preservationist

Such is the astonishing fiasco unfolding at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. A piece of American history lies in rubble as conservatives dismiss objections from historic preservationists as silly overreaction.

He hopes the preservationists succeed, despite the odds.

In 1975, when the medieval Czech town of Most was demolished to make way for coal mining, scientists and preservationists transported a 10,000-ton church half a mile on custom-built rails.

It sat vacant for over 20 years, while animal and human scavengers ransacked the ten-acre site and claimed it for their own, before it was rescued in the 1990s by architectural preservationists.

Actress Diane Keaton has renovated entire homes with historic tiles, and preservationists have been known to dumpster dive to save Batchelder tiles from the landfill.