Preserving the Recent Past
 2008 Community Luncheon on 12/11

Join the Cleveland Restoration Society on December 11 for the 36th Annual Community Luncheon featuring Timothy Rub, director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Mr. Rub, with CMA since 2006, is a specialist in architectural history and modern and contemporary art. His talk will include information about CMA's ongoing renovation project and more specifically about the museum's 1970 Breuer Wing and how it fits within the context of preserving the recent past. The luncheon will take place from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Wyndham Hotel at Playhouse Square. Invitations will be mailed soon.

 

 Levin College Launches Forum Series
 participate in upcoming sessions

Over the coming year, the Cleveland State University's Levin College of Urban Affairs will explore housing strategies that are new, creative, sustainable and stimulating for Northeast Ohio. The first program in the series, "Beyond Foreclosure: Small Scale Strategies that Work," was presented on September 25. The series will explore the questions: Where are our housing markets headed next? Do we need to redefine the American Dream? Are there viable alternatives to home ownership? What's next for homeowners who have lost their homes, their credit, and in some cases, their equity? What's next for our neighborhoods and cities? The sessions are free and open to the public. We encourage you to participate in this important opportunity to shape a new future for our region and will include future events in our monthly calendar.

 

 HABS Celebrates 75 Years
 oldest federal building documentation program

The Historic American Buildings Survey was started in 1933 by the National Park Service to document America's architectural heritage and provide employment for out-of-work architects during the Great Depression. HABS participants work throughout the country documenting buildings of architectural and historical significance. The program operates under a tri-partite agreement between the Park Service, the American Institute of Architects and the Library of Congress, where the detailed measured drawings are kept on file.

 

 Federal Money for Housing
 Cleveland allocation less than anticipated

On September 26 federal authorities announced the details of House Bill 3221, the long-awaited legislation to assist communities with vacant and abandoned housing. The $3.9 billion national program means more than $258 million to Ohio, the fourth most of any state. This amount includes $11.2 million for Cuyahoga County, $16.1 million for the City of Cleveland, and $116.8 million to be spent at the state level. HUD developed the formula for dispersing the money looking at foreclosure rates, the number of subprime mortgages in a market, and data used by the Postal Service to track abandoned houses. The funds will be used for purchasing abandoned homes, and renovating or demolishing them. Locally, there has also been much talk of creating a "land bank" for other development. It is possible that the state will sub-allocate its portion, bringing more funds to Northeast Ohio. Of course, the Cleveland Restoration Society urges that the largest share of these funds go toward rehabilitating homes, rather than demolishing them. Stay tuned.

 

 Ohio, Home of Innovation & Opportunity
 ODOD releases strategic plan

During September the Ohio Department of Development held eleven outreach sessions throughout the state featuring Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher and key members of his staff. The purpose of these regional meetings was to unveil what the department calls its first-ever strategic plan. The plan has five goals: share the Ohio story; strengthen our strengths; cultivate top talent; invest in our regional assets; and focus on our customers. Each goal has articulated strategies, new initiatives, and ideas that are working, such as the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program. Copies of a twelve- page executive summary or the full plan are available online.

 

 Jewish Community Federation to Move
 Beachwood site acquired

Since 1965, the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland has been located at 1750 Euclid Avenue in a building designed for it by the controversial modernist architect, Edward Durrell Stone in association with the Cleveland firm of Weinberg and Teare. The two key factors in considering a new location for its headquarters were the crowded conditions at the headquarters (the staff had almost tripled from 50 to 130 over the past 42 years) and the movement of Cleveland's Jewish community farther east in recent years. A building in Beachwood's Science Park has been purchased and will be renovated as the new headquarters. However, the Stone building does not appear to be threatened for the time being, since the JCF plans to keep it and several staff members will have offices at both locations.

 

 Resistance to Proposed Church Closings
 parishioners argue plans would undo city neighborhoods

Faced with declining congregations, decreased financial support and fewer priests to serve the present parish structure, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, after a year-long study, has concluded that it may have to close more than 45 churches in the northeastern Ohio region and combine a number of existing parishes. Understandably, the possibility of such a radical change has caused apprehension and some bitterness among members affected by the closure plan. Parishioners at four churches have announced their opposition to the impending closings and are pursuing grass-roots efforts to persuade the Diocese to reconsider its intentions. Many of these churches are architecturally significant and have been both visually and functionally the focal points of their neighborhoods. The dialogue will continue for a while longer but a decision on the comprehensive action that the Diocese will take will be announced in March 2009.

 

 It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s …
 a landmark house in Cleveland!

The Glenville house where Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the Superman comic strip is in need of significant repairs. Four eBay auctions in September have raised over $111,000, considerably more than the original $50,000 goal of the Cleveland- based Siegel and Shuster Society. These funds will be used initially to replace the roof and rebuild the exterior of the house, with the remainder going toward interior projects. This project has encouraged the Glenville Development Corporation to lead a campaign to clean up the Kimberly Avenue block in which the Siegel house stands. Cleveland Restoration Society provided technical assistance to the current owners earlier this year through its Neighborhood Historic Preservation Program.

 

 Shaker Heights Preservation Awards
 schools and churches recognized

On September 14 the Shaker Heights Landmark Commission presented its 2008 Preservation Awards to three recipients in recognition of their efforts to preserve and improve their properties in a manner that reflects the historic nature of the city. Plymouth Church on Coventry Road, designed by Charles Schneider in 1923, was commended for its sensitive master plan and a $2 million rehabilitation that followed the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. First Baptist Church on Fairmount Boulevard, designed by Walker and Weeks and constructed in 1928, was applauded for sensitive window replacement. The church found appropriate replicas of its 400 wood windows, which had been replaced decades ago with steel casements. Window replacement was also the focus of the award to the Shaker Heights City Schools for its use of high-quality aluminum-clad units that are compatible with and respectful of the architectural detailing of the historic school buildings (Onaway School is shown above). Congratulations to the award winners!

 

 Macedonia Landmark Threatened
 subject of contentious tug of war

Longwood Manor, the Tudor-style home of Macedonia's first mayor, William Frew Long, dating to 1924 that was bequeathed to the city in 1983, is at the center of a historic preservation battle. The city's building commissioner had ordered the large brick and stone mansion to be demolished by September 12. However, City Council voted in August to delay demolition for 60 days in order to provide time for possibly saving the structure. The mayor, who favors tearing the building down, claims to be caught in the middle, with threats of fines caused by the delay. In the meantime, the Longwood Manor Historical Society is exploring the costs to repair the roof, restore structural integrity to supporting beams and seal the building so that it is weather tight. Whether or not the building is salvageable remains unclear at this point. Heritage Ohio has included Longwood Manor in its Ohio's Top Preservation Opportunities List 2008. Photo courtesy of Heritage Ohio.

 

 Resale Store Opens in Canton
 grand opening to be held 10/18

The Canton Preservation Society has announced the opening of the CPS Resale Store located at 1227 West Tuscarawas Street, just east of Downtown Motors and the train station. A grand opening including food, entertainment, raffles, auctions, and door prizes will be held on Saturday, October 18 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. We encourage you to visit this "green" retail venue, which provides a great opportunity to recycle household items, furniture, building materials, etc. rather than discarding them to landfills. The Canton Preservation Society is a non- profit group dedicated to the preservation and restoration of structures and neighborhoods and can be reached at 330-452-9341.

 

 Calendar of Events
 what to do, where to do it, and when to go

October 2
The Fiscal Wake-Up Tour
Glickman-Miller Hall, 1717 Euclid Ave.
4:00-6:00 pm, register online
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
Concord Coalition

October 2 - 4
Social Venture Partners National Conference
Cleveland
Social Venture Partners International

October 2 - 4
OAHSM Annual Meeting and Conference
Ohio Historical Center, Columbus, $$$
Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums

October 2 - 5
Ohio Mart
Stan Hywet, Akron
Thursday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., $
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

October 7
Medical Mart Brown Bag Lunch
Glickman-Miller Hall, 1717 Euclid Ave.
Bonda Board Room, UR 254, 12:00 pm, register online
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs

October 10
Arts and Cultural Roundtable
Cleveland Music School Settlement
11125 Magnolia Drive, Cleveland, 8:30 - 10:00 am
RSVP to Valerie Schumacher by 10/6
Community Partnership for Arts and Culture

October 10 - 11
Historic Haunts Walking Tour of Detroit Shoreway
Departs Gordon Square Arcade, 6500 Detroit Ave., Cleveland
6:30 - 9:00 pm, $
Detroit Shoreway Community Development, 216-961- 4242
Near West Theatre

October 16
"A Return to Overlook Road" Virtual Tour
Cleveland Heights Historical Center, 7:00 pm
Superior Schoolhouse, reservations required
Cleveland Heights Historical Society, 216-291-4878

October 17 - 18
Stan Hywet Symposium - "On Display: Historic Homes and Great Estates"
Stan Hywet, Akron
Early registration before 9/16, $$$
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

October 17 - 19
Great Lakes Bioneers - Cleveland
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
Register online by 10/13, $$
Bioneers

October 18
CPS Resale Store Grand Opening
1227 W. Tuscarawas St., Canton, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Canton Preservation Society

October 18
"Meet the Neighbors"
Monroe Street Cemetery, Cleveland
4:00 - 6:00 pm, $
RSVP to Linda Litto, 216-961-0563
Friends of Monroe Street Cemetery

October 21 - 25
National Preservation Conference
Tulsa, Oklahoma, $$$
National Trust for Historic Preservation

October 21
Ohio Historic Preservation Office Workshops
Columbus, registration required, $$
Ohio Historic Preservation Office

November 6
How to "Green" Your Older Home Workshop
Oberlin Public Library, 65 S. Main, 7:00 pm
Cleveland Restoration Society
Oberlin Heritage Center
City of Oberlin Historic Preservation Commission
Lorain County Preservation Network


November 6 - 7
Ohio Preservation Conference
Ohio Historical Center, Columbus
Early registration before 10/20, $$$
Preservation Ohio

 

 Save the Date!
 

December 11
36th Annual Community Luncheon
Wyndham Hotel at Playhouse Square, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Cleveland Restoration Society, 216-426-1000