Endangered Buildings Discussion Questions

Here is a list of questions to spark thinking about preservation and reuse of historic buildings. Please feel free to add your own suggested questions and/or responses in the comments below.

1. What makes a building "historic"? Is it related to age, design, location, social context, occupancy, or some combination of these factors? Which is most important?

2. Does a building have to be individually significant or architecturally unique to be worth preserving?
3. How dependent on its physical context is a historic building? If nearby buildings are demolished, does it affect the historic character of the remaining structures?
4. Is there ever a case when a historic building should be demolished? What are the determining factors?
5. Is it acceptable to drastically alter the interior of a historic building if the outside appearance is preserved?
6. Should there be restrictions on what people can do to historic buildings? Who should determine if a building is historic? What should the consequences be?