different takes on "reverence for the past"

The Kilgore House before its recent demolition.

Some of the Kilgore House's turn of the century student-residents.

I received the students’ responses to the long, convoluted question I gave them last week on whether the American spirit is evident in the “city people” Gunther Barth describes, the story of the Kilgore House and a designer’s plans for a building.  I was pleased to receive a range of thoughtful responses. Most of the students saw the American spirit in at least one of these things though a few did so while seeing the complexities of such an idea. It was quite interesting to see them engage the many sides to this issue. Anne Marie was drawn to how the Kilgore House “was used in so many different ways as the needs for it evolved over the years…Not only was it used for a home, but also for a dorm and a magazine office.  Its way of evolving evokes the American spirit." Via such many functions, as Michael maintained, “this single building provided…more life and possibility than many buildings in

Coco Chanel, a modern woman.

the Tuscaloosa area.” A.J. said he saw “the American spirit in how  Bryce patients built the Kilgore House.” He noted how "they were not only laborers. These were human beings just like any of us.” Lauren said she saw the American spirit in the Kilgore House, “especially after glimpsing the photographs…taken there. The women who were student and residents there look so at home. When I think of the American spirit, I think of freedom, liberty and a touch of ruggedness. These women represent that spirit by attending college during a time when this was rare for women.”

Ryan said he thought he saw the American spirit, especially in relation to “growth ... [and] great buildings” and pondering “what [these buildings] mean to… people.” But then he watched the America: The Story of Us documentary and thought more deeply about the assignment. Wrote Ryan, “I saw how America was thriving and moving on to bigger and better…But I wondered how could the American Spirit really be evident when building new and bigger things occurred on the sweat and blood of ... slaves? I read and saw many examples of the success of ‘free workers’ including workers in the newspaper business. There were even women workers in factories. So in a sense I did see the ‘American spirit’ with such advancements in our country,…but…several chapters of our history contradict the promises of that spirit.” Evelyn also saw the American spirit and especially in“the labor of Irish immigrants” who helped build the Erie Canal. Evelyn noted, too, how “southern slaves built the cotton industry.” They along with the Irish, she said, “were the ‘mass producing machines’ at a time when there were no mass producing machines.”  Thinking of modern city life across time, David turned to the demolition of the Kilgore House, saying, “It’s my perception that people in Europe and elsewhere have more reverence for the past. In Sweden and Denmark, very  old buildings have been retooled and repaired…There seems to be something very American in looking at old buildings as being obsolete, or in need of replacing….Perhaps it is because we are such a young country and have space to build that we respond in this way. While Americans in general look at old buildings as landmarks…they do not look at them as living buildings that can still be very functional.” Added Byron, “All too often people in this country see historical sites neglected or destroyed because of capitalistic endeavors that only look at the ‘bottom line’.” Aaron, who was among the UA students who protested the demolition and even helped salvage what could be saved said he ultimately saw the “duality in the situation...The grassroots effort that surrounded the protests [embodied] the American spirit. However, I also see this same spirit in the…greed surrounding the demolition. Still, he acknowledged that “striving for what is ‘new and modern’ … has been a recurring theme throughout American history…as especially evident in the Industrial Revolution.” Indeed, A.J. sees such spirit in “people working in construction on campus to bring money home to their families.” Summing up, perhaps,  three weeks of reading City People, Regan said, “I found it very interesting to learn about the evolution of city life. I think that Barth's mention of the constant improvements in architecture …was an awesome way to show how America keeps growing and improving. So much work goes into  building and improvement of buildings done by so many American who work in different professions.”


Next week, I will post the students responses to yesterday's assignment, which pushed their thinking about the last two chapters of Barth's book, one on baseball, the other on the vaudeville house. They listened intently as Dr. Richard Megraw of UA's American Studies department did a lecture on baseball. I presented a summary on everything discussed to date while also sharing more information about the vaudeville house. At the request of one student who desired to see tensions between the United States and other countries during the 19th century, I showed them a portion of Coco Before Chanel, which sheds light on the cafe-concert profession in which Coco Chanel worked before becoming a fashion designer.