The blog at ranchrevival

I recently spent some time on the website of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, reading about teardowns – the buying of a property and its subsequent demolition to build something else in its place – and their impact on communities and on history.

It got me thinking about where I come from, geographically speaking, and wondering about what’s happening in your neighborhoods, today.

In the Washington, D.C., Metro area, where I grew up and lived and worked for many years, I’ve seen rampant, unchecked growth (read: rampant, unchecked teardowns) completely destroy the character of old, distinguished neighborhoods. Block after block where today, McMansions sit cheek-by-jowl, out of place and out of character next to much smaller original homes. The older homes look like they’re cowering in the shadows (and at night, in the glare) of their overbearing new neighbors.

I think of the old saying, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” It’s part of why I have a hard time going back to my “home town.” I hardly recognize the place anymore. No longer able to see so many of the landmarks I grew up with – that house, that other house, the little store on the corner, that clump of trees that used to overhang the street – I get to feeling like someone whose roots have been ripped out from under her. Or, this case, bulldozed.

From the “Teardowns Resource Guide” at the National Trust site (link at the bottom of this post):

“Teardowns are about losing historic architecture and a community’s heritage. They’re also about community character, smart growth, affordable housing, economic and demographic shifts, and ever-changing housing preferences. For the most part, people want to live in distinctive communities.”

People need places to live. But, does that give developers and individuals the right to build anything, anywhere, just because they can afford the price tag on the property and because local zoning doesn’t specifically forbid them to? This isn’t simply blind nostalgia or a wicked case of NIMBY. There are good arguments for why teardowns aren’t appropriate in many older communities. For example:

“Tearing down a smaller existing house to build a larger new one simply adds square footage, not population density. In addition, teardowns affect livability, reduce affordability, and send thousands of houses and materials to landfills each year. That does not sound like smart growth.”

Neighborhoods of older ranch houses are not exempt from teardowns, of course. As the National Trust resource guide points out, “Postwar homes are perfect teardown targets. Showing signs of age, homes from the 1950s and 1960s tend to be small by current standards and are often located on large lots. …some may view these houses as dispensable.” People may have trouble seeing the humble ranch as worthy of historic preservation.

Clearly, those of you who’ve bought ranches in recent years and are diligently working to renovate, remodel or restore them found what you were looking for. But what about your neighbors? What’s happening around you? In your neighborhood? In your town or city?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Jen Wolf
Editor, ranchrevival.com

Here’s the link to the “Teardowns” guide at the National Historic Trust website: http://www.nationaltrust.org/teardowns/getting_started_with_advocacy_&_teardowns.pdf