CIRCA SALVAGE
Preserving the Past, One Piece at a Time
CoMo Preservation’s newest initiative gives Columbia’s historic building materials a second life. In March 2025, CoMo Preservation launched its first architectural salvage rescue mission. When a building cannot be saved, CIRCA SALVAGE is committed to honoring Columbia’s architectural legacy by carefully removing and offering historic items like vintage doors, hardware, windows and decorative elements. These pieces are perfect for a restoration project, creative reuse, or adding historical charm to modern spaces. Let the story of the craftsmanship, materials, and history live on instead of ending up in a landfill.
Join our Team—We need volunteers for rescue, inventory, merchandising, and more. Email us: 📧 CoMoPreservation@gmail.com
“Even when buildings can’t be saved, preservation still plays a role.”
— Preservation League of New York State
Sustainability through Deconstruction
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Deconstruction
According to the EPA, construction and demolition (C&D) waste totaled over 600 million tons in 2018—more than double the amount of everyday municipal solid waste. Remarkably, 90% of the 600 million tons came from demolition alone.
Deconstruction offers a smarter alternative by carefully dismantling buildings to reuse up to 80% of materials—keeping them out of landfills and in our communities. Architectural salvage plays a key role in this sustainable process, preserving history while reducing waste.
Benefits of Deconstruction
+Material Recovery: Deconstruction can recover up to 70–90% of building materials for reuse or recycling, significantly reducing landfill waste.
+Landfill Diversion: A single 2,000 sq ft wood-frame home can yield 6–8 tons of reusable wood and reduce landfill waste by 25–30 cubic yards.
+Tax Deductions: Donating reclaimed materials can offer substantial tax deductions, depending on the materials and appraised value.
+Job Creation: Deconstruction creates 6–8 jobs for every one job created by traditional demolition, supporting local economies.
+Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Salvaging wood and other materials avoids the emission of tons of CO₂ from landfilling and reduces demand for newly milled lumber.
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Explore these resources to learn more...
Salvaging What Can’t Be Saved (Video included)
Build Reuse (Hosts Annual Conference)
Deconstruction Ordinance created by the city of San Antonio
Cornell Research on Deconstruction
Historic NYC Demolition History–Before 1940, deconstruction was used instead of demolition–saving and reusing materials. Time-lapse photography video from 1901 deconstruction of a theatre in NYC from the Library of Congress.