Several people wrote to the Des Moines Rehabbers Club e-mail group in response to the question, "Why do old buildings matter?" Here are some of the responses.

B.S. writes:

For me, older buildings were built with aesthetics in mind and with better materials - built with soul and built to last. Renovating one of these makes sense as, once back into shape, they will continue to feed the soul and outlast new pre fabs, which have little tie to art.

I also think that they provide us with a strong connection to the past - they ground us and remind us that we are mortal.

C.L. writes:

I have always been drawn to old structures, partially for the history that they represent, the many stories that these structures silently bear witness to. My own house intrigues me when ever I listen to old 78's and the thought of how many times in the past this house has heard the music and what kind of feelings those who came before had while living in the place that I now call home, they serve as an important link to how our ancestors lived and what was important to them.

More importantly, I personally like the feelings that they provide of permanence and the continuation of time. The structures offer to me feeling of security that in the end, something will remain, if not forever, at least well into the future. Often, I find the structures aesthetically more appealing and the quirks are part of their charm. In my own home, if you will forgive me for rambling, has an 'A' carved into the door of the linen cabinet in the hallway, and while some would look at this as a blemish, it makes me smile at the possibilities that it may represent as to how it came to be.

In the end, it is truly hard to quantify, but ultimately, in my own personal observations, communities that embrace historic preservation seem more vibrant, and seem to have a lot of pride in their communities. The communities that I have experienced and seen information on also seem to have a healthier economies then communities of comparable size and situations. This is just my own personal observation, I have seen anecdotal information that would seem to support this, but by no means am I an expert on the matter.

M.T. writes

Why do we like to visit Europe or small towns for that matter? The appeal of old buildings with a more human scale, proportions, and integrity make them seem more pleasing visually. Old buildings are far more interesting than mass produced buildings because they are each more unique. They take us back to a time in which we never lived but yet we feel the reassuring permanence of the past still with us, making a richer present. I could go on but it would only be more of the same.

C.M. writes:

Renovating old buildings is the ultimate "green" solution in my mind. Why destroy something that can be rehabbed and made beautiful again and create more landfill trash to replace it with something new, using even more resources?

Old buildings are part of our history and to destroy them is like a sin to me. We have become such a throw away society, that it becomes second nature to tear something down and start over. It is so sad to think that mentality is continuing.

However, with our help, more buildings that are historically significant will be saved from the wrecking ball and preserved to their former glory.

It further makes me sad to see a multi-million dollar sculpture park downtown Des Moines where stately buildings used to stand. The stories contained in those buildings are now lost forever.

C.L.D. writes:

Old buildings matter because each one is part of our history. Building of old were built for a purpose while today's buildings are built because someone wants something new. New is not always good. I gained my love of older things not just buildings from my parents. I love listening to them talk about buildings in Des Moines: buildings I had to go look up because many of them do not exist anymore. I found a wonderful love of beautiful architecture and ornate structures that deserved a far better end then demolition. My senior year in high school the Montgomery Ward building was imploded. I have great pictures but it was a sense of sadness. I remember as a kid, I loved going downtown. Younkers, Penneys, Wards, Woolworths and many more stores were gorgeous structures built for beauty and function. Then there are countless of old homes that no longer exist.