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It is a sad moment in Baton Rouge history. This Tuesday, I learned that Baton Rouge's geodesic dome was demolished.

Since first writing about it in September, I've been working with the board for the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, trying to increase public interest and save the dome. Based on the many e-mails I had been receiving, the public was in full support of saving this structure. People had been talking and writing about it for years, but we were finally getting the ball rolling to preserve this landmark. Our concerns were the same as the public, but unfortunately we were not making much progress.

When I received the first e-mail that mentioned the word demolished, I hoped it was a rumor. Then another series of e-mails came flooding in, including two people who went to the site to check. It is true, and I am heartbroken. Our most valuable example of modern architecture that Baton Rouge was so lucky to house was destroyed. This was not a replica of something people were building at the time; it was the real thing, built by R. Buckminster Fuller (you can read about it from our October issue here).

I recently heard that rust was eating away at the structure (which I was able to see from outside the gates when I tried to visit) and we needed to work hard and fast to salvage it. I can understand that the condition was deteriorating, and it was not being used, making it a potential liability to the owner, Kansas City Southern. All the more reason to turn it over to an organization that was interested in utilizing it for something worthwhile instead of just letting it ruin. It was a historical landmark, whether it had the designation of one or not. It could have been moved and revitalized. It's not unreasonable, and I suspect that several local and potentially national and international architects, engineers and contractors would have gladly stepped up to the challenge. I know of one who was prepared to chain himself to the dome in protest, and I know he wouldn't have been alone. Instead, it was silently destroyed and the site looks as though the dome was never there.

Now, this landmark only lives in our memories. We've been successful at saving several landmarks, like the Heidelberg and Kress at Third and Main, but this loss is certainly a step backward. It proves that it is more important than ever to preserve our heritage and make every attempt to prevent this from happening to any other crucial examples of our past. History is an invaluable part of culture, and without tangible reminders of where we have been, how can we learn and move forward?