Historic preservation, historic landmarks, and The American Farmland Trust seem useful. Several buildings and landscapes are historic and frail and may well disappear, so what does it matter?

It does matter if nothing better is put in their place or they are used for lesser than their intended purpose. Unique structures in this community include: The Far East, the Midland Railroad Depot, the Redlands Community Center, White Hall, among others. These are places that either have character in themselves and/or reflect the character of the community. They are assets to the local ambiance and history.

Don’t forget marginal places like the Artisan Motel or the history of what was recently Mesa Supply. They are a link to inexorable assets of the area and are a part of a story, a snapshot of a passing parade.

One of the best examples of an oversight is in the community of Aspen. It was exclaimed, “Aspen was a mining town?!” Well, it wasn’t synthesized like Vail, but what it does show of its mining history has to be interpreted through the Wheeler Opera house or the Jerome Hotel and inferred by the authenticity and substance of its being. Such is the irony that can exist.

Cultural strategy is a renewable resource. It would be a great practice for local, federal and private monies to trickle down or directly fund projects that would not just protect, but strengthen the cultural identity of the region. These are places conquering armies would be smart enough to leave alone, but aren’t protected by local entities.

A piece of farmland, “developed” will never grow another crop. An historic building will speak no more as dust. A price can be set on either, but the balance is priceless. Buildings and land are taxed according to their value and should also be assigned a value according to their cultural or historic significance. In other words: Prioritize the parts that tell a story bigger than themselves within the system. Such vitality is ageless and part of a larger “building” process.

FRED STEWART
Grand Junction

This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 4:54 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.