Perspectives Header
  Kerri Broome, editor
May 2012  

CRS logo
In This Issue
2012 Celebration of Preservation
2012 National Preservation Month
Heritage Program Expands in Cleveland
New Lower Heritage Program Rates
State Preservation Conference Next Week
Abandoned Buildings Documented
Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Update
Former Ohio Savings Bank in Larchmere Neighborhood Purchased
New National Register Listings
Lorain County History Center to Open
Lakewood's 3rd Annual Scavenger Hunt
Vermilion Open House
Take a Hike in Cleveland This Summer
History Walks in Oberlin
Is the Sarah Benedict House Right for Your Next Event?
Office Space For Rent
More About CRS

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 Allen Theatre 

Have You Reserved Your Seat for the Celebration of Preservation?   

Wednesday, May 16 will be here soon! Join us at the 2012 Celebration of Preservation. This year the event will be held at the newly renovated (and 2012 award winning) Allen Theatre! Reservations can be made online.  If you have been thinking about advertising in our event program, you are running out of time! Ads are due by Friday, May 4. Contact us for details. Photo by Kevin G. Reeves.

 

 

 

Leader Building detail

This May "Discover America's  

Hidden Gems"

Preservation Month 2012 is here and this year the theme is "Discover America's Hidden Gems." Since 2005 the Cleveland Restoration Society and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have celebrated May as National Preservation Month, encouraging communities large and small to celebrate their rich, diverse heritage and draw more people into the growing preservation movement. What are you doing to celebrate preservation month?  There are plenty of opportunities around Northeast Ohio in the next few weeks - many are listed in our events calendar! Are you celebrating Preservation Month? Share your plans on CRS's Facebook page now!  

 

 

  

 

Councilman Conwell 

Heritage Program Now Available in

Councilman Jay Westbrook
Councilman Westbrook 

Cleveland Wards 9, 16 and 17!

CRS welcomes Ward 9, supported by Councilman Kevin Conwell, Ward 16 supported by Councilman Jay Westbrook and Ward 17, supported by Councilwoman Dona Brady to the Heritage Home Program(SM). Owners of homes more than fifty years old in these wards are eligible for free assistance from CRS's technical staff, and may be qualified for a home rehabilitation loan at a 1.4%

Councilwoman Dona Brady
Councilwoman Brady

rate! Email CRS at 

 hhp@heritagehomeprogram.org or call 216-426-3116 to learn more.

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

Heritage Home Program logo

Heritage Home Program(SM) Announces 2% Fixed Interest Rate!

CRS is pleased to announce that on April 9 program partners KeyBank and Cuyahoga County approved lowering the interested rate on new Heritage Home loans to 2% from 3.5%! "Cuyahoga County is a great place to live because our communities offer many different kinds of homes. We know that owning a home is a major investment, and keeping up a home takes both time and money," said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald. "Cuyahoga County is proud to offer this Heritage Home Loan Program for owners of homes more than 50 years old in participating communities. KeyBank and the Cleveland Restoration Society (CRS) are valuable partners with a history of serving Cuyahoga County's housing needs. CRS's highly qualified staff can help homeowners choose the work to be done, and hire qualified contractors, to preserve the historic character of their homes, keep them in good repair, and improve them to serve today's needs."  

 

In addition, now all houses in our partner communities built in 1962 or earlier and houses with vinyl or aluminum siding may be eligible for the Program. Loan administration fees have also been reduced. The Heritage Home Program(SM) is currently available in Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Lakewood, Lyndhurst, Shaker Heights, Akron, Canton, Green, and participating wards of Cleveland. We are always working to bring the program to new communities!  To learn more about the program email the staff at hhp@heritagehomeprogram.org or call 216-426-3116. 

 

 

 

 

Toledo

State Preservation Conference Next Week! 

Heritage Ohio's 2012 Annual Preservation and Revitalization Conference will be held May 8 - 10 at the Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Toledo. You can still register for the conference here. CRS will be presenting the Heritage Home Program(SM) as one of the educational sessions.  Click here to see a complete list of sessions.

 

 

 

 

Abandoned America

Abandoned Buildings Documented 

Photographer Matthew Christopher has been documenting old, abandoned, and endangered buildings for the past eight years on his website, Abandoned America, in an effort to create a living memory of places that might not survive otherwise. But he doesn't take only conventional photos. Christopher also creates stunning 360-degree panoramas, effectively placing the viewer inside the buildings themselves. Two Cleveland abandoned sites are included on Christopher's website.

 

 

 

 

Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Update

The Ohio Department of Development is reviewing 27 applications for sixty historic buildings in Round 8 of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. Together, the applications are requesting a total of $48.4 million in tax credits and constitute planned investments of more than $300 million in the state. Applications came from 12 Ohio communities, including five communities new to the program. A total of $29.6 million in tax credit allocation is currently available for Round 8 applicants. The Ohio Department of Development, in cooperation with the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, will complete application review by June 15, 2012. Approved applications will be announced no later than June 30, 2012.

 

 

 

 

former Ohio Savings BankFormer Ohio Savings Bank in Larchmere Neighborhood has New Owner

Horizon Health Services purchased the Ohio Savings Bank, 2618 North Moreland Blvd., this past March. This is exciting news for the neighborhood. The building sat vacant on the corner of Larchmere and North Moreland Blvd., the gateway to Shaker Square and Larchmere Business District, for more than one year after former owner, New York Community Bank, closed the branch without notice. Local organizations, including Organize! Ohio, Neighborhood Progress Inc., and the Cleveland Restoration Society, joined area residents and businesses to question NYCB's actions. Their efforts resulted in NYCB funding a majority of the cost to complete a market feasibility study of Larchmere Boulevard, which is in progress and directed by Robert A. "Roby" Simons, urban planning professor at Cleveland State University. You can read more about the community-based revitalization efforts here.

 

 

 

 

Adams Bag Company Paper Mill

New Recommendations to the National Register of Historic Places

Members of the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board have voted to recommend nominations for seven properties in Ohio be forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places for her consideration. The nominations include one resource in Northeast Ohio: Adams Bag Company Paper Mill and Sack Factory Historic District, 218 Cleveland St, Chagrin Falls. For details of all the nominations, click here. Photo courtesy Chagrin Falls Historical Society. 

 

 

 

 

Starr Housse

Lorain County History Center  

to Open

The Lorain County Historical Society will hold the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Lorain County History Center at 284 Washington Avenue in Elyria on Friday, May 11, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. The historical society's mission is to serve all persons and organizations interested in Lorain County's past, present and future by collecting, preserving, interpreting and presenting the history of Lorain County. The Lorain County History Center is located in the Italianate style Starr House, and it will greatly enhance the society's ability to accomplish this mission and to provide learning opportunities for Lorain County citizens. The Lorain County History Center will join The Hickories Museum, an 1895 mansion combining Richardsonian Romanesque and Shingle-style architecture, as properties of the Lorain County Historical Society.

 

 

 

 

Lakewood Scavenger Hunt detail

Lakewood Historical Society's  

3rd Annual Scavenger Hunt

The Lakewood Historical Society is celebrating Lakewood's architectural treasures and Preservation Month with its 3rd annual Scavenger Hunt. Find the 20 architectural treasures in this free scavenger hunt and win great prizes from Lakewood businesses. The hunt starts May 12 and ends May 22. Visit www.lakewoodhistory.org to download the entry form on May 12. Answers will be posted on the website on May 23. Entries with all correct answers will be entered into a drawing to be held at a free program titled "Historically Significant?" on May 30, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Lakewood Public Library Auditorium, 15425 Detroit Avenue (winners need not be present at drawing). Photo by Rhonda Loje.

 

 

 

 

Vermilion

Open House Event Offered in  

Downtown Vermilion

On Thursday, May 17, Main Street Vermilion's Economic Revitalization Committee, the City of Vermilion, and the North Coast Builders' Association are holding the third annual Vermilion Open, which will showcase eighteen properties available for development in the historic downtown. An open house of the properties will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 followed by a reception at the Vermilion Boat Club. From 6:30 until dusk the town will hold its usual "Third Thursday" event, with musicians, food, and other entertainment. Start your tour at the Main Street Vermilion office, 685 Main Street. A brochure will be provided that will include pictures and addresses of renovated buildings and those in the process of being renovated, as well as of buildings and vacant land that are available for development. A bus will also be available for those preferring not to walk or in case of inclement weather. A map will be provided for those who prefer a self-guided tour. Contact Main Street Vermilion for more information.

 

 

 

 

Take a Hike logo

Take a Hike Tours in Cleveland Begin May 22

Enjoy a free guided walking tour of Downtown Cleveland during this year's Take a Hike season! Presented by Dollar Bank, this Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation program offers four tours every week from May 22 through September 16 of the Historic Warehouse District, Gateway District, PlayhouseSquare and Canal Basin Park in the Flats. Featuring actors and actresses portraying important Clevelanders from the past, these tours are entertaining, educational and, don't forget, free! Take a Hike receives public support with local taxes from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, to preserve and enrich our region's artistic and cultural heritage. Visit www.clevelandgatewaydistrict.com or call 216-771-1994 for details.

 

  

 

Monroe House

Oberlin Heritage Center Offers History Walks This Summer

The Oberlin Heritage Center will offer a series of guided history walks on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. from June through September. Each is led by a trained docent who shares stories of those who lived, worked and went to school in Oberlin in days gone by. Walks offered are the Soldiers and Civilians History Walk in June; the Freedom's Friends History Walk in July and August; and the Radicals and Reformers History Walk in September. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Heritage Center's website or at the Monroe House's Museum Store. The fee is $6 per adult. History walks are free to OHC members and any college student, although reservations still must be made in advance. As always, guided history walks and tours are free for children under 18 years, and are most likely to be enjoyed by children 9 years of age and up. Each walk is approximately 60-75 minutes. History walks also are available to groups of ten or more at other times by appointment.

 

  

 

Rent the Sarah Benedict House  

for Your Event 

Are you looking for a unique venue for your next special event or business meeting?  Consider the historic Sarah Benedict House, located in the heart of the MidTown neighborhood at 3751 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland.  Built in 1883, the house is fully restored and rehabilitated and offers four accessible rooms on its first floor, two restrooms, a catering kitchen, and a beautiful garden. There is ample, free parking. Contact Felicia Hall for more information.       

 

 

 

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.       

 

 

 

Events

Upcoming Events

   

May 3

Cleveland Medical Mart + Convention Center Hardhat Tour

Cleveland Convention Center/Medical Mart, 200 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland

5:30 - 7:00 p.m., pre-registration required, $

AIA Cleveland

 

May 4-6

Sale on the Grounds

Nicholson House, 13335 Detroit Ave., Lakewood

Preview Party Friday, 7:00 -9:00 p.m., $

Sale Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Sunday Noon - 3:00 p.m.

Lakewood Historical Society

 

May 5

Lakewood Old House Fair

Harding Middle School, 16601 Hilliard Rd., Lakewood

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., FREE

 

May 5-6

Young Architects: Designing The Future

Exhibit Opening Weekend

10730 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., $

(Exhibit on display through September 30)

The Children's Museum of Cleveland

 

May 6

Soldiers & Civilians History Walk Training

Monroe House, 73½ South Professor Street, Oberlin

1:00 - 4:00 p.m., register at www.oberlinheritage.org or (440) 774-1700

Oberlin Heritage Center

 

May 8-10

Annual Preservation and Revitalization Conference

Grand Plaza Hotel, Toledo Registration required, $$ 

Heritage Ohio

 

May 11

Dedication of the Lorain County History Center

284 Washington Ave., Elyria

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Lorain County Historical Society

 

May 12

Biking Tour of Historic Districts Listed in the National Register of Historic Places - Cleveland Heights

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2747 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights

10:00 a.m. - Noon, Register by calling 216-291-4878, FREE

For more information, call Kara Hamley O'Donnell at 216-291-4885

Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission

Cleveland Heights Historical Society

Heights Library

FutureHeights

Heights bicycle Coalition

Home Repair Resource Center

 

May 12

Open House at the B&O Roundhouse

2800 W. Third St., Cleveland

Noon - 4:00 p.m., 216-781-3629, $

Midwest Railway Preservation Society

 

May 12

Annual Gazebo Garden Walk

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Main Street Wellington

 

May 14

"The Art of Reading: Cleveland's WPA-Era Ceramics"

Cleveland Heights Main Library, 2345 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights

7:00 p.m., register at www.heightslibrary.org or call 216-932-3600, FREE

Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission

Cleveland Heights Historical Society

Heights Library

FutureHeights

Heights bicycle Coalition

Home Repair Resource Center

 

May 16

Celebration of Preservation

5:30 p.m., Allen Theatre, $, RSVP online 

Cleveland Restoration Society 

AIA Cleveland

 

May 17

Neighborhood Solutions Summit

Tudor Arms Hotel, 10660 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., registration required, FREE

City of Cleveland

Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition

Enterprise Community Partners

Neighborhood Progress Inc.

 

May 17

Third Annual Vermilion Open

2:00 - 6:30 p.m., pick up materials from 685 Main St., Vermilion

Main Street Vermilion 

 

May 17

Annual Meeting

Hartung House, 131 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton

4:30 p.m., info@cantonpreservation.com  or call 330-452-9341

Canton Preservation Society

 

May 19

"Walk for Hope"

Walk from the African-American Cultural Garden on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to the Cozad Bates House, 11508 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland

Registration begins at 8:00 a.m., walk begins at 9:00 a.m.

Restore Cleveland Hope, Inc.

 

May 19

"Your Home, Your Project" Workshop for Homeowners

Main Library, Meeting Room 2AB, 60 S. High St., Akron

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., register in advance via email or by calling 330-643-9075, FREE

Akron-Summit County Public Library

Preservation Alliance of Greater Akron

Cleveland Restoration Society

 

May 19

An "App-Enhanced" Walking Tour of the Coventry Neighborhood

Starting at Coventry Peach Arch by Coventry Library

10:00 a.m. - Noon, Register by email or calling 216-320-1423, FREE

Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission

Cleveland Heights Historical Society

Heights Library

FutureHeights

Heights bicycle Coalition

Home Repair Resource Center

 

May 19-20

Hessler Street Fair

11:00 - Dusk

Hessler Neighborhood Association

 

May 19-20

Weekend in Ohio City

Saturday evening party and Sunday home tour, tickets online, $$$

Ohio City Inc.

 

May 22

"Creating the Oberlin History Comic Book"

Kendal at Oberlin's Heiser Auditorium

7:15 p.m., FREE

Oberlin Heritage Center

 

May 24

Cleveland Heights House History Workshop

Cleveland Heights Main Library

7:00 p.m., register at www.heightslibrary.org or call 216-932-3600, FREE

Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission

Cleveland Heights Historical Society

Heights Library

FutureHeights

Heights bicycle Coalition

Home Repair Resource Center

 

May 25 - 27

Commencement/Memorial Day Weekend History Walks

Hours Vary, reservations required, 440-774-1700

Oberlin Heritage Center

 

May 30

"Historically Significant?"

Main Lakewood Public Library Auditorium, 15425 Detroit Avenue

7:00 p.m., FREE

Lakewood Historical Society

 

June 2

West Side Market Centennial Celebration Kick Off

Market Square Park

6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

West Side Market

 

 

 

Save the Date  

     

June 7

"Maintenance and Energy Efficiency for Your Older Home"

Featuring CRS's Professional Staff

Cleveland Heights Main Library

7:00 p.m., register at www.heightslibrary.org or call 216-932-3600, FREE

Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission

Cleveland Heights Historical Society

Heights Library

FutureHeights

Heights bicycle Coalition

Home Repair Resource Center

 

June 8

Floating Happy Hour Cruise and After-Party

Cruise leaves from the East 9th Street Pier, after-party at Fortress Nightclub

5:30 p.m. - 2:30 a.m., tickets available at www.aiacleveland.com

AIA Cleveland

 

June 10

Cuyahoga County Courthouse Tour

Cuyahoga County

 

June 15

Third Annual Beer & Brats @ the Benedict

Friday, June 15, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Sarah Benedict House, 3751 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland

5:30 - 7:30 p.m., $$, RSVP to Felicia.hall@clevelandrestoration.org 

Cleveland Restoration Society

 

June 21

"American Home Interiors: Treatment and Transformation"

Featuring CRS's Professional Staff

Cleveland Heights Main Library

7:00 p.m., register at www.heightslibrary.org or call 216-932-3600, FREE

Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission

Cleveland Heights Historical Society

Heights Library

FutureHeights

Heights bicycle Coalition

Home Repair Resource Center

 

 

  

Cleveland Restoration Society
3751 Prospect Avenue

Cleveland, OH  44115

(216) 426-1000

www.clevelandrestoration.org