Evening star., 1933-09-17

Despairing of any action being taken
by the Government, private initiative
has undertaken the identification and
marking of buildings of historic inter-
est in the United States, especially If
they have architectural merit. The
American Institute Of Architects is
sponsoring the movement, and a Com
mittee on Preservation of Historic
Buildings has been organized, under the
Craftsmanship of Leicester B. Holland.
Other countries of the world-notably
England, France and Italy-have awak-
ened to the necessity of marking and
preserving structures which stand as
milestones in the cultural development.
Of their people. The governments OF
those nations have established special
commissions to undertake the work. and
subventions have been granted to as
sist in preserving, if necessary. by ac-
quisition. The United States has been
notably backward in this respect. even
Mount Vernon, home of George Wash
ington, having been SO utterly ignored
and neglected that private hands had
| to volunteer to preserve 1t. 1t still IS
in private hands, as are many other
historic shrines that have been saved
from obliterating influences OF time.
The American Institute OF Architects
| has a membership of 4200 scattered
throughout the United States. Every
State has members skilled in the rec
ognition of important buildings. The
committee has sent out to all members
an announcement of the undertaking
and placed in their hands schedules to
be filled in with nominations for build
ings deemed worthy of preservation.
tiers, and each chapter Is to select
structures from its area.
In general, the plan is to include in
the list of buildings to be marked and
preserved only those more than 100
years old. However. nominations will
be considered of buildings erected as
late as 1850, to make sure that the
field Is adequately covered.
How Selections Are Made.
Each chapter is allotted seven nomi-
nations Some f1exibilty is permitted.
it being realized that certain sections
are especially rich in buildings of
historical and architectural interest.
Other sections may have difficulty Ill
mastering that many worthy buildings.
SO the average of seven for the section
probably will be about maintained. AS
/ there are 68 chapters of the American
Institute of Architects, this would mean
total Of 476 buildings to be marked
! for preservation.
The fact that architects have under
taken the task rather than some ma
tional or local patriotic organization
promises we'll for the selections. The
element of beauty will enter into the
/ collection not to the exclusion of mere
sentiment. but as a check upon too
much patriotic sentimentalism.
The schedules sent out provide that
each nomination shall include the name
Of the building. if it has one; the type
and the date Of erection. The name Of
the original owner is to be given and
the present owner. The name Of the
architect is called for, and this is likely
1 in many cases to require much difficult
research. Notes on the points Of archi-
tectural and of historic interest Of the
structure nominated must be included.
The location must be fixed, of course.
The architects now are at work on
the enterprise. Returns are coming III
to the committee which will make Sc
lections 1t is not expected that ATS
buildings will be marked at once, but
over q period of years perhaps all and
more besides will be designated. 1t Is
the ultimate hope that either by public
appropriation or private subscription