Regardless of their interest in historic architecture, Americans often dismiss Modern architecture for being too boring, ugly, or recent to be worthy of preservation. Using the author’s advocacy experience in Columbia, South Carolina, as a case study, this article offers strategies for those looking to advocate and educate for Modern buildings constructed outside of major American cities between 1945 and 1975. The essay introduces the historical context for local Modern architecture, dissects its most common derisions, and suggests ways to convince skeptics to move past their assumptions.

Public historians have much to offer in current and coming debates about sustainability. In Las Vegas, our struggles to contextualize our often-misunderstood place while training our students to take advantage of new opportunities require a little extra effort. We have to start by convincing people that our place has something to offer to serious discussions about sustainability, that Las Vegas is more than simply the example of what not to be. Public history research provides critical context about place and points to how even contested landscapes can offer models for sustainable public history practice.