'Tis the Season
 to support historic preservation in NEO

The end of the year is upon us and now is the time - for those who have not given to the Cleveland Restoration Society thus far this year and for those who have, but can't resist the impulse to do more - to make a fully tax-deductible contribution to this year's Annual Fund. We all know that the need is great for non-profit organizations throughout our region, and CRS is certainly not an exception. Your gift will help us continue our important work in stabilizing neighborhoods and greening our communities through historic preservation.

Checks should be made payable to:
Cleveland Restoration Society and sent to:
Cleveland Restoration Society
3751 Prospect Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115-2705

If you prefer, you can also call Hope McGuan at 216-426-1000 with your credit card information to make a donation. Next year promises to be an even more challenging year than 2009 has been. Every $10 or $25 or a donation in any amount is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

 

 CRS Holiday Office Hours
 from our house to yours

The offices of the Cleveland Restoration Society will be closed from Thursday, December 24 through Friday, January 1, 2010. Our staff will return on Monday, January 4. Best wishes to you and your family from all of us here at CRS for this holiday season and into the new year!

 

 CRS Website Update Planned
 your input is welcomed

We are currently working on the redesign of our website to bring it up-to-date, make it visually more appealing and, most important, to better serve your needs. One new feature will be a sacred landmarks interactive website partially funded by a CLG grant that addresses the current closure crisis effecting communities across the country, but especially those within our Catholic community. We want to know what you would want our website to be; your comments, suggestions and creative ideas are welcome and, really, essential to assuring that CRS's website will meet our members' needs and best present the historic preservation message in Northeast Ohio. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

 Storm Windows and Doors Tax Credit Eligibility
 clarify before proceeding

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides a $1,500 stimulus tax credit for eligible storm window and door installations that qualify as "energy efficient". However, not all storm windows and doors qualify. To meet the test they must have been purchased from June 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010; have a U-value of 0.30 or lower; and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.30 or lower. The problem comes with measuring the latter two values, which can only be done after storm windows and doors have been installed and will vary greatly from building to building, since performance is measured in combination with the existing window or door on a case by case basis. A "Manufacturer's Certification Statement", signed by the manufacturer certifying that the product or component qualifies for the tax credit, must be obtained and kept with the taxpayer's records. The MCS does not have to be submitted with a taxpayer's tax return. Not all manufacturers will provide these certificates, however. The homeowner should clarify this issue before proceeding. Contact CRS for more information.

 

 2010-2014 State Preservation Plan
 "A Future for Ohio's Past"

In early November the Ohio Historical Society issued a comprehensive five-year plan prepared by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office in partnership with a wide range of organizations and agencies statewide. The plan presents six goals that were developed from the input received:

1. Pay for Preservation by increasing funding to identify, evaluate, preserve and protect Ohio's historic resources;
2. Educate the Public by increasing awareness and education to enable Ohioans to discover, understand and preserve historic places;
3. Identify Historic Resources and evaluate them and make information about them more accessible for preservation planning, advocacy and education purposes;
4. Get Involved by developing local commitment and encouraging public and private involvement in local historic places;
5. Lead, by improving historic preservation leadership in Ohio; and
6. Promote Historic Preservation by creating a positive image for historic preservation and improving marketing efforts.

 

 Cleveland Public Auditorium
 once again at risk

At a special Cleveland City Council meeting held on Tuesday afternoon, November 17, representatives of MMPI, the developers selected by the Cuyahoga County Commissioners to create a modern, state-of- the-art medical mart on the Mall, presented their case for reversing course and abandoning the Public Auditorium as part of the proposed complex. Instead, MMPI now wants to construct a large, new, apparently glass-wrapped structure that would be sited where the 1903 Group Plan intended the city's central railroad station would be placed, between the County Court House and City Hall. According to MMPI, since their announcement last spring that the auditorium building would be integral in their project, subsequent investigations of the mechanical, electrical and structural components are far more deteriorated than preliminary surveys indicated. City Council members and other interested parties present at the meeting, including representatives from CRS, were not persuaded by the evidence presented and asked for more definitive data. Mayor Frank Jackson's chief of staff, Ken Silliman, said that he wanted more information before drawing conclusions about the building's safety. Council members Tony Brancatelli, Joe Cimperman, Matt Zone and Dona Brady voiced similar concerns. In late November, Mayor Jackson stated that he will hire an independent consultant to evaluate the structure.

 

 Inner Belt Bridge Will Remove Three Landmarks
 September authorization to proceed

The Federal Highway Administration and the Ohio Department of Transportation ruled that the proposed new westbound bridge that is part of the Inner Belt project can go forward. Property appraisals are now underway on the properties to be removed, which include three structures considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places: the Cleveland Cold Storage Building on West 14th Street, used to store ice in the holds of ships, built in 1927; the Marathon gas station on Central Viaduct, built in 1928; and the Broadway Mills building (pictured here), considered one of the best surviving examples of Cleveland's factory architecture, built in 1894. ODOT has agreed to commemorate the three and to provide historical documentation on them to "libraries". It is not clear if this means the Ohio Historical Society or local libraries.

 

 Famicos Foundation Turns 40
 incorporated in 1969

Cleveland-based Famicos Foundation celebrated its 40th anniversary in November. During the past four decades, Famicos has grown from a volunteer group with a strong desire to help families to a fifty-person professional organization that reaches into four Cleveland Wards: 7, 8, 9 and 10. The organization, led by executive director John Anoliefo, is focused on housing, safety, social services, youth programming and community organization. Recent projects of note include the award-winning renovation of Emeritus House in the Central neighborhood, in partnership with the Phillis Wheatley Association and another award winner, the Wade Chateau on Wade Park Boulevard. CRS congratulates the Famicos Foundation on the numerous successful ventures it has undertaken that have strengthened local neighborhoods and preserved portions of Cleveland's heritage that would otherwise have been lost.

 

 Proposed Cleveland Heights Historic District
 under consideration for National Register listing

The Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board will consider the Grant W. Deming Forest Hill Allotment for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places at its December 4 meeting. The proposed district's boundaries, roughly, are between Coventry Road on the west, Euclid Heights Boulevard on the north, Lee Road on the east and Cedar Road on the south. The area retains many of its character-defining features, including the garden-city street pattern and an eclectic collection of historical style revival houses. If recommended for nomination and subsequently approved by the Keeper of the National Register, it is anticipated that the district would be listed in the NR in late winter or early spring 2010.

 

 Oberlin's Peoples' Bank Building Saved
 bank to open branch office at this site

The LorMet Community Federal Credit Union has bought this structure on Oberlin's South Main Street, originally a bank and later occupied by AAA, and plans to restore its 1958 exterior and rehabilitate the interior with a complementary 1950s look. Bank president Daniel Cwalina and architect Mark Lessner were able to locate a clear 1958 photo of the exterior in the historic photograph collection of the Oberlin Heritage Center, and are using this for the exterior restoration. The completed project is sure to be another gem in the collection of architectural treasures that is downtown Oberlin.

 

 Southworth House Correction
 

In the November issue of Perspectives the information on the origin of the building given was incorrect. Based on research done by Craig Bobby, the house was built in 1869 by Orlando and Sara Cutter. It was acquired by the Southworths in 1880.

 

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

December 1
"The American Home Interior: Treatment and Transformation"
Oberlin Public Library, 7:00 pm
Oberlin Heritage Center
City of Oberlin Historic Preservation Commission
Lorain County Preservation Network
Cleveland Restoration Society

December 2
"Transforming a City"
Luke Ravenstahl, Mayor of Pittsburgh
Reservations required, 12:00 pm, $$
City Club of Cleveland

December 4
22nd Scrooge's Night Out
Galleria at Erieview, 7:00 pm - 12:00 am, $$
Ohio Canal Corridor, 216-520-1825

December 5
Light Up Lakewood
Various activities between 6:00 - 8:00 pm
On Detroit Avenue between Arthur and Marlowe
Downtown Lakewood
LakewoodAlive

December 6
8th Annual Sugar Plum Tour
Fairlawn and West Akron house tour
2:00 - 5:30 pm, reservations required, $$-$$$
Akron Community Foundation, 330-761-6426

December 8
"Oberlin's Sable Arm: Black Ohioans and the Civil War"
Kendal at Oberlin, Heiser Auditorium, 7:15 pm
Oberlin Heritage Center

December 9
Annual Holiday Tour and Dining
5:30 - 11:00 pm, $$
Historic Warehouse District, 216-344-3937