No, this is not a blog post about Ohio Stadium, a place deemed “sacred” by many for its association with the Fiesta Bowl-bound Ohio State Buckeyes.  It is rather a continuing look at an issue affecting both urban and rural Ohio communities -- the fate of traditional religious buildings erected by mainline denominational congregations that now face declining numbers and declining resources.

Last October, we introduced this challenge in a discussion of historic church buildings in Lebanon, Cleveland Heights and Columbus.  The intervening year has seen the continuation of this trend with differing results, some dependent on the nature of canon law in a particular denomination.

The Roman Catholic Church in Ohio is facing this problem head-on.  The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland launched a “Vibrant Life” initiative some seven years ago to address the problem of declining congregations.  At present, in fact, some 37 percent of Diocesan parishes operate in the red, most of them custodians of large buildings at least 100 years old.  Plans submitted by local congregational clusters, such as that recently completed by Catholic churches in Summit County, call for the closure of multiple congregations with such buildings.

In several denominations, canon law dictates that church buildings belong not to local congregations, but rather to the diocese, conference or presbytery.  In such “non-congregational” denominations, such as the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Church, local congregations actually hold their buildings in trust for the larger body.  In Pottersburg, a rural Union County community, this arrangement means that the three remaining members of the local United Methodist Church have transferred their landmark building to the larger body, which may sell the property to fund church efforts in the area, according to this recent Columbus Dispatch story.

Two such transactions in the last five years demonstrate the ability of local congregations and denominational bodies to recognize the ties between their buildings and local communities in such situations.  As profiled this October, Preservation Ohio’s first preservation easement was obtained on a church building in Genoa, Ottawa County, whose independent congregation was faced with selling their building for likely demolition.

A unique and pacesetting arrangement was recently completed in Galion.  This past year, the landmark Grace Episcopal Church, an 1875 structure designed by well-known Episcopal church architect Gordon W. Lloyd, faced an unknown future when the local parish faced declining numbers.  Realizing the inevitability of the situation but at the same time seeking to preserve their historic church structure, the local parish worked closely with the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio to achieve a first-of-its-kind arrangement leading to the long-term preservation of the building.  In this arrangement, Grace Church itself was deeded to the Galion Historical Society in exchange for cash proceeds to the Diocese and a perpetual, rent-free lease for the sanctuary space given to the local parish for as long as it is in operation.  The Society, in turn, has moved ahead with building improvements, and will be turning the parish hall area into a permanent meeting facility.  The result is a win-win solution for everyone involved, and was celebrated shortly before Christmas with a community-based music concert.

Photo: Concert at Grace Episcopal Church, Galion, December 2008 - Preservation Ohio File Photo

Although you may be unaware of the fact, the blog which you are reading at this moment is inter-connected with social networking websites across the Internet.  It is part of a Preservation Ohio web presence that exists in several different places at one time, with information going back and forth in an attempt to build and inform the preservation community in Ohio.

Three such locations are positioned to take advantage of the phenomenon of “social networking,” defined by MediaShift as websites that “…help people connect with others who share their interests, build online profiles and share media such as photos, music and videos.”  In a non-profit preservation context, they build community by allowing individuals with similar opportunities and challenges to share ideas and enthusiasm.

The Preservation Ohio MySpace site, which can be accessed here, currently has some 156 members, and was the first large-scale statewide preservation social networking site in the country.  On any given day hundreds of visitors access this site, where the latest stories on the MyHometownOhio blog are presented, as well as other timely information.  As the average age of MySpace members is substantially younger than the norm, this allows us to reach a new preservation generation.

Facebook is the current social network of choice for many, and Preservation Ohio has a well-established page there.  We are one of approximately 12 statewide preservation organizations on Facebook, which allows for the sharing of information and media between friends, groups and organizations.  Not all aspects of this site are accessible without first being a member of Facebook.

Twitter is a “micro-blogging” service that almost has to be experienced to be understood.  Preservation Ohio has just joined in the fun, the second statewide to do so (after Preservation North Carolina).  Our site there will be inter-connected with others; in this way, stories posted on MyHometownOhio and other Preservation Ohio sites can reach media sources around the state in a new and effective way.

Together, these sites have helped increase Preservation Ohio’s web traffic by some 500% during 2008, as well as dramatically improve our search engine optimization.  Watch for two new innovative sites to join this number in the coming year.

Another visual tool has arrived that not only may help to get a “feel” for a community’s historic resources, but could be combined with other applications to provide for an intriguing online walking tour.

Almost two years ago, MyHometownOhio profiled the arrival of the “Bird‘s Eye View” on Windows Live Local, which provides photographs of communities from aircraft flying at very low level -- literally what a bird might see in flight.  A given scene may be viewed from up to four directions, thereby giving a real sense of place.

Now, Google has added a new tool to their well-known Google Maps application -- “Street View.”  Street View can be accessed by first looking at a community via a traditional Google Map (maps.google.com), then dragging the little yellow man icon on the left over the map on the right -- the areas which are covered by Street View appear with blue outlines.  By placing the icon in a desired location, an image appears of a street-level view.  Then, by clicking on arrows, it is literally possible to visually walk down the streets of a given downtown or neighborhood.

Just as with Bird’s Eye View, not all Ohio cities can be viewed in this fashion, and some have only partial coverage.  The “3C” communities are all included, as well as communities such as Delaware, Springfield, Bowling Green, Akron, Barberton, Marion, Chillicothe, Lancaster, Troy, Piqua, Sidney, Dayton, Marietta, and others.  Interestingly, many of the state highways in Southeast Ohio can also be seen with Street View.

It’s literally a slice of frozen time in the history of a given resource.  It is possible, for instance, to visually walk up and down the streets of the traditional neighborhood northwest of downtown Springfield now completely removed for construction of a large hospital complex.  Pictured above are two views of one of the best-known corners in Ohio architecture -- the corner of Ohio and Court Streets in downtown Sidney.  Pictured are the People’s Savings and Loan Association Bank (1917-8), designed by Louis Sullivan, and the grand Monumental Building (1877).

Photo: Ohio and Court Avenues, Sidney - via Google Maps Street View

Greater Ohio, the voice for smart, sustainable and effective economic development for Ohio, recently launched its own blog to share its message with a wider audience.

The site includes three primary sections.  In its main area, the blog highlights recent articles from Ohio media sources, as well as regular video segments discussing both current challenges and possible solutions.  The latter has recently included a look at the US Presidential election, a profile of several of the core components of the Restoring Prosperity Initiative, a site visit to downtown Lancaster, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the individuals working to advance Greater Ohio’s message.  “Smart Growth Tidbits” is a compendium of facts and figures highlighting the economic challenges facing Ohio’s communities, while “News & Resources” introduces site visitors to a wide range of stories and links to pertinent information.

There’s no question that the message of Greater Ohio is an incredibly important one for a state facing decades of economic stagnation and decline.  Historic preservation, downtown revitalization and heritage tourism figure prominently in that message, as each contributes not only to economic development, but also to improving sustainability, decreasing demands on the environment, and enhancing overall quality of life.

Photo: Screenshot, Greater Ohio Blog

Preservation Ohio has just received an Advocacy Alert from the Columbus Landmarks Foundation concerning the imminent demolition of two landmark buildings on The Ohio State University campus, Brown Hall and Lord Hall.

This potential demolition was previously profiled on this site, and an excellent review of previous advocacy is presented on the Foundation website (click here)  Preservation Ohio joined the Foundation and other organizations this summer in speaking to OSU officials concerning both the proposed demolition and to encourage the adoption of an ongoing advocacy committee to work with the University in preserving its historic resources.

The Ohio State University has a key role to play as the state’s flagship institution of higher learning.  As many other public colleges and universities in Ohio reach their second century of service, many will look to OSU as a model of how to deal with their own landmark buildings.  This is an opportunity for OSU to take a leadership role in promoting both the benefits of celebrating its own history and engaging in sustainable, environmentally-conscious campus planning.

Please take the time to read this Advocacy Alert by clicking here, and join us in helping the Columbus Landmarks Foundation make the case for preserving these two important buildings.

Photo: Lord Hall, The Ohio State University -- ifmuth/Creative Commons License

In a major article, the venerable New York Times took the opportunity recently to review and praise the development of Columbus’ Arena District.

Born of some major preservation-related controversy, including the unfortunate -- and many believe unnecessary -- loss of the Ohio State Penitentiary, the district nevertheless has moved forward through a combination of renovation and substantial new construction.  The area has unquestionably brought a renewal of activity to the north part of Downtown Columbus.  This, in turn, turn has buttressed the Short North’s eclectic collection of merchants, galleries and restaurants housed in period buildings extending along North High Street.

As the article points out, the future of the central sector of Downtown is much less certain.  The new mixed-use Lazarus renovation has enjoyed initial success, however the ill-fated City Center Mall still defies redevelopment.

Click here for the article.

Photo: New York Times

There are several proposed changes under consideration for grants made under Ohio’s Certified Local Governments program.

Under that program, a percentage of Ohio’s share of the federal Historic Preservation Fund is, in turn, re-granted to eligible communities.  Communities that participate in the CLG program -- of which there are presently 46 in Ohio -- are in a recognized partnership with the Ohio Historic Preservation Office and the US Department of the Interior.  To qualify for the designation, a local government must have a duly-adopted local historic preservation or design review ordinance that meets federal standards, a body to administer that ordinance, a method of surveying and nominating local properties to the National Register, and an avenue to create local awareness of preservation.  The Ohio CLG program is thoroughly discussed at this site.

Each year, the Ohio Historic Preservation accepts applications for CLG monies to be spent on qualifying projects.  In a press release issued on Tuesday from OHPO, it notes that “[p]rojects eligible for CLG grant assistance include historic preservation planning, surveying a community's historic resources, nominating historic properties and districts to the National Register of Historic Places, predevelopment and rehabilitation of properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and public education programs on preservation-related topics.”

The press releases details proposed 2009 changes which include a new grant cycle with application date, changes in criteria for selecting successful grant proposals, and a change in priorities for grant funding.  A draft of all of these changes can be found at this site.  Commentary on these changes can be transmitted to OHPO by December 12; instructions on how to do so are included.

Photo:  Great Seal of Ohio, Ohio Statehouse -- thoth/Creative Commons License