Buildings can tell a number of different stories and can be examined from a number of different points of view. Preservationists believe that buildings should be saved not just because they are old, but also because they have something to teach us about the past, the present and even the future. Preservationists save buildings for their ability to inform the present and to act for us today as documents of the past as well as their ability to continue to function as architectural components of our lives providing both shelter and context in which to express ourselves. As with any historic element, buildings tell stories. They can tell the stories of the people who built them or lived in them, the stories of events that occurred nearby or those that happened around the same time the building was built. There is a saying "if these walls could talk, what a tale they'd have to tell." Preservationists, historians and educators can help these buildings find their voice and tell their stories.