Demolition by Neglect

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. Psalm 127:1-2 (NIV)

Part of my job is to be an advocate for historic preservation in our community. We are losing our old buildings at a rapid clip due to the fast pace of development and a mentality that thinks newer is better. Why take the time to restore something made by long dead craftsmen when we can build a box of drywall and concrete in a few weeks? As fast as we can find new sites and deep pocketed angels for them, we are moving buildings out of harms way. By barge or truck, they are finding new life as museums, environmental centers, classrooms, offices and retreat centers. But, we cannot save everything. While I was on vacation, a whole neighborhood, the location of our county’s first settlement, came down in two days. The timing was probably coincidence, but I was grateful that I was not here to witness the destruction. We are working hard to be proactive, to educate our policy makers in the benefits of preserving the past, reminding them that it is recycling at its finest. We work to identify buildings in danger before the bulldozers are at the front door. It is easier to save a building when you have time. I do not relish the thought of a stand off with heavy machinery. In actuality, something even more sinister than development endangers our historic buildings. I call it demolition by neglect. It happens when a property owner either through ignorance or purposefully lets a building disintegrate beyond repair. Open windows allow moisture to come in damaging walls and flooring. Unrepaired roofs collapse in heavy rains. Termites eat away at the structural members. Frayed electric wires cause fire. Vines clamber up walls holding in damp and causing masonry to crumble. Unairconditionered buildings grow mold. Unsecured doors allow vandalism. The list is long, but the results are the same. A historic building reaches a point where no amount of money or love can bring it back to life. Code enforcement places their red stickers on the building, and another piece of the past heads to the landfill. I face another demolition by neglect in my life. If I am not careful, I can ignore my marriage and allow it to fall apart as well. While I do not want to harm my relationship with my husband, I make poor choices that will do so. I have a lot of options on how to spend my time. Computer, telephone, television, books, even the “good” things like Bible study or recording God’s faithfulness all get in the way of my marriage if I am not careful. I must make a choice to invest in my relationship with my husband, putting him before all these other things. A Sunday School teacher told me, God first, husband second, family, third and everything else comes after. As much as the loss of a historic building saddens me, even worse would be the disintegration of my marriage because I was distracted and not paying attention.