Like many non-profit fields, supporters of historic preservation and preservation-based revitalization continue to be influenced by how they were made aware of the importance of historic resources. One typical avenue toward that awareness is the threat of demolition of an important local landmark, a place that contributes to a community’s sense of place – or, as noted urban advocate Ed McMahon calls them, “places of the heart.” When these demolition crises arrive, individuals and organizations mobilize and seek to influence owners to consider alternative paths. If that is unsuccessful, attention often shifts to encouraging local government officials to enact protections for historic resources.

The best advocacy, of course, is of the proactive variety. One of the key benefits of local historic preservation organizations is their ability to work toward creating “environments for preservation.” Such an environment is one where property owners are made generally aware of possible preservation financial incentives, of the importance of individual buildings and houses to downtowns and neighborhoods, and of the possibility of public outcry if they pursue demolition or insensitive renovation.

A real challenge exists when it is the local government itself that is the source of possible demolition. Such is the situation in Mansfield, where the city is pursuing an aggressive demolition program to combat blight, and local preservation advocates are seeking the opportunity to be a part of the process of evaluating the historic integrity and value of targeted structures. In fact, the ability to do so is written into federal law. Click here to read blog entries profiling this situation.

All over Ohio, local governments are using federal stimulus funds to combat the after-effects of the national foreclosure crisis – but in some cases, are doing so in a piecemeal fashion. Without paying attention to long-term neighborhood revitalization strategies, the net result may well be making the situation worse, not better. As the National Vacant Properties initiative has pointed out, simply creating a vacant lot can actually serve as a substantial long-term disincentive for investment in surrounding properties.

What is needed is a dialogue in Ohio communities on the best way to approach revitalization of traditional neighborhoods. What preservation and revitalization advocates can and should do is to seek ways to become a part of that conversation.

The Ohio Historic Preservation Office recently announced the winners of their 2009 Preservation Awards, and recipients joined this week at the Palace Theatre in Marion to receive their honors.

These year’s list of winners covers a wide range of projects, many of them concentrated in the state’s three largest communities. Included were building renovation projects, educational efforts in both schools and for the general public, and for long-time service to local preservation efforts.

One award went to the new “Buckeye Assets” website, a joint project of the Ohio Department of Development’s Division of Informational Technology, Office of Environmental Services and the Office of Structural Engineering. The site is an interactive map of Ohio bridges – over 7,800 of them listed, with details as to construction type, age, and condition information. Included are the state’s many “historic” bridges, with specification made of those listed on the National Register of Historic Places, those eligible for listing, and those deemed “non-historic.” Most of the profiles also include photographs of a given bridge.

It really doesn’t get any better than this for fans of historic bridges, at least from a documentation point of view. Congrats to all involved for a valuable contribution to making information about Ohio history easily and freely available to all.

Buckeye Assets can be found at: www.buckeyeassets.org.

Photo: Screenshot of Buckeye Assets, showing National Register-listed bridges in Ohio.

On October 23, Preservation Ohio will host its third "live blog" of the year -- this time with a topic of "Social Media Meets Preservation", which will look at the relationship between the world of social media on one hand, and Ohio preservation and revitalization on the other.

An increasing number of statewide and local preservation and revitalization organizations are waking up to the potential of social networking to generate positive awareness, support and revenue. Perhaps the most important benefit of this new area of communication is the ability to build community behind a mission or project. From Facebook to Twitter; from Tumblr to Flickr - as we near the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the potential of social media is outstanding. Learn about best practices, tips and ideas to use social media to your advantage, including exciting projects now launching that use social media to help to communicate the message of preservation and revitalization. We'd be thrilled to welcome statewide and local preservation, Main Street and other preservation-related organizations to the discussion as well.

Preservation Ohio is a national leader in the use of social media to advance the cause of statewide historic preservation. From hosting the country's first and oldest blog on preservation, to owning the most-followed Twitter page for any organization in America, to launching the country's first stand-alone social network for preservation -- we have alot to share! Join us on October 23, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, on any Preservation Ohio website -- including on the main website, on the Ohio Preservation Network, and on this page.

A handful of items which have recently come across the Preservation Ohio desk – or items which we would like to bring to your attention:

LIVE BLOG – Preservation Ohio will be conducting additional “live blogs” this Fall, as we attempt to share the best ideas in advancing local preservation and revitalization efforts – without the need of travel and expense. Live blogs are easy to follow, free, and can be accessed at any of the Preservation Ohio websites, including the Ohio Preservation Network or here on MyHometownOhio.

On October 23 from 10:00 a.m. to noon, we will be looking at the increasing role of social media in preservation. Did you know, for instance, that downtown revitalization organizations in Ohio can easily use Twitter for creating innovative and free merchant advertising campaigns? Did you know that traditional neighborhoods across the country are using social media to generate effective programs to reduce crime, increase investment and connect neighbors? Or – did you know that in Ohio, you can easily ask questions of other preservation and revitalization organizations online? All this and more will be reviewed on the 23rd.

BOO! – All across Ohio, historic resources are the setting for “ghost tours” and other spooky-related events. Those include the 2009 Ghost Tour series from the Columbus Landmarks Foundation, Ghost Walks in Warren, and ghost hunts at Prospect Place near Dresden.

PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION – All across the country, preservation and revitalization advocates are hopeful in the Historic Homeowners Revitalization Act of 2009, introduced in the US House of Representatives this past week. If passed and signed, the bill would provide the following changes to the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, according to the website of Preservation Action:

• A credit of 20% of the "qualified rehabilitation expenditures made by the taxpayer with respect to a qualified historic home," with a cap of $60,000
• An increase in the credit available for buildings in "high cost" or economically distressed areas
• The ability of the credit to be transferred or assigned, and to be more easily integrated with state and local tax credits.
• Availability of the credit for "for sale" housing.

HISTORY ON THE BALLOT – In a handful of Ohio communities, historic resources will be impacted by issues being considered by voters. That is the case in Cincinnati, where the Cincinnati Museum Center, which includes the venerated Union Terminal building, is the subject of a $16.2 million levy. At the same time, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the terminal is in need of some $120 to $140 million in repairs. If successfully, the levy will fund ongoing operations and some maintenance, although the larger repairs will remain unfunded.

Photo: Union Terminal, Cincinnati - cincyimages/Creative Commons License

Over the last few months, several Ohio preservation and downtown revitalization organizations have established a more thorough presence on Facebook with the creation of an official “Page.”

Facebook Pages are a more robust version of the former Facebook Groups, the latter of which basically allowed only static information, simple posts and some discussion. Pages have all of this and more, including the ability for those registered as “fans” to receive updates on their own individual sites. Pages can also be outfitted with applications, which provide increased functionality and features.

Both the Cincinnati Preservation Association and Columbus Landmarks Foundation have active Facebook Pages, which are updated often with news, event information, advocacy alerts and more. Fans can comment on these posts, can add their own content, and can embed posts them on their own pages.

Downtown revitalization organizations with Facebook Pages include Downtown Mansfield, Inc., Main Street Kent, the Heritage Centre Association (Mount Vernon), Main Street Oberlin, the Main Street Area Association (Hamilton), the Marysville Uptown Renewal Team, Main Street Canal Winchester, Main Street Medina, Main Street Orrville and Main Street Delaware.

Preservation Ohio’s Facebook Page includes all of the standard features, as well as our latest “Tweets,” the most recent photographs posted on our Flickr page, and the ability to easily invite friends to the page.  The Preservation Ohio Facebook Page interconnects with both our website and the new Ohio Preservation Network. Together, through Twitter, Facebook, the Ohio Preservation Network, Flickr and our blog, MyHometownOhio, Preservation Ohio now enjoys between 2,000 and 3,000 friends, fans, followers and subscribers just through online social networking. All of this work is an attempt to build a cohesive and effective community for preservation and preservation-based revitalization in Ohio.

To access any of the Facebook Pages for the organizations referred to in this post, visit www.facebook.com/preservationohio and look for the “Favorite Pages” in the left-hand column. And, while you’re there, please become a “fan” of Preservation Ohio!

In October of 2007, MyHometownOhio took a look at the state of preservation on the campus of Ohio’s largest college, The Ohio State University. At that time, this is what we wrote:

"Fall has finally hit Ohio in earnest.  As we head into November, thoughts turn to colder temperatures, Thanksgiving, and for Buckeye fans, the Ohio State – Michigan game. This year’s contest is on November 17 in unfriendly territory “up North.”

Ohio’s flagship educational institution is located on a campus where tradition and history live. Although not without a few preservation missteps (University Hall comes to mind), the University has a good overall record in saving important elements of its past – with some particularly good success stories.

One of those positive stories is currently being written with the $79 million renovation and expansion of the William Oxley Thompson Main Library on the Oval at OSU. The original portion of the Main Library opened in 1913, and was designed by the Boston architectural firm of Allen and Collens. In 1951, the familiar 11 story bookstack tower was added to the rear of the original building, and various additions have followed. In the renovation project, the original grand reading room, long-since divided into smaller spaces, will be completely restored to its original two-story appearance....

And, for a trip through the architectural history of The Ohio State University, click here to visit the University’s “Interactive Historical Campus Map.” By adjusting the timeline, visitors to the site can view the physical evolution of the OSU campus from 1871 through 2001.

"The seasons pass, the years will roll; Time and change will surely show, how firm thy friendship - O-HI-O" -- from Carmen Ohio, the OSU Alma Mater."

The intervening two years have made quite a difference – and it could well be said that the University has taken a couple of steps back and one forward from how things stood in October of 2007.  As detailed in an article from earlier this year, OSU recently took the unfortunate step of demolishing two of its oldest structures, Lord Hall and Brown Hall, the former designed by noted Columbus architect Frank Packard. As noted in this 2003 story from the OSU Lantern, the building was “…a historical reminder of the early days of the Ohio State campus.” When Preservation Ohio joined the Columbus Landmarks Foundation and Heritage Ohio for discussions with the building department of OSU just before the demolition, officials pointed to in-house analyses of the buildings’ condition, but did not allow for outside structural analyses to be made. The historic buildings have been replaced with green and utilitarian space, not with new structures.

This month OSU Trustees approved a $1 billion expansion project for OSU Medical Center, which is envisioned to create as many as 15,000 short and long-term jobs. Unfortunately, plans call for the demolition of Means Hall, a 1951 design by noted architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The building was constructed at an important time for the firm, just a year before the well-known Lever House in New York City, called by Wikipedia “…the quintessential and seminal glass box International Style skyscraper.” While not a high-rise structure, Means Hall appears to exhibit elements of the International Style in its use of concrete, glass and aluminum elements. It likely is suffering the fate of many "recent past" buildings, many of which merit preservation.

Recently, however, OSU also unveiled the finished William Oxley Thompson Main Library renovation and expansion project (with a final price tag of $109 million) referred to above – which features some visually stunning new spaces interspersed with restoration of important interior elements. Among the latter, the restored Grand Reading Room is a must-see, with its large windows looking out over the Oval. As noted above, prior to the project this was actually divided into two floors of space. Click here to take an interesting video tour of the “old and new” library, and here to see a dramatic full-screen photo of the Reading Room.

As Ohio’s flagship public university, the state’s preservation community continues to hope that OSU will adopt and adhere to policies which will place it at the forefront of efforts to preserve Ohio’s rich collegiate academic history.

Photo: Grand Reading Room, OSU Main Library, Columbus - jslander/Creative Commons License

Tuesday’s day-long workshop in Columbus, co-sponsored by Preservation Ohio and the Columbus Landmarks Foundation, turned out to be more of a conversation than a series of staid presentations. From the beginning breakfast panel discussion on local building issues in Columbus, all the way to the final session of the day, the emphasis was combining the latest information on financial incentives for preservation with the opportunity to dialogue with experts on each of those tools.

Speakers and panelists included the following:

•    Vince Papsidero - Planning Administrator, City of Columbus
•    Don DeVere - President, DeVere LLC
•    Laura MacGregor Comek, Esq. - Crabbe, Brown & James
•    Charissa W. Durst - President, Hardlines Design Company
•    Robert Loversidge - Principal, Schooley Caldwell Associates
•    Jeffrey Darbee and Nancy Recchie - Owners, Benjamin D. Rickey & Co.
•    Thomas Palmer - Executive Director, Preservation Ohio
•    Mark Lundine - Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program Coordinator, Ohio Department of Development
•    Judith Kitchen - Technical Preservation Services Department Head, Ohio Historic Preservation Office

Topics included use of the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, Clean Ohio funding, the new Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit, the use of historic conservation easements, New Markets Tax Credits, and more.

Anonymous evaluations of the event included the following comments:

•    “All of these topics are very interesting. Very practical information.”
•    “This was the most useful presentation on historic preservation financial aid that I have ever seen. Many thanks for putting this all together.”
•    "Good! Program!"
•    "A great seminar."
•    "Terrific, well-informed speakers, good selection of topics for background information."

This was the first workshop of its kind in Columbus in some time, and participants were clearly anxious to continue the discussion after sessions and into the future. Preservation Ohio has been involved in similar workshops over the last three years in other Ohio locations, and is already lining up venues to continue the series in the coming months.

Photos: Preservation Ohio File Photos

by Thomas Palmer, Executive Director

On Tuesday, I will be speaking on the subject of historic conservation easements at “Financial Incentives for Historic Properties,” a day-long workshop on tax benefits for preservation work co-sponsored by Preservation Ohio and the Columbus Landmarks Foundation.

As you can imagine, easements have occupied my thoughts as of late as I prepared for this presentation. The attendees to the event will be diverse – including many to obtain continuing education credit for architects, lawyers and real estate professionals. And, as the event is taking place somewhere other than Cleveland or Cincinnati where historic conservation easements are better known, it is likely that for many this will be their first exposure to this important tool for preservation.

Two facts highlight the importance of historic conservation easements – also known as “preservation easements.” First, unlike the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, the tax incentive for easement donation is equally available to owners of non income-producing properties – that is, your family home if you so choose. Second, and perhaps most importantly, they represent the only “slam-dunk” path toward preserving the historic resources of a given property, for many reasons:

• Placement on the National Register of Historic Places, or inclusion in a National Register Historic District, provides no protection against alteration or even demolition if federal funding is not used.
• While many Ohio communities have historic preservation or design review ordinances that provide protection, not every community has the resources to provide ongoing monitoring.
• Decisions of administrative boards can be appealed and can therefore have the potential to end up in politically-charged settings.
• Not all design review or historic preservation ordinances protect against demolition. Even if an ordinance protects a property, many ordinances allow for an economic hardship appeal, and the decision may be challenged legally on that basis.
• More than one Ohio community has actually rescinded a preservation ordinance.

Its little surprise that noted preservationist Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. once said, “There are only two sure ways to save a building: you either have to own it or protect it through an easement.”

While the easement program nationwide has been in a state of flux over the last several years, some clarity is returning and the tool is again being used in many locations. Click here for an introduction to historic conservation easements on our website.

Photo: Pennsylvania House, Springfield - Preservation Ohio File Photo