Research On Architectural Preservation Movement In America

The historical architectural preservation movement of America has undergone a development course for as long as one and half centuries. This dissertation has chosen four thematic events with significance as the key points to research. The illustrative events mentioned above are Mount Vernon, Colonial Williamsburg, Charleston and Quincy Market. To support the research, the dissertation has also taken in several issues such as National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Historic Preservation Act, Preservation Management System, Preservation Economy and Citizen's Participation etc. The four events above-mentioned have reflected not only the spatial expansion of American architectural heritage preservation movement, but also embody its development course that from a spontaneous movement to a modern industry that gradually became market-oriented, institutionalized and professionalized. When we probe it at deeper layer and quest for the social driving force behind it, this is an evolutional course wherein the traditional value represented by the Puritan Ethic group gradually abates and the secular culture continually develops. In addition to the analysis with the Social context, the thesis tries to realize conclusion and integration on the topic with a historical perspective. By properly selecting and compressing the historical data and exploiting the interior correlation in between, a coherent framework with a clear skeleton is thus established. The objective is to provide a basis for the other scholar in their study at deeper layer, and contribute a comparable sphere and layer linking the American Architectural Preservation with that in European and Asian countries.The first chapter began with the protection activity at Mount Vernon, and followed by some study on the distinct characteristics of Historic Preservation between the North and the South of American in 19^th Century. The second chapter analyzed the rehabilitation projects in Colonial Williamsburg and its influence on the American Historical Architecture Preservation movement in the early 20^th Century.The third chapter took Charleston - the oldest Historical District in America - as an example of the regional historical preservation history in United States. Finally, the fourth chapter took the regeneration and rehabilitation of Quincy Market as an example to dissertate development of the Architectural heritage reuse in America after the Second World War, as well as its social, economical and cultural context.