Ohio City Named 2013  

Best Old-House Neighborhood

The national spotlight is shining on an old Cleveland neighborhood, after the popular show and magazine, This Old House recognizes Ohio City as a "2013 Best Old-House Neighborhood".  Accolades are given to local houses expressing "various styles from the Victorian era, ranging from simple, vernacular workers' cottages to high-style, architect-designed Queen Anne, Second Empire, and Italianate houses," while the West Side Market is recognized as "Cleveland's 100-year-old public-food market, where more than 100 vendors hawk produce, meats, seafood, and other foodstuffs, as well as fresh flowers."  To reiterate the findings of the show: "looks as though this neighborhood's day as an independent, thriving community has come again."  Read the full article here. Photo courtesy of Ohio City Inc. 

Update on Zoar Village

Although a final decision on the fate of Zoar Village is years away, Heritage Ohio continues to keep close involvement with local elected officials, the National Trust, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Recently, Representative Bob Gibbs hosted Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick and Brig. Gen. Margaret Burcham for an on-site assessment of the levee, and the historic resources of Zoar threatened by the aging levee.  Read more about their visit here. Photo courtesy of Ohio Historical Society. 

3-D Views of Historic Buildings

A recent post to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's blog shares the work of Scott Page, a designer located in San Francisco.  For the past two years, Page has been going to historic churches and theaters in the Bay Area, taking photos using a 3-D laser scanner. He then collects this information and uses it to map the details of each building, resulting in accurate and amazing images.  Read the blog post and see some of Page's images here.

Former First Lady Shares Vision for Historic Preservation

As First Lady, Laura Bush created the Preserve America program. Recently a writer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation magazine interviewed Mrs. Bush to learn more about what influenced her to develop her interest in history and her commitment to saving the country's historic sites.  This interview is featured in the Fall 2013 issue of the magazine, but you can also read more in a recent blog post on PreservationNation.org. Click here for more. Photo courtesy of George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. 

AAR Searches for its 22nd Director

The American Academy in Rome (AAR) invites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Academy Director. The individual selected to fill this position will ideally have an established reputation in one of the four humanities disciplines served by the AAR (ancient studies, medieval studies, renaissance and early modern studies, and modern Italian studies) or one of the seven arts disciplines served by the AAR (architecture, landscape architecture, design, historic preservation and conservation, literature, music, and visual arts). Broad cultural interests, in particular in those fields of scholarship and the arts served by the AAR, is also desired for this position as well as some degree of fluency in spoken and written Italian.  Reporting to the president in New York, the director provides intellectual and managerial leadership for all the activities and programs of the Academy in Rome. The director  manages a staff of approximately 70.  For more information and to apply, click here.

News from the Sarah Benedict House

CRS would like to welcome Petra Knapp as our Ohio History Service Corps-Preservation Corps Community Surveyor. Petra has both a B.A. in History and an M.A in History with certification in Applied History from Youngstown State University.  She has volunteered with the Aurora Historical Society and serves on the Board for the Preservation Alliance of Greater Akron.  The Ohio Historical Society created the Ohio History Service Corps to engage volunteers in educating Ohioans about the relevance of history and how it can be used as an effective economic development tool. Petra is one of twenty AmeriCorps service members the Ohio Historical Society has placed in communities across the state.  She is part of a team of four AmeriCorps members tasked with surveying historic properties to identify and record historic themes and buildings, focusing on the mid-twentieth century from 1940-1970, historic properties associated with African-American history, women's history, and other under-represented groups, and additional local survey priorities as appropriate, in three Ohio communities: Cleveland, Columbus, and Piqua.  Petra will be with CRS through August 2014.

Office Space Available at Historic  

Sarah Benedict House

Available for lease January 1, 2014 is the third floor level of the Sarah Benedict House.  The space includes approximately 1,500 SF of fully improved office space: five+ rooms, restroom, and storage facilities. The first floor meeting rooms of the Sarah Benedict House are also available for use by third floor tenants, as is the adjacent garden. A kitchen is provided for catering and tenant use. Click here for more information. To schedule a tour, contact Felicia Hall at (216) 426-3110 or felicia.hall@clevelandrestoration.org.

Consider Donating Heirloom China and Silverware

Do you have fine china or silverware that is no longer being used?  For a number of reasons, these once-loved items can end up taking up space in a cabinet or a box in the attic or basement.  The Cleveland Restoration Society would greatly appreciate the donation of fine porcelain china and sterling silverware for use at special occasions at the Sarah Benedict House.  Periodically CRS sponsors special lunches and dinners, and these events would be enhanced by high quality china and silverware.  Should you consider such a donation, we will acknowledge your gift and take perfect care of the donated item. Contact CRS for more information. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Calling All Lorain County Preservationists!

The Lorain County Preservation Network (LCPN) is providing an opportunity for individuals and groups in the county to showcase the preservation activities taking place.  You will not want to miss this chance to highlight your work to restore or rehabilitate a historic building or site, recently completed or currently in process. There is no charge to participate. The date for the exhibition is Saturday, October 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  It will take place at Black River Landing, 421 Black River Lane, in Lorain. The LCPN has a form for exhibitors to fill out.  Contact Bill Bird of the Lorain County Historical Society at 440-322-3341 or bbird@lchs.org for more information. The public is invited to attend the free exhibition on the 19th. 

There's Still Time to Register for the National Preservation Conference

It's almost time for the National Preservation Conference, convened this year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Indianapolis, Indiana. This year's conference heads to the Crossroads of America to explore the theme "Preservation at the Crossroads".  Join trustees and staff of CRS in Indianapolis to tour the city, network with like-minded professionals, attend educational sessions, and more!  The conference takes place from October 29 to November 2.  Click here to learn more.