The Observation Deck

While we all hear about Lakewood Historical Society, and we all see their fundraisers, most of us have no idea what else they do. If you are looking for historical documents, they send you to the library. We have also seen building after building worthy of saving for historic reasons be turned into parking lots, new cluster homes, etc.

Yesterday I was in the small city of Adrian, Michigan and saw how they handled their history and it was amazing.


They repurposed their bank into City Hall, and it was gorgeous. To the right of this was a whole block of City administration buildings, either rebuilt or made to look like part of the neighborhood.


To the left of City Hall was their theater. Beautifully saved, and the theater was much larger than it looks here.


It just gets better and better.

This is not a small area, it is the downtown business district!


As far as you can see, preservation! This was just one of the corners in Adrian.


Even the back side streets, saved.




The Durham House is their Nicholson House.


Public art everywhere.


Their haberdashery, clothing styles differ, not sure what to say.

Take a ride up their, only 2 hours away, and like a trip back in time.

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At this point, how much is there left to protect to protect?

PHantasy Theater will be part of the LGBT project.
Old Stone and Nicholson Houses are presumably safe.

In terms of public(non-home) buildings, the hospital, schools, and two of the three theaters have been demolished.
Unless I'm mistaken, the most visible old buildings remaining are now the churches (St. James, St. Cyril/Transfiguration, and the Birdtown churches).

Michael Deneen wrote:At this point, how much is there left to protect to protect?

PHantasy Theater will be part of the LGBT project.
Old Stone and Nicholson Houses are presumably safe.

In terms of public(non-home) buildings, the hospital, schools, and two of the three theaters have been demolished.
Unless I'm mistaken, the most visible old buildings remaining are now the churches (St. James, St. Cyril/Transfiguration, and the Birdtown churches).

Mike

This is what many have answered. I tend to agree.

But when we look at the movers and shakers that wanted it all torn down for a mall like setting in downtown, it is not hard to see that many of the same names wanting it all down are the same on the Historical Society Board saying, "no that is not the right one to save..." "Oh they will not do at all." "Well maybe if we can get another chance..." All the while it all comes down.

Funny the things people do not notice. The same ten names popping up again and again and again. Schools, they are there, historical, they are there, "Build Lakewood" they are there. No matter the subject, the project, or the place, they are there steering everything.

It is kind of sick, and the reason Lakewood flounders.

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