There is a lesson to learn from the tragedy that is in Paris at Notre Dame.
While I cannot say that I have ever had the pleasure of visiting Paris and seeing the Notre Dame Cathedral, I have visited England and Scotland. You surely appreciate how truly young America is when you step foot in Westminster Abbey, built in 1245; or Edinburgh Castle, built in 1130.
As a state, Indiana has only been around just a little over 200 years. Hancock County lacks nine years to its 200th birthday, and our oldest communities are not much older. Hancock County’s age is almost a blip when compared to the age of Paris or other European cities.
While Paris is very, very old — Notre Dame Cathedral is only 850 years old, but certainly older than any building we are going to find in Indiana. The loss of Notre Dame is not only the structure (although it appears that some of it was saved), but it is also the loss of the artifacts within the building. This could prove to be the greatest loss.
At the time of the fire, Notre Dame was undergoing a renovation that was badly needed. The French government had not kept up with the repairs to the historic structure despite the fact that it is a huge tourist draw, with 13 million people annually making the visit.
In actuality, the old cathedral needed over $100 million in renovations prior to the fire, but the French government was only willing to fund a fraction of the cost. How could it get so bad?
So, what lessons can we learn from this fire so far away?
Look around our community. Look at our historic structures. We have many. Even if they aren’t close to 200 years old, some are well over 100 or pushing 100 years old. If we want them to be around at 850 years old — the age of Notre Dame Cathedral — we need to take care of them. Are they suffering from a lack of repair? Is paint peeling? Are bricks falling? Are there leaks where there shouldn’t be? Is everything being done to keep the buildings in shape — especially those that house precious artifacts or documents?
Our Courthouse is over a century old. What would happen if a fire ravaged that building? Are all of our court records digitized? What about the murals and artifacts inside?
Other 100-year-old buildings include the Hancock County Historical Society’s Old Log Jail and the Chapel in the Park in Greenfield; the Riley Boyhood Home in Greenfield; the Mary Nichols Building in New Palestine; and the Jane Ross Reeves Home in Shirley. And guess what all of them are as well? Museums! What would happen if one of these structures caught fire? Much of the collections inside these buildings are irreplaceable.
With historic structures and historic things, we are merely the caretakers for future generations, and we certainly should be taking care of our historic buildings — especially those that are public museums and public buildings. While Hancock County is not quite 200 years old, we need to do a better job of preserving our history and our heritage, and this means taking care of our historic structures and properly caring for our artifacts.
When was the last time you visited one of our public historic buildings and paid an admission fee to help support it? Have you ever made a monetary donation to one of our local museums to help preserve the structure or the things within it? Have you asked to volunteer your services to help with preservation or repair? Have you talked to our government officials, who are responsible for some of our historic buildings, and encourage them to make sure these buildings aren’t falling apart to the point where they need extensive renovations? Have you spoken with the not-for-profit boards who are responsible for the care and upkeep of other historic buildings, and made a donation or volunteered your time?
We all need to work together to preserve our history. Remember that at one time, Paris was only a small town located along the Seine — much like Greenfield. And 850 years ago, Notre Dame Cathedral was new — not falling apart. If we want future generations to see pioneer log construction, an 1860s-era church, or an 1850s-era home, or a 100-plus-year-old courthouse, we all need to help pitch in and support our historic institutions and historic structures.
Brigette Jones is the director of Hancock County tourism and also is a member of the board and former president of the Hancock County Historical Society. This essay first appeared on the organization’s Facebook page. Send comments to dr-editorial@greenfield reporter.com.
