Adaptive use is a treatment a building receives to function under a new use. Heritage education teaches people about a community's heritage. Today, because Americans highly value being entertained, heritage education is increasingly becoming popular entertainment. People visit old buildings that have been adaptively used almost daily while buying their morning coffee or meeting friends for drinks and dinner. These types of social gathering places offer people leisurely entertainment. Converting an old building into a social gathering place provides owners an opportunity to educate the public on the site's history, and hence historic preservation.; This thesis illustrates ways adaptive use combined with heritage education and a leisurely atmosphere can teach a building's history to the public. It explains the theories behind adaptive use, heritage education, and the ease of learning in an entertaining atmosphere. The thesis concludes with case studies of adaptive use projects that help prove the hypothesis. |