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People once took pride in what they built and were directly connected with what the did. Now corporate millionaires in high rise towers plan projects far away, get their big contracts, often from the government, and only care that they not get caught doing something flagrantly dishonest. Remember the term “planned obsolescence”. The goal is to make everything good enough to sell, but weak enough to wear out quickly and continue the make, sell, make money, get rich, hire low paid workers (often overseas), and repeat the cycle as these things wear out much quicker than in the old days. Your see it on a small scale in the fashion industry where every year there has to be a new style so the industry can survive. If you did not tear down perfectly good old buildings, how would construction companies stay in business.

I first became aware of the failure of modern items as my clothing began to come apart at the seams. Modern thread was not holding up as well as older thread. At first I thought this might be part of planned obsolescence, but then got a surprising clue. I read that thatchers in England (the guys who put straw on roofs, not the PM), were complaining that straw raised with chemical fertilizers only lasted about 5 years. Older organically raised straw lasts about 10 years. So I concluded that cotton thread, which is now grown with a lot of chemicals, probably has the same problem. Now, if I sew or mend, I only use synthetic thread; clothes last longer. So it appears that both deliberate and accidental forces are both at work.

FWIW, I live in a modest but nice neighborhood where many of the houses are brick and built in the early 1950s. It's said the houses have "good bones". Construction was by skilled craftsman, built solid and with some artistic sense. The materials of those houses that haven't been "improved" to near destruction are pre-pollution brick, wood, porcelain, and plaster. It's hard to fathom, but some younger professionals are buying new, mostly pre-fab stuff that won't last as long as these older houses will.

That's interesting about the thatching. I'm wondering if it's also more flammable.

With the various improvements made to Bagnell Dam, the structure is actually stronger now than when it was built.
Construction lasted from 1929 to 1931, producing a hydro power dam that made 215 megawatts. New turbines and other equipment has improved this figure to near 250 MW today.
It's owned by a private utility, formerly Union Electric of St. Louis. The company is now known as AmerenUE. While Ameren owns the lake and permits lake front homes and floating recreational boat docks, the state owns the fish in the lake.