Grace Merchant

Mrs. Farina

AP Language

13 December, 2021

The Washington Monument located in the District of Columbia was built in 1848. It is

considered to be a significant memorial to our nation’s history since it honors our first President,

George Washington. For this reason, we conserve the monument. The purpose of preservation is

to make certain we don’t get rid of our relation to our previous world. By noting the importance

of structures with backgrounds rich in history, people and society recognize the significance of

appraisals. Many historic districts have kept a multitude of impressive architecture because of

this reason. In the present day, it would be hard to understand the assembled surroundings from

the past with the absence of historical preservation. Therefore, historic preservation is beneficial

to our world today.

Although it’s surprising, many citizens do not understand the importance of appraisals. In

Source C, paragraph 1, the text states, “It is socially constructed and situational, and it recognizes

that appraisals of significance may have as much to do with the people and society making them

as with any actual site.” The point being made is that preservation recognizes that a significance

has taken place. The first step to keeping old sites around is understanding their background.

Another example is in Source E, paragraph 2, the author wrote, “However, since the nineteenth

century, white archeologists have defined the official significance of the site as consisting largely

of the historic ruins of indigenous Chaco culture and their value for scientific research.” The

author mentions the Chaco Canyon National Historical Park to highlight the main idea. The park,
with its culture and value, aids scientific researchers. The people and society of an environment

tend to impact how historic sites are preserved.

The second step to historical preservation is actually keeping the architecture. Looking at

Source E, paragraph 3, it reads, “Most American historic districts have been spared because of

their impressive collections of mansions or unique architecture.” Even though they might be

unaware, people tend to jump right to tearing down buildings before thinking about the

background. In America, history plays a huge role in shaping the present and historical

preservation is one to thank. Another example is in Source C, paragraph 5: “Cincinnati is a very

historic city with an extraordinary number of historic places on the National Register.” The

writer gives an example of a place with many historic sites and in this case, it’s Cincinnati. The

city wouldn’t be the same without these notable landmarks. By saving these buildings, cities gain

popularity and maintain a good reputation.

The purpose of preservation is to make certain we don’t get rid of our relation to our previous

world, specifically in important structures since they have a background rich in history. By

noting the importance of structures with backgrounds rich in history, people and society

recognize the significance of appraisals. Many historic districts have kept a multitude of

impressive architecture because of this reason. In the present day, it would be hard to understand

the assembled surroundings from the past with the absence of historical preservation. Therefore,

historic preservation is beneficial to our world today. Seeing old landmarks is always exciting, so

it’s hard to imagine what the world would be like without them. Someday, everyone in this

generation will be gone and the only thing the next generation will have left of us is the historical

sites they preserved.