Perspectives Header
Kerri Broome, editor
September 2011

CRS logo
In This Issue
Community Luncheon to Feature FitzGerald
Wade Park District Approved
Federal Report on Preservation Released
What's Next for Closing Post Offices?
Send us Your Memories of the Library
OAC Governor's Awards Nominations Due
TEDxCLE Talks are Online
Lakewood Conducts Preservation Public Meeting
Upson House Buzz
Staff News
University Circle Green Building Tour
Office Space For Rent
Rent the Sarah Benedict House
More About CRS

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Ed FitzGerald Save the Date for the Community Luncheon 

Make plans now to attend the 38th Annual Community Luncheon on Tuesday, November 22. The speaker will be Cuyahoga County Executive Edward FitzGerald. Mr. FitzGerald, previously Mayor of Lakewood, is now is at the helm of the newly chartered county government. Mr. FitzGerald has a respect for history and values its purpose as fundamental to creating a better future for our region.  Join us as he expresses his views on how our community can protect and reinvest in its world-class monuments as a primary strategy to distinguish Cleveland and Cuyahoga County on the world stage.

 

Ted SandeAlso during the luncheon, Ted Sande, AIA Emeritus, historic preservation consultant and retired architect, will receive the Robert C. Gaede, FAIA Lifetime Achievement Award in Historic Preservation.

 

Tables host opportunities and program advertising spots are available now. Individual tickets will be available for purchase soon. Contact CRS for more information. 

 

 

 

 

1573 E. 108th Street

Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District Designation Passes City Council

Since October 25, 1990, the Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Inclusion in this nation-wide registry is an honor that is only bestowed on excellent examples of structures and areas that are deemed especially important to the history of the Country and its peoples.  However, being in the National Register does not provide much of any protection to those valuable resources.  On August 17, 2011 a strong majority of City Council members approved the Cleveland Landmarks designation of the Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District.  This long-overdue action, spearheaded by Ward 8 Councilman Jeffrey Johnson, will finally provide a measure of defense against the sudden demolition of contributing, historic structures to make way for incompatible new construction in the historically significant neighborhood.  The legislation is currently waiting for a final signature by the Mayor; however, there is no indication that the motion will not pass this final approval.

 

Correction

The two homes endangered in the Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District are 10723 Magnolia Drive and 1574 East 108th Street. The Magnolia Drive home pictured in the August issue of Perspectives (and shown here) was misidentified. We regret the error.

 

 

 

Aligned for Success thumbnail Federal Report on Historic Preservation Released

After a year of work, the Federal Historic Preservation Program Task Force, convened by Preservation Action and the Preservation Action Foundation, has released its report of "Recommendations to Increase the Effectiveness of the Federal Historic Preservation Program." The report is online and worth a look. 

 

 

Doty & Miller office

What's Next for Closing Post Offices?

In July, the US Postal Service released a list of 3,700 post office branches across the country under study for closure, including 120 in Ohio. This action is expected to streamline USPS operations and allow the agency to try and curtail some of its budget deficits. For preservationists, the list brings up questions about the next step for many of these buildings, some of which will be architectural and historically important structures.  

 

The Ohio Historic Preservation Office has determined that Cleveland's University Center Post Office (1950 East 101st St.), on the closure list, is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and will require that a preservation covenant be in place to protect the building's historical significance as a condition of transferal out of federal ownership. The upper portion of the customer lobby has oil on canvas murals painted by Hungarian-American artist John Csosz as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) arts program.  

 

For more information about this issue, read an article recently published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation Forum, called "Right-Sizing the Mail: Advocating to Retain or Reuse Historic Post Offices", which looks at the options for these post offices while also providing resources to those who are going to be affected by the closures. (Pictured here, the 1934 former USPS in Bedford, now the office of Doty & Miller Architects.)

 

 

ISO Photos and Memories of the "Library" Bar 

Did you go to the "Library" (wink, wink)? If so, the Cleveland Restoration Society needs your help.  We are looking for old photos and recollections of our  headquarters, the Sarah Benedict House, 3751 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, in its previous life as the Library, a drinking establishment especially popular with Cleveland State University students. The property was donated to CRS by Maxine Goodman Levin in the 1990s, and following an extensive rehabilitation, now looks like the picture shown here.  It serves not only as home to CRS, but also to Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition, LiveCLEVELAND!, and Your Bean Counters.  We would love know more. If you have pictures of the house from its days as the Library, we would love to see them. Please contact us! 

 

 

 

 

Nominations for OAC Governor's Awards 

Share your appreciation for the outstanding people in our community and submit a nomination for the Ohio Arts Council's Governor's Awards. The OAC holds the Governor's Awards for the Arts to recognize individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to the arts statewide, regionally and nationally. You can submit a nomination for Arts Administration, Arts Education, Arts Patron, Business Support of the Arts, Community Development & Participation or Individual Artist. The deadline for nominations is Friday, October 14 at 5:00 p.m.

 

 

 

TEDxCLE Talks Online

Presentations given in April at the second TEDxCLE event can now be viewed online. The TED slogan is "ideas worth spreading". Speakers included Clevelanders Hannah Belsito, Ari Maron, Thomas Starinsky, and David Franklin. Also giving presentations were Rhonda Sincavage, associate director for intergovernmental affairs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Jeff Siegler, director of revitalization at Heritage Ohio, among others. TEDxCLE was organized by Clevelanders Hallie Bram and Eric Kogelschatz in an effort to bring Cleveland innovation, development, and positive change to the world. Check it out!

 

 

 

Madison Avenue commerical

City of Lakewood Conducts Historic Preservation Meeting

Lakewood Residents came together in mid-August to share their thoughts about historic preservation and its effect on their community.  Approximately 100 residents attended the public meeting, convened by the city's Planning and Development Department, to discuss their different perspectives on what makes buildings historic or significant. Dru Siley, director of planning and development and the division of housing and building, said that city is gathering information in order to better determine what Lakewood residents see as priorities in regard to the city's historic resources (like the Madison Avenue commercial strip, pictured above).

 

 

Upson House

Upson House Buzz

Have you seen all of the press lately about the historic Upson House in Shaker Heights? CRS was so pleased to take control of this house, which had been vacant, make needed repairs, and then get it into the hands of new owners Derek and Jennifer Clayton.  Originally constructed ca. 1836 by Asa and Chloe Upson, the house was a typical Upright-and-Wing Greek Revival structure. The house today is mostly informed by its 1940 Colonial Revival-inspired renovation. Read more about what others are saying about the Upson house project here: the Plain Dealer article and the Cuyahoga Land Bank Newsletter.

 

 

Tom Jorgensen Staff News
CRS is pleased to announce that Thomas A. Jorgensen will be joining the organization as Chief Operating Officer on November 1, 2011. Tom, one of CRS's honorary life trustees, has been at the center of CRS's growth for over 25 years, during which time CRS has progressed from being a volunteer-run organization to its current form with nine professional staff, a headquarters building, endowment and successful programs in the community. His record of trusteeship in terms of dedication, commitment and strategic focus is unsurpassed.

Tom has had a 44-year legal career at the Cleveland firm Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, where he led the practice in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation. His record of leadership in the field is extensive - he has served in numerous roles for the International Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, the International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association, the US Chamber of Commerce and the Internal Revenue Advisors Group. He has testified to Congress, lectured throughout the world, and has been selected as a leading American lawyer for decades by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, and Ohio's Super Lawyers. In his new role as Chief Operating Officer, Tom will focus his prodigious experience and talent toward our broad mission of historic preservation in Cleveland and its surrounding communities.

 

Montessori High School

University Circle Green Building Walking Tour

University Circle is comprised of nearly 45 member institutions, many of which are "greening up" their design, construction and operations. Join the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the US Green Building Council on Saturday, September 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., as part of Cleveland Museum of Natural History's three day Conservation Symposium, for a stroll around University Circle, stopping at five locations to learn and see their individual sustainability initiatives. The five scheduled locations currently are Wade Oval Visitors Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Hawken School at Gries Center/Montessori High School (shown here), Case Western Reserve University, and Abbington Arms/MOCA. The tour starts at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and costs $15 per person. It will encompass a path of approximately two miles and will take place rain or shine. Registration is required, through the NEO Chapter website.

 

 

small tile

Office Space Available in MidTown

The historic Sarah Benedict House has a suite available for rent. Share the third floor with prestigious Cleveland nonprofits looking for a roommate. The house is well-located in an established neighborhood with easy access to highways and downtown and ample, free parking. In addition to the fully improved office space, there are meeting rooms on the first floor of the house available for use for free. The garden, open seasonally, can also be reserved for events, and is a wonderful spot for a restful lunch break.  A kitchen is provided for individual use or catering. To arrange a tour and find out more contact Felicia Hall.       

 

 

 

wedding at the Sarah Benedict House

Benedict House Available for Events and Meetings

Are you looking for a unique venue for your next special event or business meeting?  Consider the historic Sarah Benedict House, one of Cleveland's hidden gems,  located in the heart of the MidTown neighborhood at 3751 Prospect Avenue! The house was built in 1883 for Sarah Rathbone Benedict, the widow of Cleveland Herald publisher George Benedict. The Sarah Benedict House offers 4 accessible rooms on its first floor, separate restrooms for men and women, and a kitchen for catering. A beautiful garden is just steps away, with both open grass and paved levels separated by a sculptural fountain. The house has ample, free parking and easy access to freeways. This fully restored gem is waiting for you. Contact CRS today!

 

Events
 

Upcoming Events

 

September 7

"Main  Street 101" 

Frontier Power, 770 S. 2nd St., Coshocton

9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., registration required, $ 

Heritage Ohio  

 

September 7

Webinar: "The Community Development Block Grant Program"

1:00 - 2:00 p.m., registration required

Heritage Ohio 

 

September 8

Ohio Historic Marker Dedication Ceremony

Lakewood Park

5:30 p.m. 

Lakewood Historical Society 

 

September 10

University Circle Green Building Walking Tour

Tour starts at Cleveland Museum of Natural History

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., registration required, $15 per person

Northeast Ohio Chapter of the US Green Building Council   

 

September 10

Trolley Tour of Architectural Heritage Award Winners

Meet at the Akrona Gallery, 1765 West Market St., Akron

9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., call 330-374-3787 before 9/7 for reservations, $  

Preservation Trust of Greater Akron

Summit County Historical Society 

 

September 13

Historic Theaters Workshop: Knowing Your Audience and Partnerships 

The Strand Theatre, Delaware

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., registration required, $  

Heritage Ohio

 

September 14

Small Business Marketing Training 

Lakewood Public Library, 15425 Detroit Ave., Lakewood

9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., registration required, $
Heritage Ohio  

 

September 18

"Meet the Neighbors: Monroe Goes to War Edition" 

Monroe Street Cemetery

Tours start at 2:00 p.m., 3207 Monroe Ave., Cleveland, $ 

Monroe Street Cemetery Foundation   

 

September 18

Treasures Under the Tent Sale & Raffle

Tent located at Judith Resnik CLC, West Market St., Akron

1:00 - 5:00 p.m., sneak preview at 12:00 p.m. for $5 

Preservation Trust of Greater Akron 

 

September 22

"Buckminster Fuller: A Dymaxion Dialogue"

Lecture by Fuller's architectural partner, Thomas T.K. Zung

Great Lakes Science Center 

Reception 5: 30 p.m., lecture 6:30 p.m. 

AIA Cleveland  

 

September 24

Sustainable Bike Crawl

Begins at Ohio City Bike Co-op, 1840 Columbus Rd., Cleveland

12:00 - 4:00 p.m., registration required, $

Northeast Ohio Chapter of the US Green Building Council  

 

October 2

"Killer Cleveland: A Guided Tour of the Murdered Resting in Woodland Cemetery"

Woodland Cemetery, 6901 Woodland Ave., Cleveland

1:00 and 3:00 p.m., call 216-319-2091 for more information, $ 

Woodland Cemetery Foundation 

  

 

Save the Date

   

October 19-22 

National Preservation Conference

Buffalo, NY, registration open, $$$

National Trust for Historic Preservation  

 

October 24

Tax Credit Workshop

Youngstown

Heritage Ohio 

 

November 22

Community Luncheon

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

(216) 426-1000 

Cleveland Restoration Society 

 

 

 

 

Cleveland Restoration Society
3751 Prospect Avenue

Cleveland, OH  44115

(216) 426-1000

www.clevelandrestoration.org