Cornices were originally created to help
keep rainwater away from the building and as a structural element. I find them very beautiful and one of the rewards of looking up in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, many of these building "crowns" are
covered, in
disrepair or were
removed. In order to gather a quick sample, I took a short walk on the blocks surrounding P'unk Avenue and
photographed some of them with my iPhone. (An interesting side-note: I have been told that the decorative
vinyl and aluminum covered ones are a home-grown solution.)
I want to propose the great cornice restoration project. However, I am not sure what would be the most effective way to return these jewels to their former glory. A law could be passed that required all cornices to be protected so that no one could remove another one. Understandably, too many people would object to that kind of government interference.
My gut reaction is to provide an incentive program that offers homeowners a small grant to pay for the restoration (mostly painting) of them. I think local civic associations could do fundraisers and manage these programs, since I realize that our city government is pretty busy right now with a deficit. I know it is a small thing, but I think of the sidewalk as our shared living room. That makes the buildings facades (and cornices) the walls to this shared space.