According to the blog REALNEO, on May 3 a group of "...good government and fiscal responsibility advocates, environmentalists and historic preservationists" will participate in a public protest at the Ameritrust (Cleveland Trust) Building in downtown Cleveland. Figures provided by opponents of demolition have shown that the action, which has already been approved by Cuyahoga County Commissioners, will result in over $44 million of needlessly spent public funds. Opponents have also noted that the materials in the current building will take up substantial space in local landfills, completely negating the alleged "green" benefits of the proposed replacement building.

The Cleveland Trust Tower, constructed in 1971, was recently included on the 2007 List of Ohio's Most Endangered Historic Sites. For more information about that listing, click here.  This is the second time in one week that proponents of preservation and responsible government have publicly rallied against decisions of County Commissioners to demolish listed sites.  On April 28, citizens of Seneca County rallied in the middle of downtown Tiffin to support the preservation of the Seneca County Courthouse.

Photo: Cleveland Trust Tower, used with permission

In a press release issued today, the Ohio Historic Preservation Office has announced that seven Ohio communities have received grants under the Certified Local Government program.

The grants, ranging in size from $7,004 to $16,800, will go to assist in projects such as the development of historic preservation ordinance and design guidelines, architectural assessments, and the stabilization of a historic house museum. Those communities receiving grants are:

Berea -- Green -- Lancaster -- New Richmond -- Parma -- Portsmouth -- Shaker Heights

To read the press release in its entirety, which discusses each project and the CLG program, click here.

Photo: Boneyfiddle District, Portsmouth - C. Martin/Creative Commons License

Are you a king or queen of Buckeye lore? Here’s your chance to find out, with a series of questions to test your knowledge of Ohio history. The first two MyHometownOhio readers to send the correct answers to info@preservationohio.org will receive a set of the new Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites minicards. Please include your name and e-mail address in your entry.

The answers will appear next week.

1. Early Ohio settlers built log cabins with a mixture of clay or mud strengthened with straw to cement the logs. What is this building method called?

2. In 1934, this department store was the first to use air conditioning.

3. Who was said to have boasted, “I’m just a lucky slob from Ohio?”

4. What university fraternity built a four-mile banana split – the world’s longest – in 1985?

5. There are at least ten world capital names shared by Ohio cities. Can you name them?

6. What Ohio city saw the invention of disposable diapers, refrigerator door shelves, Play-doh and Preparation H?

7. Harley Warrick of Belmont was known for what significant Ohio art project?

8. What former Ohio Governor determined that United States currency would be the color green?

9. Which Ohio county has the most bordering counties?

10. Who was “Calico Charlie?”

11. In 1972, this Cleveland woman was ordained at Cincinnati’s Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and became the first female rabbi in the United States.

12. What is the claim to fame of “Hanger 18” at Wright-Patterson US Air Force Base?

13. In 1930, Albrecht Grocery in Akron made 100,000 cookies stamped with a picture of Peter Rabbit for the first example of this fundraising phenomenon. What were they?

14. In 2006, this church in Columbus was the location for the election of the first primate in the worldwide Anglican Communion in its 400-plus-year history.

15. Before his dynamic career as a militant abolitionist, what was John Brown’s occupation during his residency in Akron?

This Saturday, April 28 at 10:00 a.m., members of the Tiffin Historic Trust are holding a rally in front of the Seneca County Courthouse.

The event, which the Trust is calling “Rally ‘Round the Courthouse,” will be a public demonstration of support for preservation of the landmark building. At the event, speakers, including the Executive Director of Preservation Ohio, will address the importance of the courthouse to the revitalization of downtown Tiffin, and petitions will be available for county residents to sign.

Click here to access the latest story and comments about the rally (pro and con) in the Seneca County Blog, and click here to access the courthouse listing on Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.

While the rally will discuss the future of the courthouse, the reality of the situation in Tiffin is in many ways a choice the community has between paths to revitalization or to decline.

Photo: Seneca County Courthouse - Preservation Ohio File Photo

Spring should be here soon -- and here are a variety of interesting websites to visit on a rainy (or sunny) Spring day…

Start out by taking a look at the “Our Town” movie trailer. Regardless of your perspective on the impact of Wal-Mart on small towns across America, this film discusses a question that many Ohio communities face, but which too many ignore or don't bother to ask -- "What kind of town do we want to live in?" (Click on "Trailer" in the right-hand menu.)

Speaking of the power of hometowns… a visit to the Clue Group (Community Land Use and Economics) website is a look at the power of independent business and preservation-based downtown revitalization. Not too surprising, as one of the principals of the organization is Kennedy Lawson Smith, former Director of the National Main Street Center. Click on “Clues” in the main menu for some very interesting information.

PreservationDirectory.com has just completed a major makeover, and the results are beautiful, impressive and well worth a visit. The site serves as an index to historical societies, preservation organizations, downtown programs and more across the country.

Lastly, the website of the Civil War Preservation Trust includes a press release profiling the recent announcement of American’s Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields. Speaking of the Civil War, the Ohio Historical Society is seeking support for planning funds for the 150th Anniversary Commemoration of the Civil War, which will take place between 2011 and 2015. More information is available on the Society’s Legislative Action Center, which can be accessed by clicking here.

May is National Preservation Month, and here is a sampling of preservation-related programs, workshops and events coming up in Ohio during the coming weeks:

April 20 to June 8, Various locations in Cleveland: Shrinking Cities Exhibition, Symposium and Lecture Series – various sponsors including the Ohio Planning Conference/Cleveland Section

April 24, Toledo: Economic Incentives for Historic Properties with speakers Nancy Recchie, Jeff Darbee and John York – sponsored by Preservation Ohio and the Turner Institute for Historic Preservation

May 6, Granville: Explore Ohio’s Classical Architecture: A Spring Talk and Walk in Granville with Architect William Heyer – sponsored by the Columbus Landmarks Foundation; for information, call (614) 221-4508.

May 10, Columbus: Section 106 Review Project Summary Form Training Class – presented by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office

May 10, Springfield: Springfield Preservation Alliance Annual Meeting and 2007 Annual Awards

May 16-17, Cincinnati: Heritage Ohio Annual Conference

May 17, Canton: Annual Dinner, Canton Preservation Society

May 22, Columbus – All presented by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office:

Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit: How to Apply and Qualify and Understanding IRS Requirements Ohio

Archeological Inventory Current Issues in the Archeology of the Historic Era

Online Mapping System Training Session

Go Paperless: Using I-Form to Record Historic Properties

Go Paperless: Using I-Form to Record Archeological Properties

May 22, Cleveland Heights: Main Street at Work: Shaping Neighborhood Commercial Centers Around Places - sponsored in part by Future Heights

June 9, Springfield: Big Band Concert on the lawn of the Westcott House – fundraiser in honor of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 140th Birthday

Photo: Heritage Center, Springfield: Preservation Ohio File Photo

MyHometownOhio and Preservation Ohio have launched our new “Endangered Watch List” – a place for coverage of historic resources across the state that are the focus of attention and discussion.

Decisions made concerning historic buildings and sites are made each day, by individuals, corporations, and governments. These situations are often complex and can include a weighing of many different types of interests. In the interim between publication of the List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites, the Endangered Watch List provides a place to read about some of those stories. An attempt will be made to update each listed property with the latest news coverage available, and visitors to the site are also able to upload photographs and to make comments concerning a particular situation.

When a given site is placed on the Watch List, the column to the right on the main page of MyHometownOhio will be automatically updated.

As Ohioans discuss the future of the past, the Endangered Watch List is a place to listen in to the conversation.

Photo: West Fifth Street Buildings, Cincinnati/Hamilton County Auditor's Office

As a new regular feature, our occasional “Latest from the Ohio Preservation and Revitalization Blogworld” series will now be a monthly feature. Here’s what has come across our computer screens in the last month:

“Breuer Tower: What to Do Next” in Cleveland vs. The World includes a detailed letter from Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson-Jones profiling reasons why he voted against demolition, and a review of what can be done at this point by building advocates. The Breuer/Cleveland Trust Tower was recently included on Preservation Ohio’s List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.

“GraveQuest” is a new adventure game on OhioTraveler.com that requires participants to visit the resting places of several famous Ohioans, which can be found either by solving general clues or by using a GPS locator. Once arriving at the site, contestants obtain letters from the gravestone inscriptions. Prizes will be announced after the final clue is revealed. One wonders, however, if the fine folks at OhioTraveler.com realize that photos of the first two grave markers are already available online?

“Franklin County Joins City Partnership to Preserve and Restore Columbus’ Historic Lincoln Theatre” in Columbus RetroMetro heralds the decision of the county to commit $4 million to the project to restore and reuse the historic Lincoln Theatre on the east side of Downtown Columbus. The venue, an integral part of the history of the African-American community in Columbus, is slated to become a center for jazz music and other performing arts. The County joins a wide-ranging partnership, which includes the City of Columbus and CAPA.

and… we wanted to say “thanks” and give a shout out to blogs around that country that have featured MyHometownOhio stories. In the last month, this list includes the following, among many others:

Sadie’s Take on Delaware Ohio
John Keegan dot org
Georgia On My Mind
Columbus RetroMetro
Seneca County Blog
Rensselaer Building Conservation/Historic Preservation Program
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

Photo: Cleveland Trust Tower - jsmuscatello/Creative Commons License