThe second is the entire California Parks system, which became a pawn in the ongoing budget battles. The Over the Hill tour stopped at Henry Cowell State Park.