Help Tacoma's Historic Home Hit the Big Time
If you heard there was a list of the Best Places to Buy a Historic Home you’d expect Tacoma to be at the top, correct? Well now is our chance to help make that happen! This Old House in partnership with PreservationDirectory.com are working to put together said list and you can help by nominating your favorite Tacoma neighborhood. We have some wonderfully historic homes, many of which are nicely restored (thanks to the efforts of our very own neighbors!). On the other hand, we also have some old homes with so much potential that simply need a little love. So many opportunities!
Nominations are due by March 15th.
You can find more information at the Tacoma Daily Index
Filed under: In-the-Press, General
5 comments
D drizell February 13, 2009
I’m curious about which homes will get nominated. The term “historic” means a lot of things to a lot of different people. For the radical wing of the historic preservation movement, everything that has ever been built is “historic” and is worthy of preservation. For more moderate historic preservationists like myself, the line needs to be drawn somewhere.
Tacoma does have many, many houses that are unique to the area, and are historically significant. Tacoma also has hundreds or thousands of Craftsman homes that were built using a kit you bought from Sears and Roebuck, that are often categorized as “historic homes.” Yes, they may have been built over 60 years ago, but are they the manufactured homes with vinyl siding of past generations.
When designating historic buildings, places and neighborhoods, we should be cognizant that while historic homes have their place, they should not be wielded by HP terrorists to prevent newer buildings from being built. Cities are constantly evolving, and if Tacoma becomes known as a “historic” city, then soon there will be no room for new development, which will crush any chance of the city growing and improving in the future.
J jamie from thriceallamerican February 13, 2009
drizell, your disdain for the “Craftsman suburbs” of Tacoma is no secret around here, but regardless I think there’s some value in at least observing that the Sears homes are still standing sturdily 80+ years after being built, while the modern manufactured homes will be lucky to last 40. There’s a sustainability aspect here too…these homes were built to last with quality materials, so regardless of whether or not they are historically “significant”, they are significant in that they are emblematic of an era in which society didn’t treat things as disposable.
J Jesse February 13, 2009
I like the North Slope. It’s by far Tacoma’s prettiest neighborhood.
T tom waits February 18, 2009
drizell@1:
i’ve known moderate preservationists. moderate preservationists are friends of mine. you, sir, are no moderate preservationist.
T Thorax O'Tool February 19, 2009
Moderation, moderation… all things in moderation.
We need to preserve some of our history and historical places. Just like we still need to allow new development.
We need a good dose of Buddhism in this city, it seems we can’t tell the Middle Path from the old BNSF line through downtown.