Challenge #9: One of These Things Does Not Belong Here
The mid-century modern era and its built environment reflect important developments in style, design, technology, and innovations that, at the time, swept across a newly consumer-oriented America.
The challenge with this from a preservation perspective is that we often lack a complete context in which to evaluate, understand, and judge places in terms of uniqueness and significance.
For instance, we may not know how an innovative bank branch in Phoenix, Arizona, stacks up to others statewide, let alone nationally in terms of context and importance.
This is an immense challenge as preservationists attempt to make a compelling case for saving a threatened mid-century place, not knowing enough about what else is out there and truly unique versus one of many.