Living with history: An investigation of the experience of living in a historic district.

摘要

This study examined the experiences of people who live in three west central Missouri communities in neighborhoods designated as "historic districts" by local or national governmental bodies. The study is significant because the everyday life of people who live in these areas has not been investigated in a systematic way, despite the large body of knowledge that exists about historic preservation and historic districts. The research employed a phenomenologic/hermeneutic method to analyzing texts created from extended tape-recorded interviews with residents of historic districts.;The study found that the essence of the experience consists of: (1) an appreciation of "old houses," historic architecture, and historic areas, which produces a feeling of being connected with history and heritage; (2) possession of a house in a historic district through acquisition, transformation, and exploration creates a feeling of permanence and connection with family and personal heritage; and, (3) affiliation with both intimate and extended groups who share common goals and experiences promotes a sense of connection with community and place.;The study advances basic scholarship and understanding of the structures and mechanisms of historic preservation, of neighborhood and community development, and of the creation of a sense of place. It also indicates a need for further research into the relationship between appreciation and aesthetics, possession and the construction of meaning, and affiliation and community-building activities.