We’re taking a short break here at MyHometownOhio over the next couple of days. In addition to a trip to New Philadelphia later today (click here for local coverage), on Friday Preservation Ohio Staff will be at the Ohio Historical Society/Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums Conference at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus.

The OHS/OAHSM Conference, by the way, is one of the best learning opportunities each year for local preservation organizations. Although many of the workshops are geared toward local historical societies, there are always a number of sessions on areas that can benefit any type of organization that focuses on local history. This year, those would include sessions on online technology for local groups, grantwriting, oral history, board development, fund raising and more. Its well worth the on-site registration fee; click here for a schedule.

Photo:  Interior, Ohio Historical Center, Columbus - drshorn/Creative Commons License

Its only 110 miles as the crow flies between Washington Court House and Tiffin, but the future of their landmark county courthouses may well be dramatically different due to the resourcefulness of the Fayette County Commissioners.

Just as the Seneca County Commissioners prepare to demolish their venerable courthouse – despite estimates that show renovation as a less expensive option than demolition and building new – folks in Washington Court House are celebrating the results of the Fayette County Commissioners’ work to find avenues toward funding restoration efforts.

On Monday, the Commissioners, joined by their state representative, local judges and other officials, were presented with a check for $1.9 million for work on the Fayette County Courthouse, which was constructed between 1882 and 1885 - the very same time frame as its counterpart in Tiffin. According to this coverage in the Washington Court House Record-Herald, the official present from the source of the grant, the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development organization, shared this observation - "The partnership we share with Fayette County’s leadership positions us to help with projects focused on preserving the county’s historic heritage.”

Photo: Fayette County Courthouse, Washington Court House - Seth Gaines/Creative Commons License

Ohio bears a special relationship to the original thirteen American colonies, as the settlement of Ohio was spurred by the arrival of two primary groups of settlers from the East. The Ohio Company arrived in the late 1780s, securing a grant of some 5 million acres of land in what is now Southeast Ohio, and establishing their first permanent settlement in Marietta. Another wave of settlers arrived in what is now Northeast Ohio in the 1790s to settle in lands claimed by Connecticut in the years following the American Revolutionary War. This area, known as the “Connecticut Western Reserve,” and later referred to as simply the “Western Reserve,” was surveyed and developed by the Connecticut Land Company.

The New England heritage of the Western Reserve has always distinguished that part of the state, from patterns of town development to the architecture of churches, homes and civic buildings. The hallmarks of generations of New England craftsmen and their strong traditions of Greek Revival, Federal and Georgian architectural styles are evident in Northeast Ohio. A community like Tallmadge in Summit County is a good example; the center of town is marked by a commons area surrounded by a roundabout, while the landmark white frame Historic Tallmadge Church in its center looks remarkably like its New England counterparts.

Highlighting the heritage of the Western Reserve is the subject of recent efforts for a collection of organizations and individuals including local county commissioners, historical societies and others, and led by the office of US Representative Tim Ryan. The initial goal is a grant from the National Park Service to study the possibility of creating a National Historic Area for Ohio’s Western Reserve, a designation that would bring further funds for education and heritage tourism promotion. Click here for coverage.

For more information on National Historic Areas, click here to visit the National Park Service website.

Photo:  Map, Ohio's Western Reserve, circa 1826 - Public Domain

On Thursday, September 27, Preservation Ohio travels to New Philadelphia to visit the endangered Franklin Square Neighborhood, and to meet with members of the Tuscarawas Heritage Home Association.

Last year the community faced a moment of decision when a developer sought rezoning which would allow a Walgreens drug store to be constructed in one of New Philadelphia's oldest neighborhoods. In what the Dover-New Philadelphia Times Reporter would later call one of the ten top local news stories of 2006, the local City Council approved the change, but a successful local drive resulted in the matter being placed on the ballot this November.

The Franklin Square Neighborhood was placed on the List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites in early 2007. To read about the situation in New Philadelphia, to learn about efforts of citizens who believe that economic development should occur in tandem with maintaining community character, and to view photos of some of the affected properties, click here to visit the Franklin Square page on the Ohio’s Most Endangered website.

After the 27th, we will share more news and photos from our trip to Tuscarawas County.

Photo:  House in Franklin Square Neighborhood, New Philadelphia - Used with permission

It has been a busy last few days in Tiffin, where the Seneca County Courthouse demolition saga continues. On Monday, the community welcomed Stanley Graves, director of the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, a visit facilitated by the Tiffin Historic Trust. The Texas program, which is housed with the Texas Historical Commission, is the foremost courthouse funding program administered by any state government. Information on the Texas program can be accessed by clicking here.  Interestingly, the Texas State Capitol in Austin was designed by Elijah E. Myers, architect of the Seneca County Courthouse.

Unfortunately, Mr. Graves’ visit did not meet with universal enthusiasm, and the people most in need of hearing his comments, County Commissioners Sauber and Nutter, declined to grant him the opportunity to make a formal presentation – the latter quoted by the Toledo Blade as saying, “…"The decision on the courthouse has been made, and at some point those things just aren't productive any more." Graves did nevertheless speak to the Commissioners during the public comment section of their Monday morning meeting.

Also on Monday, Graves joined members of the Tiffin Historic Trust and others on a tour of the shuttered courthouse, and then made a public presentation at the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library that evening. Extensive coverage of his tour and talk can be found both here and here. The presentation was also attended by representatives of the offices of Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray.

Meanwhile, the action filed by the Toledo Blade against the Seneca County Commissioners in the Ohio Supreme Court is still pending. To read the public documents and to follow that action, click here for the website of the Ohio Supreme Court. The case number is 2007–1694.

Photo:  Llano County Courthouse, Llano, Texas, restored under the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program - Seth Gaines/Creative Commons License

Fall is usually full of opportunities for Ohioans to come together to learn more about preservation and revitalization - and also just to have an enjoyable time.  2007 is certainly no exception to that rule.  Following are several events being held in the Buckeye State over the next two months that include the chance to learn about history in something other than a traditional "inside" conference setting.  If you know of others, send us an e-mail at: info@preservationohio.org and we will add them to this list.

September 22-23 - Ohio Heritage Days- Malabar Farm, Mansfield - Ohio's largest craft and living history event

September 27-30 - "Wright Now" - Dayton, Springfield, other locations - An annual showcase of contemporary art and design initiatives exemplifying the spirit of innovation reflected in the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, sponsored by the Westcott House, Springfield, the Dayton Art Institute and others.

September 29 - Beacons of Hope Tour - Cleveland - Sponsored by Cleveland Restoration Society; evening trolley tour of churches

October 6 and 12 - A Tour of Oberlin's History Through its Architecture Around Tappan Square - Oberlin - reservations required

Various Dates, October 21-30 - Halloween Ghost Walks - Columbus - A visit to some of Columbus' most haunted houses with the Columbus Landmarks Foundation

November 10 - 'Johnny" Movie Premier- Newark - Movie based on life of Newark's Johnny Clem, the Drummer Boy of Chickamauga, sponsored by the Licking County Historical Society

Photo: Malabar Farm - WindsorsChild/Creative Commons License

Today’s “Ohio Preservation News” and “Ohio Downtown News” feeds are full of coverage of the unfortunate early-morning fire that struck Downtown Lancaster on Tuesday – a fire which will result in the loss of at least two buildings located in the Lancaster West Main Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The decision to demolish was made after structural engineers declared the buildings to be unsafe. Fortunately no one appears to have been hurt, including those in the buildings and firefighters working to control the damage.

Comprehensive coverage of the fire can be viewed by visiting the website of the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. According to the Eagle-Gazette, the two buildings to be demolished on Wednesday were first-generation brick commercial buildings, built in the 1830s and 1840s.

Photo: Main Street, Downtown Lancaster, circa 1920/Public Domain

The controversial decision of the Seneca County Commissioners to raze the landmark Seneca County Courthouse in Tiffin took a new turn on Monday, as the Toledo Blade filed a lawsuit “[c]laiming Seneca County commissioners intentionally withheld public records from The Blade, or destroyed them,” and requesting that the Ohio Supreme Court issue an Order requiring commissioners to identify and furnish all e-mails that referenced the courthouse decision, and also to “…to prohibit commissioners from razing the shuttered courthouse until the county has complied with the state’s open-records and open-meeting laws.”

To read the Toledo Blade’s coverage of their lawsuit, click here.

Photo: Seneca County Courthouse - Preservation Ohio File Photo