Study On James Marston Fitch’s Historic Architectural Preservation Ideas And Practices

James Marston Fitch is an architect,preservationist,architectural preservation activist,and architectural educator who is the central figure of the American historic conservation movement.He changed American’s view of historic architecture.He opposed urban renewal strategies in the 1950s-1960 s in the United States.In his view,although the type and function of the buildings will be different,sometimes the buildings are appreciated and preserved only by their cultural value.Subsequently this view has been widely accepted.In 1954 he became a teacher at Columbia University.In 1964,he established the first major about Restoration and Preservation of Historic Architecture at Columbia University,with the architect Charles Peterson.In 1988 the James Marston Finch Charitable Foundation was founded in New York.Since its establishment,the James Marston Fitch Charity Foundation has become a pioneer in the field of cultural heritage protection and theory.It’s mission is to support professionals in the field of historic preservation,and to achieve this it provide mid-career grants to those working in preservation,landscape architecture,urban design,environmental planning,decorative arts,architectural design and architectural history.Fitch’s life is a legendary life.In this thesis,James Marston Fitch’s concepts of historic preservation and practice is the object for study,including the source of his thoughts,the concepts of historic preservation,historic preservation methods and practices and historic preservative education.And then to profoundly understand his historic preservation thoughts.Firstly,this thesis states that Fitch was influenced by the Industrial Revolution,Modernism and the projects of historic preservation in Europe.Then it tries to understand the formation of the philosophical roots of the thoughts of Fitch’s protectionism.By analyzing the Industrial Revolution,Modernism,the projects ofhistoricpreservation in Europe and by criticizing post-Modernism,he found the value of the handicrafts,histories and cultures and the importance of the environment.He put those into his historic preservation thoughts.Those adequately expressed Fitch’s thinking and comprehending of the relationship between architectures and environment,culture and society.Secondly,this thesis expresses Fitch’s historic preservation idea from five aspects: the factors of affection in historic preservation,the principles of historic preservation,the methods of historic preservation,the preservative methods of historic urban cores,historic districts and historic landscapes.Respecting microclimates,natural environments and vernacular paradigms is the core of Fitch’s philosophy.Attention to the construction of records,which helps the consolidation of the fabric and aesthetic integrity is the core of Fitch’s principles.Finally,there is the study of Fitch’s practice in architectural education.To discuss his thinking in architectural education,the qualities of preservationist,the relationship between a conservationist,a preservationist and a craftsperson,and preservation in tomorrow’s world.He emphasized the preservation should be multi-disciplinary and traditional craftsmanship and modern technology should be in combination.At the same time,he also emphasized the importance of policy,regional culture and education in historic preservation in the future.