The Fredonia: A Good Idea

Last updated on: June 1, 2018 at 11:41 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

The Fredonia: A Good Idea 2018-06-01T23:41:17-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There is a little miracle in the city of Nacogdoches, Texas: the Fredonia Hotel. Built in 1955, the hotel had gone the way of downtown hotels in America: decay and closure. Evidently a family bought the place and sold shares to the community (shades of the Green Bay Packers) and reopened the place.

It is fabulous.

Why?

The restoration embraced the vision of the original builders with modern touches. The lobby is lovely, the food, the pool, all spot on. This is 1955 better, integrated, with Internet. The hallways look like new versions of hallways I am just too young to have seen in good shape. All my life any fragment of this architecture was run down and about to be replaced.

Things are better today when it comes to HVAC and comfort and The Fredonia goes along, but things are worse (generally) when it comes to service. I am pleased to report that the staff was unfailingly 1955 polite with 2018 diversity: outstanding.

Since you may never get to Nacogdoches (sadly for you), why care?

The Fredonia reminded me of two simple truths.

Preserving older things has value.

1950’s architecture is not, generally, the heights of human design. This is not the Parthenon. Yet the Fredonia was what it was and keeping that fresh is good. Why? Beauty is and it breaks through in many ways including the Star Trek chairs (the show was really a late 1960’s call back to 1955) and artistic use of beige. That is hard to do and the Fredonia shows it can be done.

When people rush to destroy and build anew, we love the architectural voices that dare to say that putting mirrors everywhere could be interesting. You can people watch at every angel in the Fredonia, windows, mirrors, and reflective surfaces make it so.

If we tear down all of 1955, then it is gone forever and the people of 1955 still have something to say. We could, after all, do worse than a bit of Dwight David Eisenhower just now.

Embrace what you are, don’t try to be something else.

I once worked at a place with original buildings from the 1960’s. When not trying to destroy them, the general plan seemed to be to make them look like they were built in the 1890’s. This was an error.

Perhaps nobody dislikes the 1960’s space age aesthetic more than I do if I were building a new building today, but to try to put a different skin on a 1960’s building is an error. Embrace the design. Let it be what it was, with a few gentle tweaks.

As I thought about both these simple truths here in the Fredonia, I realized that this was decent life advice. I was young, now I am old: 1963 product. I must embrace who I am: almost 55. This is good. Nobody needs a 1963 human trying to be a 2018.

Yet we need not be stuck: I can learn. Lord have mercy for the sins of my youth. Lord help me to embrace the best of 2018 in this 1963 model human.

Culture

Previous Post

May 31, 2018

What if Mr. Frodo is an ass?

Next Post

June 2, 2018 Even the Thracians Were Good (Summer in the Republic 1)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In Revelation, what is the correct order of the first four seals opened by the Lamb?

Select your answer to see how you score.

White horse, red horse, black horse, pale horse Red horse, white horse, pale horse, black horse White horse, black horse, red horse, pale horse Pale horse, red horse, white horse, black horse

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »