The Landmarks Commission promotes community image and pride by focusing on the area’s architectural and historical heritage. The Commission urges Brown County citizens to be alert to their architectural heritage and its value in developing a sense of place and pride in their city and county. As we proceed into the 21st century pragmatic needs and visionary insights combine with nostalgic views of our historic identity. Confronted by a growing and changing society, city and county witness an architectural blend of the new and the old, which contributes to the uniqueness of our towns and countryside, bolster self-image, and promote a progressive image while retaining traditional values and heritage.
In Aberdeen and Brown County some historic buildings have been lost due to fire, neglect, loss of functional usefulness and consequent demolition. However, many have survived through alternative uses enhancing their economic and social value. Many more can be saved if properly maintained. It is the purpose of these photos to increases awareness of our historic buildings and the need to preserve and protect them as identity markers of city and county historical uniqueness. We hope these photos will stimulate the imagination about how people used landscapes, streetscapes and buildings and how they may protect them and profit from them in the future.
Preservation is dependent upon attitude toward heritage. Heritage resources surround us but are often by-passed without consciously thinking about them. In haste on the way to varied destinations some take buildings and landscape for granted or develop an indifferent attitude. Others are more appreciative of architecture and landscape and of the human lives associated with their use.
Landscapes and buildings may be perceived as historical documents. Rural and urban parklands, urban streetscapes and their adjacent buildings promote a sense of place, of feeling and identity with the community and its people. They suggest timelessness and conjure up feelings about the forefathers who walked these park grounds and city streets and who lived and worked within the walls of now historic buildings.
This program receives Federal financial assistance from the National Park Service. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 the U. S. Department of Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or handicap in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire more information, please write to the Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 210 I Street NW, Washington, D. C. 20240.