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.

Click here to access the project website, and be sure to visit the “Design & Construction” page to view renderings of the completed project.

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.

Photo: Original building, William Oxley Thompson Main Library, The Ohio State University, Columbus - fusionpanda/Creative Commons License

Voters take to the polls on November 6 – and in some Ohio cities, issues affecting preservation and revitalization will be on their minds.  Here’s a quick sampling of Ohio communities where this is the case; click each city name for local coverage:

Columbus – Candidates for Columbus City Council recently volunteered their ideas for revitalizing the downtown area, with an emphasis on the largely vacant City Center Mall.

Hartville – One candidate for Mayor is stressing the importance of downtown revitalization, including the hopeful creation of a preservation-based program.

Port Clinton – Downtown revitalization is also an issue here, as is a proposed new water park development on a stretch of open space fronting Lake Erie.

Johnstown – Although all current Council candidates are running unopposed, they recently outlined their vision for the future of their community, including balancing maintaining the historic feel of Johnstown while allowing for controlled growth.

Sandusky -- Voters are being asked to approve or reject a non-binding expression of support for the Marina District, a large project along the city’s waterfront.  The project may or may not negatively impact the city’s Battery Park, depending on whose opinion is asked.  For a taste of the controversy and discussion of its possible relationship to downtown revitalization and historic preservation in Sandusky, read any of the numerous comments made after this Sandusky Register story.

New Philadelphia – New Philadelphia voters will consider whether or not to overturn City action which authorized the construction of a Walgreens Drug Store in the historic Franklin Square neighborhood.  Click here to read our story on this situation.

Oxford – A proposed amendment to the City Charter loosening restrictions on creation of apartments has many speculating on whether the change will encourage or discourage “teardowns” in the historic Uptown area.

Photos - Erie County Courthouse, Downtown Sandusky - fusionpanda/Creative Commons License

Give yourself a treat this Halloween week, and visit a historic home, site or neighborhood and hear stories of Ohio’s past… with a spooky twist.

The Columbus Landmarks Foundation’s Halloween Tours continue over the next few days with tours of High Street through downtown Columbus, the “Spooky South” side of downtown, and Franklinton. These tours include stops at cemeteries, haunted antique malls and more; for details on online tickets, click here.

This weekend, the old Wood County Infirmary in Bowling Green is hosting special “Ghost Tours.”

On October 28, Ohio’s first Capital City hosts the History and Mystery of Chillicothe Ghost Walk.

Another Ohio city holding a tour of its “haunted downtown” is Kent; this Friday, the Main Street Kent Ghost Walk, complete with storytellers and visits to historic sites.

In Galion, the third annual Halloween at Brownella showcases the unique Brownella Cottage, one of Ohio’s best known haunted mansions. The free event runs from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Halloween evening, October 31; Brownella is one block south and one block west of Galion's Public Square.

Over the last three weeks, MyHometownOhio has added regular feeds from three blogs, each of which deals with aspects of history, preservation and revitalization.

After it was highlighted during a Web2.0 seminar at the recent Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums/Ohio Historical Society Annual Meeting, a feed from the Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library Blog was recently added. This blog chronicles "news, events, and research tips from the Ohio Historical Society's Research Services staff."

In September, MyHometownOhio became the very first blog in the country to carry a direct feed from the brand-new PreservationNation, the new official blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. PreservationNation bills itself as a place for "historic preservation news, networking and know-how."

Finally, we now feature stories from the daily news feed of Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust.

We’ve all heard it. Those involved in local preservation often hear a common litany from owners of historic buildings who want to proceed with plans to demolish their properties, and from local communities looking for “cover” as they advance demolition plans. The most common cry is along the lines of “…its too far gone,” as they point to needed repairs that are largely cosmetic and often non-structural.

The truth of the matter, however, is that even 19th century and early 20th century buildings in the worst condition are often so well constructed that even major structural defects can often be remedied in a cost-effective manner. Perhaps the poster child for such projects is the Central Hotel in Galion, a property listed on the 2002-2003 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.

The Central Hotel was constructed in stages, the earliest section dating from 1851. As one of a small number of surviving large pre-Civil War Ohio hotel buildings, the Central has a rather storied history. The building hosted a documented visit of Alexander Graham Bell, who hired local high school students to string wires across Public Square from his room at the Central to conduct tests with the new telephone. Henry D. Lee gained his start in the business world as a clerk at the Central; he later founded his own oil company in Galion, sold out to John D. Rockefeller, moved to Kansas, and established the Lee Jeans Company.

By the time of the 1990s, however, the vacant building was in derelict condition, with collapsed floors, missing walls, and gaping holes in its roof. Proposals were advanced to demolish the building entirely and to build a new structure behind the original facade, but such plans would not have been able to use the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, and without the credit the numbers would not work. In the end, a remarkable conjunction of bold civic leaders and financing plans did the trick, and in October of 2005, the Central Hotel Senior Apartments opened to the public.

The next time someone says “..its too far gone,” ask them to visit this site and view a photo chronicle of the rescue of a building brought back from the very brink of demolition.  They won't believe their eyes.

Photo: Central Hotel Senior Apartments, Galion - Preservation Ohio File Photo

Ohio’s history is certainly a long and storied one. As we move well into our third century of statehood, here’s a brief look at some existing Buckeye historic resources which were – or are -- the “first” or “oldest” of their kind.  If you know of another one, please let us know; we'd be happy to include it.

Oldest church in Ohio in continuous use for worship – First Congregational Church, Tallmadge, built 1825

America’s oldest authentic 19th century theatre – Woodward Opera House, Mount Vernon, built 1851

Oldest building in Ohio -- Ohio Land Company Office, Marietta, built sometime between 1788 and 1800

Oldest brick building in Ohio – Jacob Picking Building, Lisbon, built 1803

Oldest brick house in Ohio – Betts House, Cincinnati, built 1804

Oldest house in Ohio that served as an Underground Railroad Station – Sawyer-Curtis House, Little Hocking, built 1798

First theatre in Ohio to offer talking movies – Palace Theatre, Lorain, built 1928

Oldest college building in Ohio – Cutler Hall, Ohio University, Athens, built 1816

Oldest college football stadium in Ohio – Mount Union Stadium, Alliance, built 1915

First Mormon temple built in the world – Kirtland Temple, Kirtland, Lake County, built 1836

First stone inn built in Ohio – Eager Inn, Mogantown, Pike County, built 1797

First post-Civil War memorial hall in Ohio – Monumental Building, Sidney, built 1877

Oldest sandstone bridge in Ohio - Blaine Bridge, Blaine, Belmont County, built 1828

America's first US Presidential Library building - Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library, Fremont, built 1916

Photo: Monumental Building, Sidney - OZinOH/Creative Commons License

Ohio’s statewide preservation community is one of the most dynamic – and perhaps most confusing – in the country. Newcomers to the preservation and revitalization scene are sometimes perplexed by acronyms, overlapping organizations and “lingo.” Here’s a quick guide to major organizations and agencies involved in historic preservation in Ohio:

Preservation Ohio is the state’s original statewide historic preservation organization, and was established in 1982 as the Ohio Preservation Alliance. In addition to being the home of the list of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites, Preservation Ohio administers a wide range of programming and regularly brings you MyHometownOhio.

Heritage Ohio is the country’s only combined Main Street coordinating program and statewide preservation organization. In addition to running the Ohio Main Street Program, Heritage Ohio provides information, training and advice to communities across the state seeking to join revitalization and historic preservation.

The Ohio Historic Preservation Office is the official historic preservation agency of the State of Ohio. Its operations include reviews required under federal law for actions involving historic property, as well as providing a number of educational and technical assistance programs. “OHPO” is the home of the widely-successful Building Doctor program.

According to its website, the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) "“…is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1885 "...to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio." The mission of the Ohio Historical Society is to help people connect with Ohio’s past in order to understand the present and create a better future.”

The Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums (OAHSM) is a non-profit organization with membership of hundreds of local historical societies and history museums. OAHSM hosts workshops, provides a speakers bureau, conducts training, and provides other services to its members.

The Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board (OHSPAB) advises OHPO and OHS as to preservation issues, and conducts reviews of properties, districts and sites nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

For links to local preservation organizations, preservation-based downtown revitalization organizations and other groups across the state, click here.

As we shared in a recent story, Preservation Ohio went “On the Road” recently to visit the Franklin Square Neighborhood in New Philadelphia. Franklin Square is included on the 2007 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.

After touring the neighborhood, Preservation Ohio Executive Director Thomas Palmer met with members of the Tuscarawas Heritage Home Association to discuss not only the Franklin Square situation, but also the status of historic preservation in New Philadelphia. The Association has been at the forefront of education about and advocacy for the city’s historic resources for over thirty years, and administers a highly successful home recognition plaque program. Click here to read coverage of the visit in the Dover - New Philadelphia Times- Reporter.

Below is collage of properties which will be lost or negatively affected should the plans for a new Walgreens drug store be allowed to proceed. Because this development leap-frogs office use and plants retail in the midst of a residential neighborhood, the likely greater long-term loss will be the disappearance of the city’s primary attractive entranceway into their downtown area.

Photo:  Franklin Square Neighborhood, New Philadelphia, taken during Preservation Ohio's visit on September 27 - Preservation Ohio File Photos