Some years ago, Preservation Ohio came to the rescue of a small congregation in Genoa (Ottawa County) that was desperately seeking a future for its historic church building.  Realizing that due to declining attendance their days were numbered, church members had been informed by local realtors that selling their building for demolition was their only realistic option.

Preservation Ohio accepted donation of the building, and then set out to find a new, preservation-minded owner.  Such a purchaser was located, and the Genoa Baptist Church was sold subject to a preservation easement -- the first such easement in the organization's history.

Today, over four years later, continuing work on the church shows both outstanding attention to historic detail and an improvement in the building's condition - as evidenced by the above photo, taken this September.

The Preservation Ohio Preservation Easement Program currently protects properties in Ottawa, Washington, Clark, Montgomery and Butler Counties.  For more information on the program, and how it can benefit both individual property owners and communities, click here.