Historic preservation is a field that is affects everyone, whether or not it’s obvious, and it is a field that is accessible to anyone who takes the time and interest to employ its benefits. But, there is much more to historic preservation than discussing quality of life and the beauty of historic buildings and making proclamations against WalMart (however fun all of those may be).
Where does someone who does not have training in historic preservation start when s/he needs relevant information? Sure, there are websites of links and National Register bulletins and a Preservation Technical series and Preservation Briefs. But, how about some historic preservation knowledge summarized simply?
Inspired by some friends of mine, who recently asked me about historic design commissions and historic districts and new development, I’m going to write a series of posts that provide accessible information. These will be factual and less tangential than usual, but hopefully still enjoyable and applicable. There are a few scattered throughout Preservation in Pink (such as Old House v. Historic House) and I’ll round up those to create a category of preservation basics. Where the information is from other sources, of course original links and sources will be provided.
Suggestions are more than welcome. What would you like to know about?
The series is here:
- No. 1: Ideas You Should Not Believe about Historic Preservation
- No. 2: Vocabulary for Translating and Holding Your Own in Preservation Conversation
- No. 3: Let’s Talk about Architecture / The Beginnings of Describing Buildings
- No. 4: Let’s Talk About Buildings a Bit More
- No. 5: The National Register of Historic Places (What You Should Know)
- No. 6: The History of Historic Preservation
- No. 7: The Basics of Documentation
Preservation in Pink 
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