Restoring and Preserving

I had the opportunity to visit Florida about eight years ago. I learned that it is an extremely beautiful state but that its weather can be brutal. Obviously there are hurricanes and other such natural disasters in the state; but even day-to-day, residents of Florida suffer through sometimes intolerable levels of humidity. Weather can greatly affect the integrity of historical buildings and sites, especially when these sites are exposed to the elements for an extended period of time.

The city of West Palm Beach alone has thirty-seven historical sites and about sixteen historical districts. Over the last several years, West Palm Beach residents and officials have begun to fight to restore and preserve these historic locations. This would be an extreme challenge due to the fact that Florida has such extreme weather throughout the year. There are many things that must be known and considered in order to restore and preserve any landmark.

1. Inspect the building/ location
2. Research the building/ location
3. Learn about the previous owners and the history of the building/ location
4. Determine if the building is part of an historic district or if it has been designated a historical building/ structure.

• This will help determine if you need approval to change the appearance of the property in any way.

Once the aforementioned list has been completed, the location is ready for restoration and preservation. One key thing to remember is that the building should be restored back to its previous original purpose and any original features should remain. Also, keep in mind that any structures are a result of the time period they originated from. Preservation is all about protecting and cherishing the heritage and history.

The Necessity

Extreme weather patterns have a way of affecting, mostly negatively, the integrity of old buildings. The humidity alone can contribute to water damage and mildew growth. In order to properly restore historic sites, one must take on the challenge of battling the water damage in West Palm Beach. The reason why this is a necessity is that water damage can have many underlying effects, especially when a location suffers from these damages repeatedly and they are not addressed. Problems such as compromised structural integrity, mildew, stench, and warped appearance are only a few that result from water damage. Restoring and preserving these wonderful historical sites is very difficult, and even more rewarding.

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In the middle ages, this concept was improved upon and became more advanced. Intersections in many European countries had signs which pointed to certain cities, at times even listing the distance to towns. Europeans once again improved upon the concept in the late 19^th century- this time it was the Italian Touring Club who made the next improvement to signage. The organisation was founded in 1894 to promote the values of cycling and tourism. The Italian Touring Club was integral in improving the quality of road signs by petitioning for better road signs for drivers in 1895.

Another improvement made in the 19^th century was the material road signs were made from. Up to the early 1800s, road signs were made from wood and used lead paint. Metal eventually was used in its place, making the material last considerably longer. Reflective paint was also used to improve night time visibility.

These improvements in the 19^th century coincided with the introduction of the automobile, when better road signage was vital. In 1908 the International Road Congress got together in Rome to regulate the usage and set the basic road sign patterns. They eventually agreed on four pictorial symbols.

Between 1928 and 1949 a standardised system of international road signage was heavily worked on, which produced the European Road sign system. It wasn’t until 1964 that the UK adopted a version of the European Road sign system.

To this day, the UK is the only member of the European Union to use Imperial Measurements and the only highway network. All road signs in England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man are regulated by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions since 1964. Six amendments have been made to this system since its introduction, most recently in 2008 and 2011.

Despite the differences in road signage around the world, it is still easy enough to interpret what a road sign says regardless of the language or country. Some signs, such as those in Wales have been made bi-lingual to make navigation slightly easier. Thanks to the standardisation of road signs, navigating an unfamiliar area is a breeze. Strict guidelines by several different government committees have been put in place to make sure that shape, units of measurement, colours and lettering are all standardised and easily recognisable. They have also been improved from the earlier reflective paint and are now made from retroflective materials to make sure drivers are able to see them in the dark and in poor weather conditions.

The next time you travel the A1 or the highway try to remember the long history of road signage which is now neglected by drivers the world over.

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