Holland Museum Focus Gallery
January 18 - April 14, 2013

Lost Holland 
Former Downtown Landmarks Remembered

Buildings are an important part of an urban landscape.  They help create a sense of place, 
distinguishing one town from another.  They serve as landmarks and neighborhoods. 
Together, they provide the backdrop before which the life of the town plays out.

Over time, buildings change with their owners and the needs of the community.  
They get renovated, remodeled, re-purposed, or removed completely lost to fire, 
flood, hurricane, tornado or the wrecking ball and bulldozer.  Those demolished 
buildings are lost forever, living on only in our mind's eye.  
If we are lucky, there are photographs.

Part of an area's access to its history is lost when a building comes down.  
Buildings are part of the collective memory of the area and serve as a tangible link to the past.  
The times spent within the walls of schools, restaurants, stores, and churches are tightly woven into our memories.  Residents can develop strong feelings about a building, and can be upset to see it destroyed.

Lost Holland seeks to remind us of some of the downtown buildings that are no longer standing 
and to showcase buildings that have been reused. Through programming in conjunction with this 
exhibition, we hope to stimulate discussion about the role of buildings in our community and the issues surrounding their management, including urban renewal, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse

Admission: $4-$7