It’s value ‘increases because of its rarity’

I am writing in response to the letter from Kelly A. Parks regarding the Collins Building, “It’s not historical, just old and rotten.” This 60,000-square-foot, post-and-beam, three-story building constructed of fir, hemlock and ironwood is plumb, square and level. To call it “a pre-fabbed wooden box” only shows ignorance. A structural report from the port in 1997-99 shows that work is needed on the pilings underneath. That type of work was done on the northern part of the building in the early 1990s so we know the work is doable and estimated costs for completing those repairs are reasonable.

Assessing the historical value of a building is made in the context of place. Italy has marble buildings because there are marble quarries. Everett is a mill town whose very history is built on a foundation of wood. Dimensional lumber of which the Collins is constructed is rarer than marble. No forests remain that could provide trees of that size and no mills that could rip lumber to those dimensions. What was once commonplace on our waterfront is gone. The value of the Collins Building only increases because of its rarity.

Using Parks’ line of reasoning, nothing in America should be saved because it is not as old as anything in Europe.

America is a mere 200 years old. Things must be kept in context. The only way to have 100- or 200-year-old buildings is to save them when they are 70. A designation of “historic” as defined by the Secretary of Interior Standards is 50 years old. At that age, a community should be assessing what embodies its history and what is of value to retain. Authenticity is on what we should build our future. The Collins Building is a visual reminder of our heritage. Once lost, it is gone forever.

Member, Everett Historical Commission

Everett

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