Some interesting things (albeit unrelated to each other) that have come across our desks in the last few days:

Small-town history still attracts -- As a follow-up to the last entry about small towns creating a marketable sense of place (and for some quantification of the impact of gas prices on tourism), take a look at this very interesting report entitled “The State of the American Traveler,” just issued by Destination Analysts, Inc..  Two things stand out -- first, that Americans are taking fewer and shorter leisure trips, and second, that heritage tourism still stands out as an important part of those trips.  Among the top activities participated in by respondents on these closer-to-home jaunts include city sightseeing, seeing historic attractions, and visiting small towns and rural areas.

Most Endangered, British-style - Here is a photo essay on England’s current “endangered heritage sites."  With a long and storied history, it is not surprising that this list is as varied as it is, including everything from ancient stone circles to castles.  The National Trust (the British version) estimates that 1 in 12 heritage sites are currently endangered.

Theatre Redux - Speaking of photo essays, this is a very interesting look at the current renovation work going on inside the historic Hanna Theatre building (1921) in Playhouse Square, Cleveland.  Be sure to check out the links to photos from earlier this year.  The project will transform the theatre into a venue for the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, with seats in a new stadium-style configuration and a new, “thrust” stage.

Creative Cities Close to Home - We recently ran across the announcement of the “Creative Cities Summit 2.0” Conference set for this October, and its close to home -- in Detroit.  There’s an interesting set of speakers and workshops planned to concentrate on urban development focusing on attracting creative professionals and corporations - including Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class, John Howkins, author of The Creative Economy, and Charles Landry, author of The Creative City.  Click here for the conference website.

The Fairest of the Fairs - And finally, here’s a plug for a piece of Ohio history that celebrates an important anniversary this year.  From August 2-9, you can attend the 150th version of The Hartford Independent Fair, a  unique summer celebration that started in Croton in 1858.  The entertainment schedule includes puppeteers, tractor pulls, an open barrel horse show, a mud run and that staple of Ohio county fairs, the demolition derby.  Click here for details.

Photo: Hanna Theatre marquee - ClevelandSGS/Creative Commons License

Small towns in Ohio, like their counterparts across the country, have a preservation dynamic unlike their larger sister cities.  On one hand, the impact of renovating one building, or one group of buildings, can have a strong impact on an entire village.  Of course, the reverse is also true, as one mistake - such as the loss of a single iconic structure or the resistance of one politician - can be more difficult to overcome.

Preservation economist Donovan Rypkema recently took a look at one small town that really understands preservation-based community development.  Story City, Iowa (population 3200) has a success story in 1880 brick commercial building on the prime corner downtown, a renovation project that happened because of what modern economists call “crowd-sourcing” -- a number of individuals made the difference when local government stepped out of the picture.  The building now has a fantastic tenant - RVP1875 - a manufacturer that specializes in furniture from a 15-year period in American history.  Click here to visit a fascinating small-town merchant.

Iowa is also home to the smallest community in the country with a functioning Main Street program -- the village of Bonaparte, with a population of approximately 500.

Does Ohio have small towns that understand the power of place to fuel economic development and enhance quality of life?  While there are several that may fit this mold, one that quickly comes to mind is the Auglaize County community of New Bremen, population 3,000.  New Bremen prides itself on using its past and its character to generate interest and attract investment.  The community website is a good indication of that outreach - it is more comprehensive than the sites of many Ohio communities many times its size.  And it is not just "spin" -- New Bremen prides itself in telling its unique story.  The village boasts the Bicycle Museum of America, an excellent local history museum housed in the 1837 William Luelleman House.  The village has also recently completed a renovation project for Lock One of the Miami & Erie Canal, which includes excellent interpretive signage.

Does it work?  You bet.  Not only has local manufacturer Crown Equipment restored much of downtown for corporate offices, adding sensitive infill, but the community has attracted other investment as well.  Crown itself received the Preservation Merit Award from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office for their investment and renovation work.

Photo: Screenshot, Bicycle Museum of America

This Summer, five new books allow readers a set of unique glimpses into the history and architecture of Columbus. All of these books are or will be available soon in your local bookstore.

On August 5, the newest AIA architectural guide will be published -- this one featuring the architecture of Columbus.  Produced by the Columbus Architectural Foundation, the book is authored by Jeffrey Darbee and Nancy Recchie, two of the state’s leading historic preservation consultants.  Jeff and Nancy recently presented a workshop in Tipp City on “Marketing Historic Properties” in conjunction with the City of Tipp City and Preservation Ohio.  It promises to be a great read.  Click here for more information.

Ohio’s Governor’s Mansion is profiled in “Our First Family’s Home: The Ohio Governor’s Residence and Heritage Garden,” now available at your favorite bookstore.  The volume tells the story of what could be referred to as a “living museum,’ a place where the history and beauty are combined to showcase the best of Ohio.  This page at the Ohio University Press website allows you more insight into the book, and includes not only a full chapter preview, but a virtual tour inside the mansion.  Click here for more information.

Three of the newest books from Arcadia Publishing feature aspects of Columbus history:

• In ’Mount Calvary Cemetery,” the author looks at Columbus’ largest and oldest Catholic cemetery, and tells the stories of the people who rest there in photos and narrative.  Click here for more information.
  
  
• Also currently available is a guidebook to the history of Upper Arlington, one of the city‘s “inner“ suburbs, and one of Ohio's earliest planned communities.  Click here for more information.
  
  
• Lastly, the history of the arts in Columbus takes center stage in “Columbus, Ohio: The Musical Crossroads,” which will be published in August. The book profiles both well known national artists with strong Columbus connections, as well as local artists that contributed world-class talents to the local music scene.  Click here for more information.
  

Man, time does fly when you’re having fun.

The calendar doesn’t lie -- this month marks the second anniversary of MyHometownOhio, and what an eventful two years it has been.

Our first stories in July, 2006 focused on downtown revitalization planning, the Ohio & Erie Canal, a tourism conference at Ohio State, neighborhood revitalization in Mansfield, work on the interior of the Ohio Statehouse dome, and the Supreme Court’s important eminent domain decision.  284 articles later, MyHometownOhio has become a staple for a large number of regular subscribers and thousands of visitors each week - and we‘ve managed to maintain a rate of an entry every 2.6 days (pretty good in the world of blogs).  Stories featured on MyHometownOhio have generated articles in both large and small newspapers in Ohio, and have resulted in boosts for local preservation efforts.  We were the first blog in the country to feature the automatic feed from Preservation Nation, the blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and now bring you feeds that include our latest offering -- Donovan Rypkema’s Place Economics blog.

There are still quirks that remain, even after all this time.  For one thing, it remains difficult to get an ironclad RSS feed for Ohio media stories covering preservation and downtown revitalization, and so occasionally you will see a story pop into the mix that includes key words but which has little to do with the subject matter.  The alternative is do something similar to the National Trust‘s “Preservation in the News,” which includes only stories that mention the organization itself, or to manually choose stories each day.  We know that interesting preservation stories are covered in Ohio newspapers on a daily basis, and we try to bring them to you in the best way possible.

On the occasion of this anniversary, we would like to take a moment to do the first true organizational “plug” we have made in those two years.  We share with you the message that Ohio’s statewide preservation movement stands in a somewhat precarious position in the middle of 2008.  It is thought that Ohio boasts the largest number of properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places (individual or contributing to a district) than any other state -- yet membership in Ohio’s two statewide preservation organizations -- combined -- is, per capita, one of the lowest in the entire country.  On a frequent basis, important pieces of Ohio history are lost because local the message of preservation is simply not getting through.  We desperately need a unified, stronger and more effective voice.

As Preservation Ohio launches our mid-year membership drive, we would respectfully request that you consider becoming a part of that movement.  Not only will your membership last through the end of 2009, but you will be making a statement that Ohio’s past is critical in providing character and prosperity for its future.  Together, we can effectively share the power of preserving the past not only with our elected leadership in Columbus, but also in the offices of county commissioners, city and village councils, local school boards and corporate boardrooms all across Ohio.

Click here to read about Preservation Ohio, click here for membership information - and thank you.

Photo Credit: "2" - claudecf/Creative Commons License

In a climate where public officials seem in a panicked rush to demolish schools and other public buildings, its nice to see a community that is doing things the “right way.”

Take the Logan County village of West Liberty, for instance.  Officials there took a long look at the dated Town Hall, and decided to reach out to the community for guidance on its future.  First, money was expended to develop a phrased restoration and expansion plan from a respected architectural firm.  Now, the community - both those living in West Liberty and ex-pats living in other areas of the country or world - has been challenged to find funding and support the project.

The vehicle to communicate this challenge was recently posted on Google Video - and we present it below for your viewing.  For our subscribers, click here to access the video on Google.

As the summer continues, its time to start thinking about the annual Lincoln Highway BUY-WAY, an event presented by the Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway.  For the fourth continuous year, the event will feature yard and garage sales, community events and more - this year’s version is set for August 7-9.

According to a just-released statement from event organizers, a new “Travelers Guide” has been issued which will direct participants along the route, and includes coverage of at least fifty community events to be held during the three-day event.

According to the release -- “Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway Executive Director Mike Hocker said, "These guides can be found along the highway at participating businesses. Just ask at local retails, restaurants, attractions, convenience stores and gas stations along the byway."

“The guide is very helpful since many people are confused about where the “Lincoln” ran...and it did change alignments through the years from 1913 to 1928,” Hocker added. “Then the government simply re-named the Lincoln Highway in most areas as US Route 30.”

“All alignments are fair game for shoppers, giving those in Ohio alone roughly 350 miles of yard sales, community events and festivals with lots of food, drink, fun for kids--and most importantly--shopping for bargains!..."

For complete details on the event, which will include an online listing of sales and events, click here.  To learn about the Lincoln Highway, click here.

Photo: Public Domain

In honor of the 4th of July, here’s a quick review of websites related to places around the state where you and your family can learn first-hand about the men who have served as President of the United States who were born in, lived in, or are buried in, Ohio.

William Henry Harrison

Harrison Tomb, North Bend
Village of North Bend

Ulysses S. Grant

Grant’s Birthplace, Point Pleasant
Grant Boyhood Home, Georgetown
Grant Schoolhouse, Georgetown

Rutherford B. Hayes

Hayes’ Birthplace Marker, Delaware
Mrs. Murray’s School, Delaware (where Hayes attended as a boy; center of photo)
Hayes Presidential Center and Spiegel Grove, Fremont

James Garfield

Lawnfield - James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Mentor

Benjamin Harrison

Village of North Bend

William McKinley

National McKinley Birthplace Memorial, Niles
William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, Canton
Church of the Savior United Methodist, Canton
Lisbon, Ohio (homestead of William McKinley’s parental grandparents)

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft National Historic Site, Cincinnati
Taft Museum, Cincinnati

Warren G. Harding

Presidential Inn, Blooming Grove (renovated 1917 schoolhouse on Harding Birthplace farm)
Harding Childhood Home, Water Street, Caledonia (still standing)
Harding Home, Marion
Harding Tomb, Marion

Other Places:

Ohio Historical Center, Columbus
National First Ladies’ Library, Canton

Photo: Joe Schlabotnik/Creative Commons License

Summer is here, and while the days are can be sweltering, the evenings can be a great time to do some serious walking.  All across the state, it is possible to combine exercise and education by taking a self-guided walking tour of one of Ohio's historic downtowns.

Here is just a sampling of such tours - we well as information on where you can locate a copy.  If your downtown has a self-guided walking tour which is not included, please let us know.

PRINTED:

Bowling Green - Main Street Bowling Green, 121 East Wooster Street
Canal Winchester - Victoria’s Attic, 11 South High Street
Delaware - Delaware County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 44 East Winter Street
Hamilton - Greater Hamilton Visitors Bureau, 1 High Street
Maumee - Lobby of the City of Maumee Police Department (entrance on Dudley Street near Conant Street)
Oxford - Oxford Visitors Bureau, 30 West Park Place, 2nd Floor
Sandusky - Eleutheros Cooke House, 1415 Columbus Avenue
Van Wert - Van Wert Convention & Visitors Bureau, 118 West Main Street

ONLINE AND PRINT:

Logan - Click here
Oberlin - Click here and then click on "Walking Tour of Oberlin"
Painesville - Click here, click on "Visitors," then "Attractions," and scroll to the bottom of the page for a link to the Walking Tour.

AUDIO:

Canton - Click here
Cleveland - City Prowl - Click here
St. Clairsville - Click here

SPECIALIZED:

“Building Stones” Walking Tour of Downtown Cincinnati - Click here
“Building Stones” Walking Tour of Downtown Cleveland - Click here

Apparently the British are coming to grips with their “brutal” past -- their architectural past, that is.

Wikipedia defines Brutalism as “…an architectural style that spawned from the modernist architectural movement and which flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s… Brutalist buildings usually are formed with striking repetitive angular geometries, and often revealing the textures of the wooden forms used to shape the material, which is normally rough, unadorned poured concrete.”

In this article in the UK’s Guardian newspaper, architecture critic Steve Rose begins to notice a change in the way that modern architects interface with Brutalism.  Two landmark Brutalist British buildings are currently endangered, while another has seen a recent hugely successful renovation (clicking on the photo links is recommended).  It’s a common story -- architecture becomes appreciated only when sufficient time goes by, and then when successful renovation projects highlight the unique characteristics of a given style.

Of course, here in Ohio we have recently witnessed much the same story -- a Brutalist building, the Cleveland Trust Tower, went through asbestos abatement in preparation for demolition, and then was rescued in the eleventh (almost the twelfth) hour.  The plans for the Marcel Breuer-designed building -- the first recent-past property to be included on the List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites -- include the first Ohio “Hotel Indigo,” one of the most sought-after and innovative hotel chains nationally.

In Columbus, the Ohio Historical Center has received a facelift and is facing the coming decades in excellent condition.  Click here for a construction photos on America’s most architecturally unique state museum complex.

Photo: Poster from Ingenuity2007/Breuer (Cleveland Trust) Tower Design Competition -- jmuscatello/Creative Commons License

With the recent passage and signing of Ohio’s economic development package, the somewhat confusing Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit situation has now been given some needed clarity.  According to the latest and most reliable information available, this is the way that what might be called the "new, new historic preservation tax credit" will function over the next three years:

1.  The total amount of money authorized under the package was $120 million, which will be given in two cycles.

2.  The 2008-2009 cycle is officially eliminated, and there will be two new funding cycles beginning on July 1, 2009 and July 1, 2010.

3.  Of the $60 million available in each of these two funding cycles, $45 million will be reserved for projects that were applied for in the 2007 cycle, but for which credits were not received before the cut-off.  The unused portion of this $45 million, if any, will be available for new projects.

4.  The “first-come, first-served” language has been removed, and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office will now serve only to review eligibility requirements.  The cost-benefit analysis previously required has also been removed, and the Department of Development is now required to “…consider the potential economic impact and the regional distributive balance of the credits throughout the state.”  No other guidelines are provided to govern the Department in granting or denying applications.

5.  Credits can be rescinded if an applicant fails to meet project benchmarks and timelines, but can be re-applied for in that eventuality.
 
6.  There is a new limit of $5 million per project (this may also be per owner).

7.  The credit will now be non-refundable, except as it applies to the corporate franchise tax.

Preservation Ohio will be updating its Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Resource Center in light of this new information.  For more information on the credit, please drop us an e-mail at: info@preservationohio.org.

Photo: Ohio Senate Chamber -- OZinOH/Creative Commons License

An exciting slate of conferences, workshops and tours is slated for the remainder of the Summer and early Fall.  Here is a quick list of upcoming events where preservation and revitalization are front and center - with a link for more information on each.

Building Doctor Clinics from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office -- Findlay, September 11-12; Burton, September 25-26; Botkins, October 9-10; and Cambridge, October 23-24, 2008.

July 5 -- Ashland -- Historic Ashland House and Garden Tour -- Featuring homes and gardens along Center Street, with carriage and trolley rides.

July 16-19 -- Atlanta, Georgia -- League of Historic American Theatres’ 32nd Annual Conference -- The annual meeting of historic theatre enthusiasts and owners.

July 26 - Cleveland -- Celebration of Heritage -- The Cleveland Restoration Society sponsors dinner and entertainment to highlight Cleveland’s African-American heritage.

August 28 -- Columbus -- Ohio Vacant Properties Forum II -- ReBuild Ohio presents a look at “highlighting best practices in foreclosure prevention and redevelopment strategies.”

September 10 -- Columbus -- Restoring Our Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing Ohio’s Older Industrial Communities -- Presented by Greater Ohio and the Brookings Institute

September 11-13 -- Columbus -- 2008 Central Ohio Summit on Sustainability and the Environment -- Hosted by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and featuring presentation by the Columbus Landmarks Foundation.

September 11-14 -- Albuquerque, New Mexico -- Preserving the Historic Road 2008 -- The leading conference dedicated to the identification, preservation and management of historic roads in the US and beyond.

September 18-21 -- Champion, Pennsylvania -- Frank Lloyd Wright and the Roots of Sustainability -- The annual conference of the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy.

September 18-21 -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- Rally 2008: The National Land Conservation Conference -- Rally is the largest land conservation training and networking event in America.

October 10 -- Cincinnati -- Fall Forum Luncheon -- The Cincinnati Preservation Association welcomes speaker Mayor Joseph Riley of Charleston, South Carolina

October 15-18 -- Providence, Rhode Island -- Civic Tourism II: Defining and Animating Whole Places -- A convening of international thinkers and doers in Tourism Development

October 16 -- Columbus -- Joseph B. Recchie Design and Preservation Awards Program -- Columbus’ annual event to honor excellence in local design, sponsored by the Columbus Landmarks Foundation.

October 21 -- Columbus -- OHPO Workshops -- I-Form, National Register, Section 106 and Online Mapping System

October 21-28 -- Tulsa, Oklahoma -- National Preservation Conference, presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation

November 6-7 -- Ohio’s Preservation Conference -- A statewide preservation conference returns to Ohio, featuring workshops, tours and three keynote speakers; takes place at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus.

Photo: By Travelin' Librarian/Creative Commons License

Local downtown revitalization organizations and governments often undertake surveys and studies designed to allow them to make choices based on as much hard data as possible.  Often, those surveys point to the need to make stores, eateries, attractions and amenities as easy-to-find as possible.  This is commonly known as “wayfinding.”

This Summer, in fact, two Ohio communities find themselves in a downtown planning frame of mind, and each is looking at ways to improve wayfinding.

In Norwalk, for instance, the local Main Street program brought in twenty students from nearby Ashland University, who conducted over 150 individual surveys of consumers and business owners.  The results reinforced the idea that the streetscape has contributed to a positive image for the downtown, however it also highlighted a real issue -- the fact that despite an abundance, consumers actually believe that there is a lack of available parking.  While not an uncommon observation for a small-town Ohio downtown, this has given Norwalk an opportunity to concentrate efforts on leading consumers to those open  spaces.

It has been a year since Chillicothe learned the results of a comprehensive downtown revitalization plan unveiled by Hyatt-Palma, a consulting firm hired by the community.  That study set out a very involved, five-year plan of action designed to bring renewed economic activity to downtown. This evening, the community is coming together for a “Town Hall” meeting to review the status of revitalization activities.

One key Hyatt-Palma recommendation was to improve wayfinding for potential visitors to downtown Chillicothe.  Local civic leaders were pleased recently when ten years’ work resulted in the erection of signage on US23 leading visitors to downtown.  Business leaders are now looking at ways to further orient those potential consumers to specific downtown locations, either through signage or by banners.

Photo: Downtown sign -- The Wandering Angel/Creative Commons License

Here’s a quick look at some recent news affecting historic resources across Ohio.

Hauck Mansion Sells -- Great news in Cincinnati as a preservation-minded purchaser acquired the landmark Louis Hauck Mansion, quelling fears that it might be demolished for a building site.

Endangered Tower to See Renovation -- Deal has been signed for a new upscale hotel to occupy 14 floors of Marcel Breuer-designed Cleveland Trust Tower, which was included on the 2007 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.

Concerns over Possible Demolition by Neglect -- Bloggers have written the Mayor of Youngstown in light of window removal in the landmark Stambaugh Building downtown.

Endangered High School -- Another blog is providing ongoing coverage of the ongoing discussion and legal proceedings concerning the endangered Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, on the 2008 List of Ohio's Most Endangered Historic Sites.

Sudden Collapse -- The northwest Ohio community of Delta suffered the loss of a key downtown building on Thursday, when the wall of a period corner building collapsed into the street.  No injuries were reported, however the building was immediately torn down.

Photo: Stambaugh Building, Downtown Youngstown - OZinOH/Creative Commons License

On Tuesday afternoon, June 10, the City of Tiffin Architectural Board of Review denied an application by the Seneca County Commissioners to demolish the Seneca County Courthouse, and imposed a 90-day mandatory waiting period.  During that time, Commissioners are required by law to meet with the Board to explore preservation-friendly demolition alternatives.  During the hearing, the City Law Director advised the Board that the County was subject to the local ordinance.

In addition to two city residents, the President of the Tiffin Historic Trust spoke against the demolition application, and introduced five experts for testimony -- Joyce Barrett, Executive Director of Heritage Ohio; Thomas Palmer, Executive Director of Preservation Ohio; Franklin Conaway, Preservation Consultant; Franco Ruffini, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, and Robert Loversidge, Principal of Schooley-Caldwell Architects.  Testimony centered on the damage that would be caused to the entire downtown through decreased economic development should the application be granted and the courthouse demolished.

Interestingly, this past Thursday Schooley-Caldwell was awarded the contract for developing a preservation master plan for the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver -- a building designed by Elijah Myers, architect of the courthouse in Tiffin (Myers also designed the Texas and Michigan Capitol buildings).

The Seneca County Courthouse leads the 2008 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.  As always, MyHometownOhio will cover this very important story as it continues to unfold.

On Sunday, June 22, supporters of preservation from all across Ohio will descend on the lawn of the Seneca County Courthouse in downtown Tiffin.  Not only are you welcome -- bring your friends along with you.

There, on the grounds of a landmark facing imminent demolition, the statewide preservation community will collectively gather to take a “Last Stand” for this important building.  At 2:30 p.m., speakers will address those gathered about the numerous reasons why Ohio should not lose its first 19th century county courthouse in a generation.  At 3:00 p.m., we will take a giant group photo with signs proclaiming, “This Place Matters!.”

The bids have gone out to interested contractors for quotes on demolishing the courthouse, which leads the 2008 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.

Photo: Seneca County Courthouse - OZinOH/Creative Commons License

Sometimes historic preservation necessarily includes relocation of historic buildings -- which can then lead to interesting opportunities.

Speaking of which -- here is a fantastic opportunity to own a unique piece of early 20th century American commercial architecture.

As a part of expansion plans for the local YMCA in Toledo, a wonderfully intact original White Spot Restaurant building is currently available for relocation.  The building retains its original white porcelain enameled steel exterior as well as its “original diner appearance” with a limited amount of interior alterations.

Details on the availability of this intriguing piece of Americana and local history can be accessed here.

Photo: White Tower Restaurant, 1002 Jefferson Avenue, Toledo

Yesterday, Preservation Ohio added the campus of Antioch College in Yellow Springs to our Endangered Watch List.

As reported this week in the Yellow Springs News, there appears to be a distinct possibility that the power plant to the campus will be shut down as early as this summer.  This move comes as college operations have concluded following a May 8 vote of Trustees to reject the latest offer of those working to keep Antioch open.  At the present time, there has been no indication if steps are planned to properly mothball the campus buildings so as to prevent deterioration and damage.

The campus of Antioch includes the venerable Antioch Hall, whose twin towers (shown here) were standing when noted educator and first Antioch president Horace Mann spoke on the college’s first day of operation in 1853.

Preservation Ohio will be monitoring the situation at Antioch and reporting on the Endangered Watch List (click here to access).

Photo: Antioch Hall/GNU License

Almost everyone actively involved in the establishment of local historic preservation or design review ordinances has had opportunity to become engaged in a discussion of “property rights.”  When that phrase is mentioned, it typically refers to the idea that historic district legislation, like any land use or zoning regulations, affects the ability of an owner to use his or her property.  Sometimes, however, it also carries the additional erroneous connotation that such limitations are somehow inherently “wrong.”

A positive approach on property rights is evident in the work of a task force in Columbus’ inside-suburb Upper Arlington, where the city has undertaken consideration of a new historic preservation ordinance.  Prompted by public outcry after recent demolitions and incompatible infill (sometimes referred to nationally as “McMansions”), Upper Arlington city leaders took the positive step of convening a working group composed of City Council, Board of Zoning Appeals and community members, with that group set to make recommendations back to the full Council.

In its initial meeting, the minutes of which can be accessed here, the group considered and agreed on three basic principles, the first of which was that “[historic preservation legislation restricts, limits, and in some cases prohibits what property owners can do to their buildings. It is a restriction or limitation on private property rights.”  The group also agreed that courts have routinely upheld such legislation if properly drafted and operated.

In considering the relationship between local historic preservation legislation and property rights, particularly the modern so-called “property rights movement,” one could look to an excellent overview available online by noted preservation economist Donovan Rypkema.  In a presentation entitled “Property Rights and Public Values” made to the Community Planning Association of Southeast Idaho (click here to access), Rypkema points out the long history of planning in the context of community development in America, dating back to the original days of settlement.  Instead of being “un-American,” he points out that from the time of the Pilgrims to the present, this type of land use regulation has always been a key part of the American experience, as it combines a recognition of public good with that of individual gain.  It is, in fact, quintessentially “American.”

The bottom line is that Rypkema’s talk is a great read, and it is a must-read for those working locally for enactment of local preservation legislation.

Photo: Upper Arlington streetscene - JulieHicks75/Creative Commons License

As we begin a series of changes and improvements to MyHometownOhio, our first step is to add two RSS feeds from two great blogs – one which has been around for a bit, and one brand new.

For some time we have been trying to bring you a feed from Building Cincinnati, which sets out to celebrate “…the Queen City’s built environment in words and pictures.” Kevin LeMaster always has something interesting and informative to share – he was the blogger, for instance, who broke the news about the lawsuit by several developers against the State of Ohio concerning the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit. We are proud to be on Building Cincinnati’s blogroll, and have been wanting to include Kevin’s site for sometime… but for some reason, the link will not “hold.” Our wonderful blog host (a great service, by the way) is just as perplexed as us on why that one feed will not work.. but we have solved the problem by adding Building Cincinnati via widget.

The other RSS feed is from a brand-new blog by someone well-known to the historic preservation community. When you talk about the interface between historic preservation and economic development, the name of Donovan Rypkema often comes to mind. In fact, Don wrote “the” book on the subjects – The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide, which is apparently currently out of stock at Amazon.com (no surprise there, as it’s a popular resource guide). Don has just unveiled a new blog, which he writes and publishes out of his Place Economics website – and we have started to carry that feed via widget as well.

Both of these new widget feeds are located in the left column of MyHometownOhio.

It is great to see the preservation activity and discussion taking place in Northwest Ohio. Toledo, in fact, has emerged as one of the true leaders among Ohio’s metropolitan areas in terms of local preservation efforts.

Many of the success stories – and the stories of those who have been valiantly trying to make a difference for historic resources – were celebrated at the recent Excellence in Preservation Awards, hosted by the Landmarks Preservation Council of Northwest Ohio. According to this story in the Toledo Blade, honorees included:

A bronze plaque to Tom and Al Wagener, who restored the Buttergilt factory building in Maumee.

A bronze plaque to owners of the Macy’s Warehouse Building in Downtown Toledo, converted into 27 condominium units.

Certificates were awarded to the following:

• Historic Church of St. Patrick in Toledo
• The Martin & Wood Appraisal Group
• Long-time local preservation activist Paul R. Sullivan, Jr.
• Tony Packo’s (which opened a new location in downtown Toledo)
• The 20 North Gallery

Also receiving certificates were the Save Our Courthouse Committee and the Toledo Blade, both in honor of their long campaign to preserve the Seneca County Courthouse in Tiffin.

For photo documentation of the renovation and restoration of the Historic Church of St. Patrick, including its new steeple, click here.

Photo: Downtown Toledo - fusionpanda/Creative Commons License