What is worth preserving?

I wrote a post several years ago about the changing nature of our world and how meaning is lost when things change without regard to the significance of place.


I am not an advocate of the "save everything" mentality. There are things that were poorly built in the past - just as there are things being poorly built now. Those things are not necessarily desirable - they may have been poorly maintained, they may be health or safety hazards, or they may be in the way of something that is more desirable, despite the loss that would occur.

But I've been a part of several communities that are in such a hurry to move forward that they forget to take time to look back at where they've been. There is much that is good in our community - including some of the historic buildings and areas - and that good is worth preserving. It not only provides diversity and richness to the tapestry that is our City, it helps inform decisions in the future and gives us a sense of connection with prior generations. And that is worth holding on to...

So how do we make that determination?

There are areas in all cities where blight or other development has changed the nature of the landscape - both literally and figuratively. Whether this was done through shortsightedness or a failure to acknowledge the importance of the city's past, it really comes to the same in the end. There is a disjointedness that is fostered, a kind of shiftless and rootless feeling that makes everything feel transitory and elusive. This is not a place to live forever, people may feel, and growth is inevitable - why fight it?

This past weekend I had the opportunity to help with the clearing/cleaning of a historic cemetery in Houston. This cemetery, largely full and almost forgotten for the past 50 years, is part of the fabric and identity of Houston. That the City (both the government and the citizens) would neglect such an important part of the collective past speaks volumes about our values. Some of the folks in this cemetery were influential people, but mostly they were just regular people. Some died young, others quite aged. But regardless of their impact, regardless of who knows their names, the City has done itself a great disservice by neglecting the history and value that is only to be found in such places. Truly, we are only as famous as the most obscure amongst us.

The good thing is that hopefully attention can be brought to bear on the situation.

Here in Mont Belvieu, we also have things of historic importance, including cemeteries, buildings, and areas that are of significance to those who have been here a while. It is important to get a sense of these things before they are gone forever. It saddens me to think of what has already been lost.