But when the crisis is over -- where are all those historical tourists? Where have they been hiding since the last time the Maxwell Mansion was saved?
For years, much UC discussion has centered on the notion that "If you preserve it, they will come." The idea is afloat that there is a huge untapped demand among people here and elsewhere to come admire our houses solely because they are instructive period pieces. This sounds great, and would that it were so. But it is a largely unexamined premise, a kind of loose sales hype. In fact, just preserving even fine19th-c. living spaces does not necessarily tempt people to come and look at them.
There is a market for come-hither Victoriana out there. But a dispassionate study, I wager, would find that it is limited, and also that it is competitive. There are only so many people who want it; and for those who do want it, there is already a decent supply, well marketed. Suppose one Cape May turns out to be enough for this marketplace!
Preservation, like any other hobby, is worth pursuing for its own sake. The mistake lies in deceiving yourself that it's a path to profit. The only people who reliably profit from your hobbies are the people who sell you your equipment.
-- Tony West
Bruce wrote:
The article it looks like a failure to keep the house relevant to the community and not it's finances or historical importance is the issue. I'd be willing to wager that renewed attention to the building brought on by the article will save it.
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