A preservation issue is currently plaguing the historic homes of Sierra Leone.
According to The New York Times, the issue specifically involves the vernacular building traditions that were exported overseas from the United States.
The Board Houses, as what they are typically called, are wooden structures built by the American slaves that were freed several years ago. Throughout the years, these structures have been neglected because of modernization and urbanization, and whatever is left in the area is at risk of being demolished for good.
To some, this demolition may seem like a no big deal because Board Houses are known to be made out of relatively cheap materials. However, the history that goes along with these is what makes them important and meaningful.
According to Curbed, there are two organizations at the moment that are working to help restore and protect these historic homes.
"The country's Monuments and Relics Commission, which has struggled to protect these aged structures in the face of an ever-crowded city, rising land values, and its own limited budget, and the Architectural Field Office, a non-profit seeking to create a multimedia map of the remaining board houses to bring more attention to the issue and present a case for better preservation," the publication noted.
During a recent interview, Killian Doherty, the head of the architectural field office of Board Houses said that they have advantages to the situation. After all, the board houses are not just empty relics, but actual homes that some people still live in.
As such, Doherty is pitching for the houses to be maintained and even improved because for him, it is a "declaration of independence."
As of late, it is still whether or not Doherty and two organization's attempts at saving the Board Houses will be successful.
