A "walking tour" in New Holstein, Wisconsin
How many of us have signed up for a walking tour only to find ourselves wandering around distracted, wondering about all of the weird things that the tour guide overlooks? Turns out, the quirks are what makes a tour more authentic, according to
Preservation Nation, the blog over at the
National Trust for Historic Preservation. They're blogging from Chicago this week at the
National Main Streets Conference, and posted about a lecture given by Anthony Rubano of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. In it, Rubano says that a good tour should incorporate the unexpected:
...[I]t's not just your downtown commercial buildings you should be
highlighting. Waters towers, gas stations, grain elevators, or a two-story outhouse (no kidding) that are sites of interest. "If it is
quirky, it is good and should be added to your walking tour," [Rubano says]. Even
those advertising slogans and murals of decades past that are still
clinging to the sides of today's buildings, called "ghost signs," also
have a nostalgic appeal to residents and visitors alike.
Anthony's presentation was about leading walking tours in
Springfield, Illinois and a majority of his images were from Illinois
communities. But the ideas and program can be used by a Main Street
community anywhere. People seek authenticity; you do not find walking
tours of big-box stores or a new suburban shopping strip. Those who
already have this interest in your downtown and its history will learn
more with a successful walking tour, and more importantly, will spend
more time and money in your downtown.
A smart, and seemingly obvious thought, but one we're more than happy to pass along. Have you taken a great walking tour that's captured the quirks of a place?
Read More: For a recap of our tour coverage, visit our Tour Guide posts.
Photo: Via Preservation Nation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released its 2009 list of the most endangered historic sites in the America yesterday, and it's a delicate mix of architectural and historical treasures. Some sites have been damaged by hurricanes, others are threatened by developers who seek to tear them down. But all of them have a role in the American experience, from a building which first served as a schoolhouse for freed slaves, to the hangar for the Enola Gay, to Lana'i City, the Dole company town in Hawaii with it's fruit-hued plantation homes. Check out National Geographic News for a slideshow of the sites and read through the complete list, as released by the Trust, after the jump. 
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