Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Georgia > Atlanta
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-06-2014, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Decatur, GA
7,358 posts, read 6,526,600 times
Reputation: 5176

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by arjay57 View Post
Hate to say it but a 1970s building is nearly 50 years old and will soon qualify as historic.
Just being old doesn't mean it's actually historic.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-06-2014, 04:27 PM
 
32,025 posts, read 36,782,996 times
Reputation: 13306
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattCW View Post
Just being old doesn't mean it's actually historic.
Nor does "historic" depend on being old.

Consider that the Fox was only 45 years old when a hue and cry to preserve it suddenly went up in 1974. It was by no means an old historic treasure. Many people thought it was just a middle aged movie theater that was well past its prime.

Likewise with the Olympia building or 10 Park Place. When I started working downtown, they were 30 year old buildings that were getting a little frayed around the edges. Nobody considered them historic in the least.

Nowadays all of the above are considered important pieces of the past.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-06-2014, 05:22 PM
 
Location: Ono Island, Orange Beach, AL
10,744 posts, read 13,384,671 times
Reputation: 7183
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattCW View Post
Just being old doesn't mean it's actually historic.
I don't know, Matt. My daughter told me just the other day that I was historic.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-06-2014, 06:06 PM
 
Location: Savannah, GA
4,582 posts, read 8,972,542 times
Reputation: 2421
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattCW View Post
Just being old doesn't mean it's actually historic.
This is something I think not everyone understands.

Quote:
Originally Posted by arjay57 View Post
Nor does "historic" depend on being old.
I'm not so sure about this. There are certain buildings relatively new that may be designed to last, but that doesn't make them instantly historic.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-06-2014, 06:23 PM
 
32,025 posts, read 36,782,996 times
Reputation: 13306
Quote:
Originally Posted by WanderingImport View Post
I'm not so sure about this. There are certain buildings relatively new that may be designed to last, but that doesn't make them instantly historic.
How old do you think they should be before being considered historic? I suggested 50 years.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-06-2014, 06:54 PM
 
Location: Decatur, GA
7,358 posts, read 6,526,600 times
Reputation: 5176
Quote:
Originally Posted by arjay57 View Post
How old do you think they should be before being considered historic? I suggested 50 years.
How about something that has a significant impact? The U.S.S. Missouri was a year old when the articles of surrender were signed by Japan on her deck, instantly transforming her into something historic. If you want to be picky, she was ordered in 1940 so absolute worst case you could say she was 5 years old.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-06-2014, 07:30 PM
 
711 posts, read 682,882 times
Reputation: 1872
I think a metric of old, "historic", and of architectural merit should be used. Your typical mall multiplex isn't ever going to be missed the way the Fox Theatre would have been. So much of our architecture, especially commercial, isn't built to have any lasting value beyond a 15-year life cycle.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-06-2014, 08:19 PM
 
2,412 posts, read 2,785,620 times
Reputation: 2027
I think Atlanta's current use of the word "historic" is a reaction to a time when the folks in power only looked to future (and their own pocketbooks) and placed no value on anything from the past--not just old buildings, but old neigborhoods--they split Grant Park in half, and wanted to do the same to almost every historic (not in quotes) neigborhood on the east-side (Druid Hills, Virginia Highland, Morningside).
So, there is a little over-reach on the word "historic", but we also have a park instead of a highway running through Candler Park.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-06-2014, 11:31 PM
 
Location: Savannah, GA
4,582 posts, read 8,972,542 times
Reputation: 2421
Quote:
Originally Posted by cparker73 View Post
I think a metric of old, "historic", and of architectural merit should be used. Your typical mall multiplex isn't ever going to be missed the way the Fox Theatre would have been. So much of our architecture, especially commercial, isn't built to have any lasting value beyond a 15-year life cycle.
This pretty much sums it up.

I have a hard time calling a new structure historic because it is built to last and/or has significance like a battleship described above, but thats not to say that new structure isn't worth saving. I would be more likely to say "this new building will be a part of history" ..history in the making, if you will. Does that make sense?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-10-2014, 05:11 AM
 
1,979 posts, read 2,383,252 times
Reputation: 1263
So I was discussing this with a friend the other day....we both are into old buildings, and have lived in cities with a large inventory of good historic architecture.

We came to the idea that well-built buildings with true architectural merit don't stay vacant and in disrepair. That essentially "the market" doesn't allow it.

Would y'all agree with that?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Georgia > Atlanta
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:11 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top