David Harvey writes:... "Is removing the circa 1900 additions on Montpelier any different from the past practice of taking down period buildings and re-erecting them on another site - sometimes in re-creating villages that never were?" Yes, it is quite different. In the case of removing a building and placing it in another environment, it is an attempt to preserve a bit of architectural history. It may not be an ideal solution, but it is definitely preferable to another strip mall and a pile of old construction debris. In the removal of an historical addition we have a destruction of architectural history and an arbitrarily determined standard. I submit that there is a world of difference between preservation and destruction. nburlakoff -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of David Harvey Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 12:55 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Montpelier Restorations Deb, There are different standards of practice and ethics in the different fields of preservation. Is removing the circa 1900 additions on Montpelier any different from the past practice of taking down period buildings and re-erecting them on another site - sometimes in re-creating villages that never were? Is adding electric service, HVAC, security, fire alarm and suppression, and phone systems in keeping with a historic structure? Of course it is. There are also examples of period buildings that have been turned into stores, condos, or just bulldozed down. And as long as a building is privately owned the owner has the right to do as they will to the structure (interesting as this is also very much the story of architecture). Even if a building is on the National Register there is still considerable leeway as to it's use and restoration, especially on the building interiors. The standard of practice and ethics in architectural restoration if far different from that of a fine arts or anthropological discipline. I would think that as long as the component architectural parts are documented and preserved that those standards and ethics in architecture are well met. Another important thing to consider: Is Montpelier important as a period building or is it important because it was the home of James Madison? Should the interpretation focus on the history of the building and how it changed or on the Madison's? In conservation we often face the issue of old repairs on an object and whether that is something that alters original intent or reflects the history of the artifact. There is no one answer and there are different standards in different specialties. What is considered overpaint from a later restoration to be removed in a fine arts painting might be considered an important history to be left intact in a Folk Art work on canvas. What is considered appropriate to remove replaced feet and hardware on period furniture to return it to it's "period" appearance would usually not be done on a historic rifle or musket. These ethics and standards change from generation to generation, we constantly are reinterpreting and altering our material past through the lenses of our perspectives about the past and the stories that we ultimately want these artifacts to tell. Cheers! Dave David Harvey Artifacts 2930 South Birch Street Denver, CO 80222 303-300-5257 [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).