'50s buildings: Historic--but worth preserving?
Subdivisions. Strip malls. Roadside motels.
The Baby Boomers of buildings have hit a milestone this decade: They're turning 50, the benchmark age for historic designation.
Mid-century modern architecture -- think Brady Bunch houses and drive-in restaurants -- is eligible to join the ranks of its architectural ancestors, such as Queen Anne, Art Deco and Classic Revival.
"We're the new kids on the block for historic preservation," said Virginia Courtenay, owner of a 1955 home in Delray Beach that has a local landmark designation. "We're all steel and glass."
In a state that measures its history in decades rather than centuries, Florida historic preservationists are grappling with how to determine what development during the state's largest building boom is considered historic. Preservationists say it's the first time they have found themselves in this position: Instead of fighting to save a few treasures, they have an abundance of old but unremarkable buildings.
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The Baby Boomers of buildings have hit a milestone this decade: They're turning 50, the benchmark age for historic designation.
Mid-century modern architecture -- think Brady Bunch houses and drive-in restaurants -- is eligible to join the ranks of its architectural ancestors, such as Queen Anne, Art Deco and Classic Revival.
"We're the new kids on the block for historic preservation," said Virginia Courtenay, owner of a 1955 home in Delray Beach that has a local landmark designation. "We're all steel and glass."
In a state that measures its history in decades rather than centuries, Florida historic preservationists are grappling with how to determine what development during the state's largest building boom is considered historic. Preservationists say it's the first time they have found themselves in this position: Instead of fighting to save a few treasures, they have an abundance of old but unremarkable buildings.