Detroit Mansions Lost and Found

[Gistok]

LOL... I just asked 5 people at the 7-Eleven if they ever heard of Boston-Edison... and they all thought it was a New England utility.

Perhaps among the downtown and midtown wine and cheese and preservation crowd [[and no insult intended to any of them, since I know many of them)... but they may know, but if you ask the average joe on the street in the city or suburbs, they'll likely be clueless.... after all not everyone is attune to historic preservation. And even among the Enquirer's readers [[with all the general topics they discuss)... I bet a small minority knew about those mansions.

And 99% may be high... but I bet that over 80% of all Americans are clueless about historic preservation at all. The National Trust For Historic Preservation's magazine only has a circulation of less than 700,000 for a reason... the majority of American's aren't as in tune with saving old preservation worthy buildings as you or your circle of acquaintances. And I'm not trying to come off as disrespectful [[although it may sound that way).

Since I live in SCS, over the years I've asked sooooo many people about the Edsel & Eleanor Ford Estate... some [[but not all) know that some of the Fords lived there, but almost all are clueless about what's behind the gatehouse [[most I've talked to think the gatehouse is the mansion).

Historic preservationists are truly a minority. Otherwise why is everything such an uphill battle, even among monied people for saving old structures. Historic preservation is a relatively new way of thinking [[in general)... and it really didn't start taking root until circa 1970.

Prior to that saving old buildings wasn't even an afterthought. Just look at the destruction of Old City Hall in 1961... razed... or the 1960-61 removal of the exotic old Fisher Theatre. When the Nederlanders wanted to redevelop the theatre for Broadway shows, reuse of the old building wasn't even a consideration!

So when it comes to historic preservation, we are the Choir... and the number of us to preach to... is still pretty small...

Anyway... before I went off on that tangent... my whole point is that you could pick any article on the Enquirer site, and say... "gee they could have said more about any of the topics in the Enquirer"... but it's a NATIONAL not a local publication.... so of course the local rags are going to have more details about historic preservation articles, since it's local!