5/12/2005

The problem of rogue preservationists

What do you do with preservationists who have no historical sensibility whatsoever?

The thought occurred while reading this article about an old Maryland cabin. An enthusiast, living near the cabin, decided to research it. I read the article and found nothing to fix the structure's identity or use, but the neighbor seems determined that this be known as a slave cabin.
"I think there's an irony here, where you have a slave quarters that will be restored and surrounded by top-tier, predominantly African American buyers, executives who are looking for the large estate homes," he said.
Your imagination inhabits slave quarters, my friend.
"It's a very simple little building," he said. "But I think it's going to be a very important little building in how it's interpreted."
Interpretation cannot substitute for research. Get back to your research.