Seeing a lot of news coverage on the Notre Dame fire over the course of the day what got me the most was the various Parisian residents exclaiming how they found Notre Dame as the symbol of Paris (not the Eiffel Tower) and some were genuinely crying at it’s loss.
Now I’m curious, is there anything in the United States that would be seen as a devastating loss if it was completely destroyed as part of a disaster, even if it was only regionally? What would make people cry over its loss in terms of historicity or symbolism?
All I can literally think of is the Alamo if it got completely leveled by a natural disaster, granted that would only be Texas.
My brain went directly to Lincoln Memorial; the original WTC certainly did the trick (I say the original because there are many places by the same name, all of which were inspired by the one in NYC). The Statue of Liberty and the bridges are certainly very strong contenders. While the Smithsonian is, I’m sure, supermegainteresting, it’s not something most foreigners would recognize (I just realized I had no idea what it looks like and took a peek… ok, pretty red brick building but… nope, I wouldn’t have been able to pick it out of a lineup). And any American building that’s inspired by greco-roman architecture and Not Lincoln Memorial is… just… not particularly inspiring. It makes sense that seeing the White House blown up would be devastating for an American, but for foreigners it’s not particularly representative of “the US”.
If you’re looking for history, then maybe the Liberty Bell? But otherwise the most iconic symbolic structure in the US is the Statue of Liberty. Following that, I’d go with the Washington Monument, the White House, Congress, and then the Lincoln Memorial.
I don’t think anyone would care much about the Washington Monument. It seems like something that could be rebuilt exactly and nobody would care much. On the other hand, I think the destruction of Mount Rushmore would be a pretty big loss though.
I’m with asahi on this one. We’d certainly mourn the loss of the Statue of Liberty, the Lincoln Memorial, or White House but none of them carry the same cultural baggage that 850 years of existence brings with it.
Nothing in the U.S. really compares. The Statue of Liberty? Paris has an equally iconic structure designed by the same guy but locals consider the Eiffel Tower second rate compared to Notre Dame. It has been depicted in notable artwork and literature for 800 years. It is the most prominent center of worship for the majority religion in the country (even if the country is becoming more secular). It is a central part of the city’s civic life. Last time I was in Paris, I stumbled onto a major bread baking festival and there were thousands of Parisians just eating bread outside the cathedral with cheese and charcuterie. It’s been the site of political protests and changes in government. We have no single site that has the iconic notoriety, historical importance, and religious significance of Notre Dame.
I think I agree with this. The Statue of Liberty is probably close in symbolism, but it doesn’t have all the irreplaceable art and relics that Notre Dame did, not to mention the 800+ years of history.
The Smithsonian has the art and artifacts, and it would be a staggering loss, but I don’t think it carries the same weight as a symbol of the nation.
The White House is probably close, but I doubt that most Americans have the same emotional connection to it as the French do to Notre Dame. Sure, it has history and art, but – I dunno – it doesn’t seem to loom so large in our cultural identity.
The immaculate reception statue at the Pittsburgh airport. All kidding aside, I think the complete destruction of the capitol would have the most impact.
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