Dear Editor,
Re: article ‘battle for nevermore’
Please pass on my appreciation for the article cited above to David Shanahan, and also a thank you for your paper publishing it. I wholehearted agree with all the points Mr. Shanahan raises.
One more should be added. We (our community, past, present and future) owes respect and care for:
- the materials utilized in the construction of even the humblest “heritage” building; most of which either are no longer available (first growth pine), the quarried stone; even the mortars, or are too expensive to produce.
- the craftsmanship required to produce, again, even simple buildings. Make no mistake, this is not a romantic notion; these labourers worked from an early age, learning their trade and earning a living through grinding hard work. It was not just a job, it was all they knew and they were very good it. No trip to Home Depot to pick up a pre-hung (garbage) door.
- this may be restating the above, but these buildings cannot be built again. Yes, maybe some ‘crazy’ person might want to imitate, but it’ll never be the same thing. While one might be able to find the skilled trades, the cost would be beyond prohibitive when compared to what the minimum standard would require to cover the same ‘footprint’, given current methods and practices.
So, ‘history’ aside’ (and a MOST important aside), it’s just common sense to preserve something that is both beautiful AND irreplaceable.
Gerry Lipscombe
