A Vehicle for Conserving and Intrepreting Our Recent Industrial Heritage
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Constance C. Bodurow A Vehicle for Conserving and Interpreting Our Recent Industrial Heritage Industry—the source of every evil and every good— becomes the true protagonist in the transformation of the city.1 Introduction he U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has served, for the last century, as the lead agency for the conservation and interpretation of America’s natural and cultural heritage. While the NPS has addressed 18th- and T19th-century industry, our more recent industrial heritage presents unique challenges because of the scale of the resources and the inherent conflicts of the stories—the societal and environmental impacts generated, both positive and negative. This nationally and internationally significant heritage moves beyond textile mills and canals to include basic and manufacturing industries, such as steel, automotive, and mining—industries that employ millions of Amer- icans, and have changed the face of the nation and the world. My central thesis is that 20th-cen- are attempting to address industrial tury industry has left an indelible mark themes and resources that convey this on the American consciousness, iden- transcendentally important heritage. tity, heritage, and landscape; and that America’s 20th-century industries— our nation, NPS, and its partners have particularly the automobile and steel not yet done an effective job in con- industries—transformed not only serving and interpreting the nation’s America, but also the entire world. nationally and internationally signifi- These resources and their embedded cant industrial resources. This, stories are a source of pride, commu- despite the presence of resources that nity identity, innovation, and beauty meet NPS designation criteria for sig- for our nation (Figure 1). The oppor- nificance, stories that are directly rele- tunities are ripe and time is of the vant to tens of millions of Americans essence, as we are losing significant and international visitors (NPS’s con- resources to the inevitable march of stituents), and the potential for revital- technological evolution, industrial ization partnerships with the nation’s modernization, and abandonment, largest corporations. Fortunately, sev- and an entire generation of Americans eral national heritage areas (NHAs) has grown up without knowledge of 68 The George Wright FORUM Figure 1. Above: Criss Cross Conveyors, by Charles Sheeler, 1932 (The Henry Ford, Benson Ford Archives. Below: Sheeler Redux, by Jett Lowe, 2001 (Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress). Volume 20 • Number 2 2003 69 the role of manufacturing. embrace their industrial resources, as they do with their historic residential Context infrastructure. But the European con- The industrial landscape is con- servation and re-use ethic cannot stantly becoming obsolete. Each era merely be explained by its being con- brings another paradigm shift in man- fined to a limited geographic area. It ufacturing techniques and technolo- represents an entrenched ethic of put- gies, manifesting themselves physical- ting the cultural landscape into a con- ly and geographically in the world. tinuous cycle of use. European nations This is increasing true in the 20th and have also actively sought international 21st centuries, as technological recognition of their industrial advancements and the globalization of resources. UNESCO (United Nations industries accelerate. But the industri- Educational, Scientific, and Cultural al landscape is a wellspring of memo- Organization) recognizes the signifi- ry, and therefore a powerful force for cance of industrial heritage as an learning and change. The heritage of important aspect of world civilization, such sites, and their associated archi- stating: “Industrial sites are important tecture and infrastructure, can and milestones in the history of humanity, have been utilized as a basis for revital- marking humankind’s dual power of ization, both in an economic and cul- destruction and creation that engen- tural sense, regaining valid meaning ders both nuisances and progress. for contemporary society. Beyond They embody the hope of a better life, their infrastructure and location value, and the ever-greater power over mat- these sites contain tremendous infor- ter.”5 To date, 33 industrial sites have mation and cultural value, as I argued been designated as World Heritage in my master’s thesis, “Rethinking the Sites in Europe, South America, and Industrial Landscape: The Future of Asia. Despite the obvious internation- the Ford Rouge Complex,”2 and rep- al significance of our recent industrial resent, as Spiro Kostof said, “bench- heritage, none have been nominated marks of an excelling vision.”3 by or designated in the United States. The United Kingdom is credited as European the first country to celebrate and invest Trends and Precedents4 in industrial heritage. Since the 1970s, Europe provides over 30 years of the U.K. has established the Heritage experience in projects dealing with the Lottery Fund and the SITA Environ- recent industrial past, characterized by mental Trust to provide grants to sup- partnerships and investment by both port a wide range of local, regional, the public and private sectors. As the and national heritage projects.6 The U.S. was celebrating its bicentennial, project that launched the movement in Europe was already conserving and the U.K. was Ironbridge Gorge, Coal- interpreting their 20th-century indus- brookdale, England, significant as the trial heritage. It may seem natural for site of the world’s first iron bridge, the countries that live with thousands of birthplace of the industrial revolution, years of built heritage to easily and designated as a World Heritage 70 The George Wright FORUM Site in 1986. Since 1971, nine sites Welland and Lachine canal projects. have been developed along the Severn Since then, the Canadian government River, and over £20 million have been has invested millions in restoration raised for preservation and interpreta- and interpretation, including the cre- tion. European examples of conserva- ation of linear parks and adjacent tion of 20th-century industrial neighborhood revitalization.8 The resources are identified in Table 1. trend began later in the United States, a nation whose citizenry did not North American embrace historic preservation until its Trends and Precedents bicentennial in 1976. Fewer than 10% In the 1980s, the Canadian govern- of the 2,400 national historic land- ment, through Parks Canada, began marks (NHLs) in the U.S. relate to embracing industrial heritage with the industrial production processes, busi- Table 1. European precedents addressing 20th-century industry. Project / Year Initiated/Lead Significance Conservation of Location Resources Fiat Lingotto 1988–1995. Fiat SPA Fiat's main factory, built in The Lingotto, redesigned / Turin, Italy initiated an 1914, and modeled on by Renzo Piano, now international design Henry Ford and Albert serves as a university, competition, and Kahn's Highland Park Plant offices, auditorium, hotel, provided investment and retail center La Halle 1988. The city of 1909 slaughterhouse and The remaining facility Tony Lyon, the owner, World War II ammunition (700 feet long, 200,000 Garnier / decided to rehabilitate factory was part of a larger square feet in area) to Lyon, France complex that was host concerts, exhibits, demolished in the 1970s conventions, and sports events, similar to Halle de la Villette in Paris Emscher 1989. IBA was The Ruhr Valley has long Seven master plans have Park—The established by the state been the industrial been developed, linking International of North-Rhine- heartland of Germany, 19 sites. Close to 100 Building Westphalia to fueling the country's projects are currently Exhibition coordinate the military and economic underway, from re-use of (IBA) / Ruhr ecological and prowess through the 1970s industrial buildings to Valley, economic renewal of land reclamation and Germany the then-depressed neighborhood and Ruhr district, with 2 housing development million residents Volklingen 1986. In that year, A World Heritage Site, In 1999, the European Ironworks / furnaces went out of Volklingen is the only intact Center of Industrial Art Saarland, production, and in example in Western Europe and Culture opened on Germany 1992 Saarland began and North America of an site redevelopment integrated ironworks built and equipped in the 19th and 20th centuries Tate Modern 1981. In that year, the Former Bankside Power The building has been (art museum) power station closed. Station, built in two phases adaptively re-used to / London, In 2000, the U.K. from 1947–1963 house the Tate Modern England — Millennium Collection. In 2001, the south bank of Commission publicly museum drew over 5 the River funded the million visitors Thames rehabilitation Volume 20 • Number 2 2003 71 ness, energy, or extraction/mining several other NPS units interpret U.S. themes.9 In addition, only 4 of 388 18th- and 19th-century industrial her- National Park System units deal with itage. During the 1990s, NPS began to 20th-century industrial or labor consider 20th-century and World War themes.10 Moreover, recent efforts to II-era industrial resources for inclu- gain designation for industrial sites sion in the system. NPS units and affil- have been met with NPS resistance— iated areas that address 20th-century largely due to issues of feasibility and industrial and labor history are identi- cost.11 fied in Table 2.14 In 1991, Congress The Historic American Engineer- authorized NPS to conduct