This article was originally posted on MyHometownOhio in 2007. The tragedy herein described continues to this day, making this post even more poignant to all Ohioans.
There has been much written about the loss of older school buildings across Ohio in the last few years. “Ohio’s Historic Schools” have had a secure place on the list of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites since 2002, and rightfully so – the listing represents the greatest systematic loss of historic resources in Ohio since the days of urban renewal. And, in many ways, the loss of school buildings is more insidious, as it takes place in urban settings and rural crossroads alike. Schools are falling victim to a massive building program that wastes money by discounting opportunities for renovation, and which then subsidizes demolition. Outside of Ohio’s largest cities, few historic school buildings are being renovated, and most are succumbing to the wrecking ball.
Actually, in conveying the size and pervasiveness of the loss of Ohio’s historic schools, we believe that pictures can say more than words. So, rather than try and describe the situation, or the quality of architecture that is at issue, we invite you to visit a new website we have discovered. The folks at www.oldohioschools.com have collected an outstanding collection of photographs of Ohio’s school buildings – those that are endangered, those that have already been lost, and also a collection of former schools that have found new life through adaptive re-use.
A warning, though – these pictures "tell it as it is." A box of tissues might be in order.
As our readers know well, MyHometownOhio tends to be a compendium of news, trends and views on preservation across Ohio. On rare occasions in the last three years (so few, in fact, that they likely can be counted on two hands) we have also talked about Preservation Ohio as an organization - where we are, and where we’d like to be.
This Tuesday, the Executive Committee of Preservation Ohio met in Columbus to do just that. Composed of corporate officers and other elected members, the Committee meets in the interim between meetings of the Board of Trustees to deal with such subjects in depth. On Tuesday’s agenda was the proverbial “full plate” - from considering present needs to a long-term look at direction and programming possibilities.
Now moving into its 28th year of existence, there is a new energy at Preservation Ohio, so much so that at times it seems almost like a new organization. While fully affected by the dramatic economic downturn, there is also a general recognition by our Board that Ohio strongly needs a committed statewide preservation voice more than ever. Our recent trips to Mansfield, Hamilton, Yellow Springs, Columbus, Dayton and elsewhere have reinforced that sense of purpose. In community after community, we have discovered local individuals and organizations exploring new ways to preserve historic resources for a new economic reality. Many of these efforts are profiled, and will be profiled, in the pages of the Ohio Preservation Network, the country’s first statewide preservation-based social networking site. Its free and easy to register on the Network, by the way -- just click here.
If any of our readers would like to be a more involved part of the state’s preservation and preservation-based revitalization movements, you are more than welcome. From volunteers to Board membership, the door is open to you, your energy and your ideas. Its an intensely rewarding and enjoyable experience. For more information, please drop an e-mail to: info@preservationohio.org.
And - huge thanks to Falhgren Mortine for hosting today's Executive Committee meeting!
The Ohio Preservation News reader located on the left side of this blog provides an excellent way to learn what is happening in the word of preservation, downtown and neighborhood revitalization, heritage tourism, smart growth, archeology and local history not only here in Ohio, but across the country.
The site provides short descriptions and links to a wide range of media stories - many of which come from Ohio newspapers, online magazines and blogs. Because it uses RSS, or “Really Simple Syndication,” the reader is updated continuously throughout the day..and night...each time that a local newspaper or media source updates its own site.
To give a glimpse of what can be found - here is a small sampling of stories available just this afternoon from the Ohio Preservation News reader.
The new website of the Civil War Preservation Trust includes a variety of features that engage visitors in the effort to save historic battlefields nationwide. Materials for educators and students, a battlefield search tool, and detailed information about efforts to save Civil War history are included, as is an outstanding collection of online battlefield maps. Its well worth a visit.
The Columbus Landmarks Foundation has a newly-updated site designed to acquaint visitors with local preservation issues and efforts. The site was an excellent tool during the recently-concluded City Hop, and includes reference to the Foundation’s other online sites. Links allow visitors to combine learning about sponsored events - including their well-known walking tours - with actual ticket purchasing.
The website of the University District of The Ohio State University has information on just about everything you would need to enjoy living, working and playing in the area of OSU… from a map of local wi-fi hotspots to the latest on area investment and rental opportunities -- and home preservation efforts.
And - as profiled in a previous post - the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Resource Center has been updated with information and links to the latest on this important financial incentive for older property rehabilitation. Click here to access.
As the author of the Victorian Antiquities and Design Blog aptly pointed out in a post published today, the Cincinnati preservation community “…could count the day as one for the "win' column, a rare occasion when a house is saved from certain destruction.”
The house in question was a massive (7,870 square feet), Jacobean Revival mansion in the Avondale neighborhood. Some time ago, the blog learned that the house was going to be stripped of many its architectural features, which were to be sold at auction this weekend. E-mails were made to the auction house in an effort to ensure that the property owner was aware that such action would have serious effects, including a substantial reduction in the value of the house for sale to a preservation-minded purchaser.
In an interesting series of posts, the blog expanded its review into an interesting look at the issue of architectural salvage, the role of auction companies in such matters, as well as an examination of the types of renovations proposed for the property post-sale. Over time, the matter also came to the attention of the Cincinnati Preservation Association and our friends at Building Cincinnati, who penned this interesting article yesterday about the situation.
As noted above, the auction in question has been can celled at the last minute. As today’s entry points out, it’s a small “blip” of a victory set against a gigantic struggle -- one exacerbated by the current economy, Ohio’s foreclosure crisis, and the tendency of owners to believe the siren songs of contractors who may have limited practical experience or expertise in the renovation of period buildings.
Cyberspace has been buzzing over the last week as Ohioans react online to the Ohio Senate’s passage of a version of the biennial budget that calls for dramatic cuts in funding for the Ohio Historical Society.
Everyone knows that the dire economic times call for dramatic action. What is proposed for the Society, however, is nothing short of a gutting of vital programming that will have far-reaching impact over multiple years. The list of lost programs is staggering, and includes the following, according to the Society’s website:
Elimination of teacher training and educational programs that leverage federal funding
Elimination of National History Day in Ohio, a national program which originated in Ohio
Elimination of the Local History Office that serves 800 local history organizations
Elimination of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015) initiative
Elimination of the Ohio Historical Markers program
Severe restrictions for OHS services throughout the state
Reduced ability to generate non-state revenues (i.e., federal grants, private revenue) Reduced access to historic sites and museums
Reduced ability to recruit local organizations to manage sites
Reduced assistance and resources to sites management organizations
Your help is needed as we collectively respond to the potential of these cuts. Here are links to additional information:
Please join OHS and friends of history from across Ohio at noon this Thursday as they RALLY FOR HISTORY! on the grounds of the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus (I-71 at 17th Avenue). Participants will also be able to board busses after the event for meetings with legislators at the Ohio Statehouse. For more information on the rally, please click here.
On June 4, the Ohio Department of Development issued a press release announcing two new application periods for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit (OHPTC).
The first submission window begins on July 1 and extends through September 30. In addition to the new application itself, the Department has also provided a short OHPTC overview, as well as a summary/self-scoring document for use in application preparation. Links to all of these can be found on the primary tax credit page, which be accessed here. It should be noted that new criteria have been added to the application and review process, which take into account various aspects of a project’s geographic diversity and its economic potential.
Preservation Ohio has updated the online Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Resource Center to reflect this new information, and which also provides information about combining the OHPTC with other tax credits and deductions. The Resource Center can be found here.
It’s time again for the annual showcase of urban living in downtown Columbus - City Hop - and this year, as in years past, offerings include both renovated and new infill living spaces.
The event is a reminder of the power of historic architecture to provide incredible places in which to live and work. Some of this year’s stops, such as the newly-renovated “8 on the Square,” are housed in period office structures (this one from 1906; see photo) that have been updated to provide the kind of living space that is financially difficult to replicate. Others, such as CityView, are located in buildings which had dramatically different original purposes - this one constructed as a factory building for a shoe manufacturer.
Of course, the infill projects that have recently sprung up like very welcome weeds in downtown Columbus promote the idea of a walkable, dynamic and dense urban environment. Projects such as Neighborhood Launch and The Annex at River South take their cue from their surroundings and from the history of the area, while adding a 21st century flair.
There’s a lot to see at City Hop, presented by the Columbus Landmarks Foundation. Here are links to relevant resources:
There has been much written about the loss of older school buildings across Ohio in the last few years. “Ohio’s Historic Schools” have had a secure place on the list of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites since 2002, and rightfully so – the listing represents the greatest systematic loss of historic resources in Ohio since the days of urban renewal. And, in many ways, the loss of school buildings is more insidious, as it takes place in urban settings and rural crossroads alike. Schools are falling victim to a massive building program that wastes money by discounting opportunities for renovation, and which then subsidizes demolition. Outside of Ohio’s largest cities, few historic school buildings are being renovated, and most are succumbing to the wrecking ball.
As our readers know well, MyHometownOhio tends to be a compendium of news, trends and views on preservation across Ohio. On rare occasions in the last three years (so few, in fact, that they likely can be counted on two hands) we have also talked about Preservation Ohio as an organization - where we are, and where we’d like to be.
The Ohio Preservation News reader located on the left side of this blog provides an excellent way to learn what is happening in the word of preservation, downtown and neighborhood revitalization, heritage tourism, smart growth, archeology and local history not only here in Ohio, but across the country.
The 
As the author of the Victorian Antiquities and Design Blog aptly pointed out in a 
Cyberspace has been buzzing over the last week as Ohioans react online to the Ohio Senate’s passage of a version of the biennial budget that calls for dramatic cuts in funding for the Ohio Historical Society.
On June 4, the Ohio Department of Development 
It’s time again for the annual showcase of urban living in downtown Columbus - City Hop - and this year, as in years past, offerings include both renovated and new infill living spaces.