Ever since Interesting Old Places joined the Twittersphere in October 2021, the project has amassed quite the follower count. More than 71K devoted fans observe the page and get invited to “enjoy the account and pictures of some amazing old places.” Once you look at these stunning photos, it’s no wonder why the account keeps on growing.
The creator shares captivating images that call forth a feeling of adventure, discovery of lost treasures and mysteries hiding behind the centuries-old walls. The founder also states they do not own any content posted on the account, and they welcome anyone who wants to share information about the photographers and give credit where credit is due. Plus, if you have any questions about the history of the building featured on the page, they leave all the necessary information in the captions, so it’s easy to look it up.
Standing in front of historic buildings can provide you with a tangible link with the past. As you’re scrolling down and turning back the pages of time, you’ll notice just how mesmerizing these historical architecture gems are. You’ll probably also realize how important it is to protect them so that future generations could show the same amount of appreciation as you do right now.
Think about any ancient structure you ever had the pleasure to visit — there are likely very few surviving examples of its kind. And while they can make anyone awe-struck by having centuries of history reflected on their facades, they may begin to look very unappealing over time. That’s why preserving historic buildings is a key part of keeping communities connected with their past. Heritage planning and policy advisor Marvin Thomas explained to Toronto Star that the best method to ensure the longevity of a historic structure would be to utilize it by finding a purpose for it.
“The best way to preserve a historic building is to ensure it can continue to be used in some fashion. There are some very good museums and interpretive centers that historic buildings are being used for, but not every historic building can be a museum. It’s important to find other kinds of uses for them,” he explained.
While sometimes it might be used for the intent for which it was originally built, that is rarely the case. “There are lots of examples of historic buildings being used for new things, like condos for example, or perhaps other types of housing. The architectural character of these buildings often makes them popular for things like restaurants or retail shops or professional services,” he said and added that the process of making a building functional for contemporary use and preserving its heritage features at the same time is called adaptive reuse.
One of the main motivations behind finding a use for a historic building is to generate income for it. “Without generating any type of revenue or income, it can be very expensive just to freeze a building in time and keep it as a museum piece as opposed to keeping it as a functioning viable building in a community.”
He continued: “It’s not like building a new building [or] doing a straight-on renovation of a non-historic building. The biggest thing is that certain architectural pieces of the building really express and embody and create the character of that building. So when you’re doing that renovation, you’ll have to take care to preserve those. So balancing the functional needs of a contemporary building with the building’s heritage and character is the biggest challenge. That and building code requirements.”
Moreover, there are plenty of benefits for the communities as well. Thomas explained that besides the obvious economic advantages, “they also have strong cultural and social values, they help connect us to the past and help tell a story of how our communities change and developed over the years.”
“We also shouldn’t forget the environmental benefits of repurposing buildings. A lot of energy and materials went into their construction, so as long as they can be used it’s better than sending them to the landfill,” he added.
