The following is the text from a talk I gave at the Terrace Hill Tea on November 17, 2009.

Introduction

Thank you to the Terrace Hill Foundation for inviting me to speak to you today. I can not think of a better place to be discussing preservation and renovation than in this beautiful building.

Perhaps it is just a general appreciation of craftsmanship. Perhaps it is an interest in historic people and events. Either way, your presence here at this event says that you probably understand to some degree the importance of buildings as part of our shared history.

Why DO Old Buildings Matter?

Old Buildings matter for several reasons: Context, Craftsmanship, Narrative, Sustainability.

• Understanding Context - In a broad sense, buildings provide the context for understanding our shared history. The shape and size of homes, and their pattern of arrangement into neighborhoods, both influence and are influenced by broader social, economic, and technical forces.

• Historical Narrative - Much of our history is tied up in buildings. By history, I do not mean just the lives of important figures (such as governors). Each one of us has a personal history that is recorded in the places we inhabit on a daily basis: the heights of children marked on a door casing, nail holes in the wall from hanging artwork, coins that fall into the duct work. Old buildings can weave just as complex a narrative as the greatest storyteller. These narratives give us a connection to the past.
• Craftsmanship - In addition to the context and the narrative, historic buildings are also sometimes works of art in their own right, worthy of respect in and of themselves. Most of the buildings we build today are simply not designed or constructed with the intention that they will exist 200 years from now. The phrase “planned obsolescence” didn't exist in 100 years ago. The many of the materials and products we use for most of our buildings today are designed to be replaced rather than repaired when damaged (and they tend to damage more easily).
• Renovation is Green - Finally, sustainability. At the individual level, extending the useful life of a structure through renovation allows us to improve energy efficiency while minimizing use of new-source construction materials. On a larger scale, renovation and preservation allow us to better utilize existing infrastructure and provide services more effectively to more people.

Des Moines Rehabbers Club

I'm going to move now from the philosophical to the practical. If old buildings are worthy of preservation, it becomes imperative to make renovation a viable alternative. Once a building is demolished, that bit of our collective history is lost forever.

The Des Moines Rehabbers Club is an organization of people with a common interest in renovation, preservation, and maintenance of historic Des Moines buildings. I started this group two years ago with the admittedly selfish reason that I wanted to meet some people with a similar interest (one might say unhealthy obsession) with old buildings.

The club meets each month at a different place to see each others' work, trade ideas, and provide support. We collaborate with and support other organizations such as the Center on Sustainable Communities. Our web site provides the public with general renovation information and news.

Most Endangered Buildings

Over the past two years, we have sought to extend our goal of promoting renovation as a viable alternative. One of the primary means of doing this is the annual “Most Endangered Buildings” list.

The 2009 list was recently released and includes a variety of different building types and stories, from a stately Victorian home in the Drake neighborhood that has been gutted and now sits vacant to the former North Des Moines Town Hall on 6th Avenue. Each of the buildings has a fascinating narrative in addition to the historic value of the actual structure.

I'm going to talk about a few of the buildings on this year's list. Each one is worthy of mention, and narrowing down the list is somewhat like asking a parent to choose his favorite child. I have to say that I love all old buildings all equally, but I guess I love these few a little more equally.

Former Governer's Mansion
One of the endangered buildings is actually distantly related to the one we are in today.

Frank Jackson was the fifteenth Governor of Iowa, serving one term from 1894-96. According to the nomination form, since Iowa did not provide a house for governors at the time, the house at 1618 Oakland in the River Bend neighborhood was in effect the Iowa Governor's Mansion during Jackson's term. The Jacksons lived there until the early 1920's when they moved to California. In 1925, the Jackson House and the home of Iowa Supreme Court Justice Scott Ladd at 1624 Oakland were purchased for a proposed Baptist Home and Orphanage.

Today, the home has passed through several private owners, a recent foreclosure, and now sits vacant.

Double House
Not too far from here, at 4018 Ingersoll, sits one of Des Moines' few remaining Double Houses. A double house is essentially a pair of attached single-family homes that share a common wall. This particular one is owned by the Plymouth Church, whose plans for the site include an intent to demolish the structure.

Built in 1909, this structure was one of several double houses identified in the City of Des Moines' "Community Preservation Plan" (1994-1995).

The double house form of architecture was noted in the report as historically significant. Double houses were developed in Des Moines as early as 1878 and continued to be built until the early part of the 20th century. However, Des Moines had a relatively low concentration of such homes compared to other emerging midwestern cities at the time.

A group of neighborhood residents, church members, and local preservationists is currently working with Plymouth Church leaders to look at options for saving this unique building. While the Des Moines Rehabbers Club still considers this building 'endangered', experience has shown us that open lines of communication can potentially lead to creative solutions.

Former Union Railroad Depot
Last in this talk, but certainly not least is the former East Side Union Railroad Depot at 120 East 5th.

This structure is one of two known historic passenger depots still standing in Des Moines. Built around the turn of the century, the depot came under criticism only four years later for not being big enough to accommodate the growing number of passengers. At the time, there were four railroads stopping at the “little station”: the Wabash Railroad, Chicago Great Western Railway; the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad; and the Des Moines, Iowa Falls and Northern Railway.

The depot was constructed of tan brick with stone trim and distinctive “Dutch” gables. Historic photos show a large entry overhang on the front that is now missing. The depot shows obvious signs of neglect – wood architectural details are rotting and the masonry needs significant restoration work. Most of the original openings are closed up.

It is also now physically connected to the adjacent concrete block Butler building.

The List

The fundamental purpose of the “Most Endangered” list is to promote discussion about why historic buildings are important and which ones should be saved. To that end, I want to end with some questions that can provide a framework for thinking about preservation of historic buildings:

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, how does it affect the historic character of the remaining structures?
4. Is there ever a case when a historic building should be demolished? If so, 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? Do property owners have a responsibility to the larger community to maintain and preserve historic buildings?