Inclusive Preservation
By Albert B. Kelly
It is not often that you
encounter a project that is first and foremost a labor of love, but such was
the case recently when I learned of the effort put forth by local nonprofit CHABA
(Center for Historic American Building Arts) to translate our Historic District
Guidelines from English into Spanish.
For those not familiar
with CHABA, they are a local nonprofit group focused on historic preservation
in general and Bridgeton’s historic district in particular. CHABA is the
inspiration of former Bridgeton Historic District Commission Chair Flavia Alaya
who, along with several colleagues, brings a passion and experience to the work
of preservation.
To my knowledge, the
translation completed by CHABA is one of only a few such guidelines nationwide
and beyond showing a commitment to preservation, it speaks to inclusiveness and
the idea that hands-on preservation in culturally diverse neighborhoods is at
the heart of our revitalization.
I commend them for their
work because our historic district, as a resource, belongs to the entire
community and we have an obligation to preserve it. Needless to say, we have
our share of challenges in maintaining our historic housing and language should
not be among them.
By completing the
translation of the historic district guidelines from English to Spanish, CHABA
has opened up preservation for a sizable segment of our community, an important
and long overdue step in the life of Bridgeton’s Historic District.
I say this because our
historic district was created over 3 decades ago. Our city was a different
place in 1982 with different expectations and a different set of possibilities.
Back then, some might have been motivated by the prospect of unlocking preservation
dollars while others with the idea of having a decent marketing hook.
A few were motivated by
the history itself and the beautiful Victorian architecture that makes our
district unique. Regardless of motivations in 1982, having a district and the
work of preservation can seem like a luxury reserved for wealthier communities where the main struggle
is not reversing decline and raising the basic quality of life for residents.
For Bridgeton, historic
preservation and having the state’s largest district presents a unique
challenge precisely because 60% of our housing stock is comprised of rental
properties. This means that more than serving as someone’s home, 60% of our
housing stock is viewed first and foremost as a way to generate income for
owners- many of whom live somewhere else.
This tends to create the
rub because undertaking solid historic preservation work can be costly and this
remains at odds with finding the cheapest way to meet code, put bodies in units
and collect rent. That’s not to suggest that landlords don’t do some terrific
historic restoration because many do and there are examples throughout our
community.
But just as many look for
the quickest and cheapest way to slap a unit together and start collecting rent
without thought for historic preservation. The other side of the equation is
tenants; lacking ownership or any real investment in the property, they give no
thought to preservation.
But there is reason for hope.
Half the battle is communication and this translation means that half of our
community can know, in their native tongue, what preservation means and how
it’s done.
An additional proposal
that is being considered to piggy-back onto the translation work is for the
creation of a historic preservation tool library. The idea would be to create a
lending library not for books, but for the very tools that will allow people to
carry out appropriate repairs on their homes and properties.
Building the idea further,
our community would benefit from workshops (which CHABA has done) allowing
property owners and tenants to receive instruction and technical assistance in
appropriate historic preservation practices. A tool library might be enhanced
by a salvage operation where ornamental pieces, railings, or shudders might be
available to those in need.
Finally, the October 1st
opening of “Steamworks”, Cumberland County College’s satellite makerspace
facility in downtown Bridgeton, with its laser cutters, CNC routers, and 3-D
printers will also help the cause of historic preservation. Being able to scan or
prototype parts will be a huge factor going forward.
While our preservation
challenges remain, CHABA’s work of translating our guidelines into Spanish is a
strong step forward in helping all of our residents realize the potential of
our district and what it means for revitalization in the community that is
Bridgeton.