ABSTRACT
The projects discussed in this book demonstrate that historic reconstructions have often been the ‘rebel’ within the heritage conservation movement. Especially in the earlier projects, the engagement of architects, usually with no special preservation experience, illustrates the ‘outsider’ status of historic reconstructions. In some ways, however, the story of historic reconstructions does reflect the broader arc of the history of heritage conservation. The near-obsession with ‘authenticity’ illustrates this connection, though the authenticity of historic reconstructions is a complicated discussion. Recent trends and literature within the field of heritage studies, especially the post-Nara Document on Authenticity interest in non-tangible heritage and the community’s right to define and control its heritage, suggest a future role for historic reconstructions This role is illustrated by the recent reconstruction of St. John’s Church in the Town of Lunenburg, a World Heritage City in Canada.
