Why did William Morris and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings oppose conjectural architectural restorations?

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William Morris and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) opposed "conjectural restorations" because they believed such practices destroyed the historical integrity and authenticity of old structures.1

During the 19th century, it was common for architects to "restore" buildings to a specific, favored style, often involving the indiscriminate refacing of stonework and the addition of modern interpretations of historical designs. Morris and the SPAB, nicknamed "Anti-Scrape," rejected this approach, arguing that the true value of a building lies in its age and the authentic, personal craftsmanship of its original builders. By replacing original fabric with speculative, modern additions, these restorations erased the physical evidence of the building's history, which the movement sought to preserve rather than reinvent.1