It’s time to stop yapping about the pipe dreams of saving the historic buildings of downtown New London and actually do something about it. David Collins, “New London’s greatest asset is at risk,” (Feb. 2), and the New London Historical Society should stop whining about what property owners should do with their historic derelicts and just buy those buildings, renovating the structures themselves. Successful historic downtowns from Savannah, Georgia to Newport, Rhode Island have all been spearheaded by their local historic societies putting their money where their mouths were.

The Historical Society should offer to buy Bill Cornish’s buildings on Bank Street for at least what he paid for them, plus court costs. Collins could lead a group of volunteers to physically labor and fix the ailing structures. Even cleaning up after professional restorers isn’t rocket science: it’s a near skill-less job that even a journalist could do.

Gretchen Gauthier

Groton

Note: After publication of this letter, the New London County Historical Society contacted us an said it had no position on the Cornish properties. New London Landmarks is the group that has taken the lead in trying to save them.