Evening star., 1932-04-23
HISTORIC HOUSES
FACE DESTRUCTION.
Architects Appeal for Aid in
Saving Landmarks at
Charleston.

The American Institute Of Archi-
tects has issued an appeal for Nation
wide aid in saving Americas historic
monuments from destruction. Inc
immediate danger spot according
to the institute, is Charleston, 5. e.,
where eighteenth century lanonlarhs
are threatened. -o,,,
Deploring adherence to mercy
fashionable" art. and stresslns
Charleston's need for held. ROBERT "
Kohn. president of the institute an
nounced the appointment OF a commit
tee to devise measures OF preserVaIioN'
Its members are Franklin G: AoamS'
Tampa, Fla; Fiske Ktmbal. fhiIausl-
phia; Alfred L. Kocher, New 1olh'
Dean Everett V. Meeks, faie oll-
versity: Horace w. Peaslee. WaShills-
ton, D. c.; Albert SimonS, CharleSCon:;
Mr.. Kohn, long active in the WORK OF
rrotectinp Old Charleston, is a member
ex-officio.
Beauty Is Threatened.
There are really splendid eighteenth
century houses in Charleston Whicn
are in immediate danger OF neing
wrecked or torn apart plecemeal,
Mr.. Kohn asserted. "A lovely structure,
the Manigault House, is already
neighbored bv brand-new and SHINING
gasoline filling station In the oesC
modernistic red, white ana piue
gasoline style. A visitor TO TINS secCioi,
is torn between the desire to cry and
curse
Are we as a people insensitive to
worthwhile things? We need money to
buv food and shelter, but must We
become iconoclasts? In one part OF
Charleston fortunately this sort OF
thing will probably be avoided IN the
future, for the city has aoopteo a
remarkable, indeed a unique. feature In
its new zoning and districting law. In
the historic section of Charleston no
one may now alter or add TO the
exterior of a building without having
the design for such change passed
on by the Zoning Commission.
But quite aside from doing what it
can do to protect what is there,
Charleston deserves help from the out
side to maintain some Of its fine old
structures for this and future genera
tions to see and admire. They cannot
do it all alone There is too much to
do. A few years ago the splendid Hey
ward House which had been altered
into a bake shop. was saved from
worse fate by the joint efforts of
Charleston citizens and few generous
outsiders.
Old Facade Restored.
"Its original facade restored and two
rooms which had been changed altered
back again, the Haywood House is a
sort of museum, but unfortunately there
is still a mortgage of $4,000 hanging
over its head.
I'VE are not pleading for the sake of
Charleston, but because the whole
country would be the loser If these
buildings we're destroyed. Hundreds of
thousands are spent annually for paint
ings, only to have them buried with
thousands of other pictures in those
catacombs of all arts-our overlarge
museums Sometimes these are good
pictures and are SO exhibited that
discerning person can get something out
of them.
But over 100000 was paid recently
for picture now hanging in one Of our
greatest museums, which picture, dare
to predict, will not be looked at by any
discriminating person 20 years hence.
The price paid by the museum for this
one picture is one that would conserve
for all time two or three Charleston
houses and their gardens, If We adopt
some such scheme as that of the Monu-
mentS Historique of France. But We
must do it ourselves; as individuals we
must help. We must not expect a
Government to do it,