Thaden Jordan mid-century modern sideboard.  Molded birch plywood sideboard designed and produced by Thaden Jordan Furniture Corporation, USA, late 1940s – early 1950s.  After selling this piece of furniture on Craigslist,  I began to think about my relationship with the objects in my life & how that relationship has helped form a broad philosophy of preservation.

 Menokin Historic House Site, c. 1769, Warsaw, VA.  Stabilized preservation.  My visit to this historic house site convinced me that the issues of preservation needed to embrace a full spectrum of solutions.  I realized that we need to hold  lightly to traditional models of historic site managment and business models so that new creative ideas can take root.

 Menokin Historic House Site, c. 1769, Warsaw, VA.  During my visit, I sat down with Executive Director – Sarah Pope – and discussed the special issues involved with the public use and “restoration” of the Menokin historic house site.   All remaining interior wood fragments have been removed from the site and now rest within an an archive. In the past this house might be restored to it’s original character – today we are lucky to have forward thinking organizations like the Menokin Foundation considering alternative forms of preservation and public use.

 Menokin Historic House Site, c. 1769, Warsaw, VA.  Image showing the conceptual idea of “restoring” the historic house by constructing glass walls.  The new construction would show in a graphic manner the missing components of the structure.  The interior of the completed structure could serve many uses such as a conference center.