President Celebrates 25 Years with CRS

The Cleveland Restoration Society is pleased to announce that our president, Kathleen H. Crowther, has recently marked 25 years of service with the organization. A grant from the George Gund Foundation enabled CRS to hire Kathleen in 1987. After two and a half decades, we're sure that many of you have had the true pleasure of working with Kathleen. If you would like to share your good wishes, or even a funny story or two, contact us via email or send a note to the Cleveland Restoration Society at 3751 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115.

Heritage Home Program Update

The Heritage Home Program welcomes City of Cleveland Ward 1, supported by Councilman Terrell Pruitt, as a participating area. Now owners of homes more than fifty years old in Ward 1 are eligible for free technical advice from program technical staff, and may be qualified for a home rehabilitation loan at a 1.4% rate.

The 2012 construction season is in its final months, but you still have time to plan home repair and energy efficiency projects. The Heritage Home Program(SM) offers homeowners free, impartial advice on the maintenance and repair issues that are unique to older homes - those that are 50 years of age or older. Do you have a leaky basement and don't know why? We can come to your house, help answer your questions, and give you guidance on ways to fix any problems. Are you looking for ways to increase energy efficiency? We can answer your questions about insulation and weather sealing and provide information to help you make your home as "green" as possible.

The Heritage Home Program's low-interest loan is a great option to maintain or restore your home and save money! Common projects include painting, roof replacement, insulation, porch repair, kitchen and bath renovations, basement waterproofing, window repair, mechanical system upgrades, and more. Many changes to the program this year make home repairs and maintenance even more affordable!

• 2% Fixed interest rate (or less)!
• Reduced fees!
• Houses with vinyl or aluminum siding are eligible (but loan funds can't be used to install vinyl siding or windows)!

Visit www.heritagehomeprogram.org or call 216-426-3116 to learn how you can take advantage of the Heritage Home Program.

Ohio Department of Development Accepting Round 9 Historic Tax Credit Applications

The application period for Round 9 of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program is now open. A total of $30 million in tax credit allocation is currently available for Round 9 applicants. All applicants are required to schedule pre-application meetings with both the Ohio Department of Development and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office prior to submitting an application. Applications must be submitted (not postmarked) to the Office of Redevelopment by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 1. Click here for more information.

Call for Volunteers for the AIA Ohio Convention

This year's annual AlA Ohio Convention in Cleveland promises to be the best ever. It takes place this Wednesday through Saturday, September 12 - 15, at the Wyndham Cleveland Hotel, in the heart of downtown's PlayhouseSquare district. This year's convention, BODY + BUILDING - Architecture: Creating Environments for Well-Being, will feature keynote speakers including Farshid Moussavi, Stanley Saitowitz, and Massimiliano Fuksas. A variety of break-out sessions, tours, award presentations, receptions and banquets will enlighten, engage, and entertain. Volunteers are needed to assist with the convention as greeters, registration assistants, wayfinders, tour assistants, and on-site coordinators. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Ron Czaplicki of Barber & Hoffman, Inc. via email or by calling 216-526-7831.

AIA Cleveland Book Drive for Local High Schools

The Cleveland American Institute of Architects is still looking for donations of design and architecture books or magazines. The materials will be distributed for use by students attending the Cleveland School of Architecture & Design at John Hay High School and the Academy of Interior and Fashion Design at Collinwood High School. If you have books or magazines that might be of use and would like to learn more, click here or contact John Workley via email or by calling 216-588-0800.

Cleveland Museum of Art Atrium Opens

In case you missed it, the beloved, beautiful Cleveland Museum of Art has been in the news again. And again. Photo by Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer.

Cleveland Heights Accepting Award Nominations

The Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission is accepting nominations for the annual Historic Preservation Awards. The commission is looking for properties that have undergone recent exterior or interior preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive use, landscape restoration or sympathetic additions. For more information or for a nomination form, call 216-291-4885. You may also download a form here. Nominations must be received by September 17.

Petition to Save Telling Mansion in South Euclid

In 2003, the Cleveland Restoration Society presented the Cuyahoga County Public Library with a preservation award for its excellent stewardship of the Telling Mansion, the busy South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the library Located on Mayfield Road in South Euclid. Today, less than a decade later, the county library system has announced plans to move the library out of the historic mansion, in order to occupy new construction. Telling Mansion was designed by renowned Cleveland architect John Sherwood Kelly and built in 1929 for William Telling. Mr. Telling amassed his fortune in the dairy business, but lost it all in the Great Depression. The Cuyahoga County Public Library bought the house in 1951 and opened it as a library the following year. A restoration and rehabilitation of the property was completed in 2002, the reason for the award bestowed by CRS. The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is beloved in the community. The county library has announced no plans for the future of the building, if it is abandoned. A petition has been created in order to allow citizens to voice their concern for the future of the Telling Mansion. Click here for the petition.

Senator Brown to Help Save Zoar

In early August, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced that he will introduce legislation to protect the historic village of Zoar as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studies ways to manage the town's aging levee. Senator Brown's bill would require the agency to preserve the historic integrity of Zoar in any study or construction activities related to the village's levee. Zoar, in Tuscarawas County, was named as one of the Eleven Most Endangered Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and also one of Heritage Ohio's Top Preservation Opportunities in Ohio. Read more here. Photo courtesy of Akron Beacon Journal. 

Community Branding Workshop on September 19

Heritage Ohio is offering a hands-on workshop to help clarify the meaning and benefits of place branding. What is a brand? What is your city's brand? Why should you care? Who defines it? Who controls it? Can you change it? What's the difference between a logo and a brand? What's the difference between your desired brand and your actual brand? The workshop will work through these questions, and then break into smaller groups to go through the actual process of researching and defining audiences, studying the competition, and clarifying the features and benefits of a place. The final step will be using all of that information to define a brand message strategy that can effectively generate the desired reactions from the various target audiences. When it's all done, you'll have a better grasp of what a brand is and how you can use branding to benefit your community. Sounds pretty helpful! Register here.

Get Your Hands on Some Lustron!

The Ohio Historical Society is offering a unique experience for history lovers. If you are available weekdays October 15 through November 2, you can help to construct a Lustron home! The home will be the centerpiece of the upcoming exhibit "The 1950s: Building the American Dream", opening July 12, 2013, at the Ohio History Center. Volunteers are needed to identify parts, clean and prep panels, attach panels to exterior and interior spaces, assemble interior cabinetry, and prep other exhibit items. Interested parties should contact Megan Wood at 614-297-2343.

Office Space Available in MidTown

The historic Sarah Benedict House has an office available for rent, approximately 300 SF. 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.       

Spaces for Rent in the MidTown Neighborhood  

1. Attractive Garden Level space for lease at 3047 Prospect Avenue. Over 1,300 square feet of pleasant, bright space with separate entry, kitchenette and parking. 
2. Efficiency Loft Apartment for lease. Private entry, parking, interesting and bright with cathedral ceiling at 3047 Prospect Avenue. Could be used as small office.

 Interested in either? Call Rick or Tom at 216-391-9700.

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.