Why does the US have a vendetta against historical architecture?
Hi Silver, I hope you won’t be offended by this observation. But one of the reasons you see so few older buildings in America is that the original buildings weren’t built to last. So many of the earliest buildings were poorly constructed wooden structures — nothing like the great cathedrals or palaces of Europe. However, I’ve seen dramatic progress in recent years. For example, there are new attempts to renovate and protect the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright. And particularly in the eastern cities, there is a genuine concern about preserving important architectural landmarks. I’m afraid, though, the farther west one travels, the less important preservation is. Los Angeles, for example, “had” (Note: past tense) some of the best examples of Art Deco architecture anywhere, and they tore down a great deal of it. So I’m afraid I can see some merit in your despair. My own home was built in 1781, and I’ve often remarked that if it were in America it would either have been torn down ages ago
