The Mount Pleasant Township Community Center is filled with rich history and an exciting present. Some members of the community have a deep connection to the center, while others who may not share in this connection have spent a lot of time at the community center. So much historic value is contained within the community center and it would truly be a shame if this building were lost. There are many benefits that accompany this building; some green, others just to benefit the community, and even I reap the benefits that the center sows. I have a personal connection to this place, and being in college, still find time to venture back and spend time there.
The Mount Pleasant Township Community Center has been around for a long time. In its early years, the community center was used as a school for the town of Hickory; even some friends of mine have parents who actually attended the school. In the mid 60’s Fort Cherry School District was formed by combining the schools in the towns of Midway, McDonald, and Hickory. At this point the Hickory school was changed to, and still remains to this day, the Mount Pleasant Township Community Center. A large variety of activities are held within the center, such as Boy Scout and Girl Scout meetings, dance classes, and important town meetings.
The Old Schoolhouse Players are another group that calls the community center their home. This organization puts on numerous plays and musicals each year in the community centers auditorium, and they usually draw a fairly large crowd. The Hickory Apple Festival is a large event that takes place each fall, and they also use the inside and outside of the community center to host different activities. Outside of the community center is where the baseball fields and basketball court are located. A large little league association, that contains hundreds of young prospects each year, uses these fields for all of their practices and home games. The basketball court is not usually used by organized groups, but in the summer months it is utilized by the local residents for a pickup game here and there. My friends and I probably use this court the most; usually playing basketball a couple days a week. Not only is this center important to the community as a whole, but I found much enjoyment at the community center as I grew up. 
As a young child I was in Cub Scouts, and we used an array of rooms in the building for different activities, such as pine wood derby, and to build soap box cars. As I got older I discovered the world of little league baseball. I played on the Viking Fields from the time that I was five years old until I was about twelve.
Numerous summer nights were spent on the diamond fielding ground balls and practicing batting. Apparently this paid off because the Hickory little league teams were the most feared teams in the area; we won many league championships and produced many little league all-stars, myself included. Once I got even older and became involved in basketball, the court was put to use. On many occasions a crowd would gather and a competitive basketball game would break out. Many times the victor earned bragging rights for at least a few days. Throughout my freshman year in college when I visited back home, a group of us that lived in the area would come together for a friendly game of basketball. I plan to use this court all through the summer as well. While the community center is beneficial to me as an individual and the community as a whole, it is also beneficial to the environment.Taking a green attitude toward preserving buildings is the best approach. “Recycling” the building instead of “throwing it away” is a good idea; it is cheaper in the long run than demolishing it, it helps keep a historic feel in a day and age that is mainly focused on technological advance, and it is better for the environment. The average cost of demolishing a building ranges from $6 per square foot to $15 per square foot; not to mention a $2-3 dollar fee per square foot to check for, and if necessary, remove asbestos (according to Hometown Demolition Contractors). With a large building, the cost of demolition can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. The cost of maintaining the building will not equal the amount it costs for demolition for many, many years.
In my specific example with the Mount Pleasant Township Community Center, the historic intrinsic value is much more important than having a new, more modern building put in its place. 
If there was a motion to demolish the old center and build a new one I strongly believe that the members of the community would rally together and stop the motion in its tracks. Preserving the building is much more environmentally friendly than demolishing it. To demolish a building, large machinery is required and all of this machinery is just burning additional fossil fuel and contributing to the destruction of the environment. Instead of just giving up on the preservation of historic sites, we should focus our energy and resources on restoring and/or maintaining them so that the next generation can have the same opportunities for enjoyment that my generation did. In other words, recycle and renovate historic buildings; do not throw them away. The intrinsic value is much more important than the advantages to be gained from building a new center.
The Mount Pleasant Township Community Center is a historic landmark, and is beneficial to the community, myself, and the environment. The community center is a large part of the community life in my town and is a central gathering place for many different families and groups of people. I have a strong personal connection to this building, as well as the baseball fields and basketball court, and believe that it should be preserved at all costs.
Photo Number and Caption (In order from top to bottom):
1. Wide shot of the front of the Mount Pleasant Township Community Center.
2. Sign in the front of the center that tells what activities are going to take place, in this case a town meeting.
3. Viking Athletic Field sign. When the center was a school there was a football field in place of the baseball fields with the same name.
4. Baseball field that the older age groups play on because it is longer than the other.
5. Baseball field that the younger age groups play on because it is shorter than the other.
6. Shot of the basketball court from the end closest to the center
7. Sign in front of the community center honoring those who served in World War II.
8. Shot of the front of the community center. The members of the community center do a great job of keeping the area around the center beautiful.
9. Sign in front of the center honoring all veterans.
10. Shot of the entrance of the community center. Shows that all are welcome.
Works Cited:
“Demolition Cost - Estimating Demolition Costs & Prices.” 17 May 2010.
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