Calling All Contractors!

Home repair contractors are invited to the Heritage Home Program Contractor Open House tomorrow, Friday, March 6 from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Join us to talk shop, get updated on the Heritage Home Program and meet new Preservation Construction Manager Jim Blocksidge. The Heritage Home Program helps owners of older homes with home maintenance and improvement across Northeast Ohio. Heritage Home Program staff complete home site visits to discuss maintenance issues and help solve repair problems. Staff also helps connect homeowners to electricians, plumbers, masons, carpenters, roofers, general contractors, and more who can get the job done right. Whether you are a seasoned HHP contractor or just discovering HHP, join us this Friday, March 6 at the Sarah Benedict House, 3751 Prospect Avenue in Cleveland! For more information, contact Abby Curtin.

New Report about Neighborhood Schools

The Center for Community Progress recently posted a blog entry with information about a noteworthy initiative coming out Philadelphia. The Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania recently proposed a school redevelopment initiative to the Philadelphia School District, as the district prepared to close seven more schools in a city where eight other school buildings are already empty. The report acknowledged that lack of funds and changes in neighborhood demographics may lead Philadelphia to close as many as 50 more schools in the next 10 years. Urban school districts, including Cleveland's, are seeing schools close due to population declines, the buildings' age, and other factors. As buildings deteriorate, nearby residents are often left to wonder what can, or will, be done, while local leaders grapple with financial, market, and other constraints. Nationally, of approximately 99,000 schools, between 1,200 to 2,200 schools have closed every year since the 2001-02 school year, according to information from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. See the full blog entry here.

A Statement from ICOMOS

We share with you a statement from the International Council on Monuments and Sites, issued on Saturday, February 28:  

"Just when the outer limits of one's ability to be shocked by the depths of human iniquity seem to have been exceeded, something more cruel and brutal comes along that defies the definitions of outrage and horror. Such is the case with the recent videos released by the Islamic State featuring a cruel orgy of killings and now followed by the wanton destruction of universally valued cultural treasures in Iraq. Of course, the orchestrated intention behind these videos is precisely that: to continue to shock the world through an endless broadcast of increasing of brutality. At the risk of a unintentionally abetting the aim of the Islamic State to publicize their escalating crimes against humanity, ICOMOS cannot remain a silent witness to the arbitrary and unjustified massive extermination of individuals, communities and our shared cultural heritage and memory. A simple expression of repudiation on our part is futile and no longer an adequate response given the magnitude of the atrocities being perpetrated. The shared task to be assumed now is to stop the insanity through whatever means may be available. For this reason, ICOMOS fully supports the call issued by UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council in the hope that the international community can put in place the means to end this downward spiral into savagery."

National Preservation Awards Nominations  

Due by March 16

The National Preservation Awards honor the very best in preservation taking place across America. Each year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation presents a select number of major awards. The Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award recognizes an individual's outstanding lifetime achievement in the preservation field. The Trustees' Award for Organizational Excellence recognizes a nonprofit organization, large or small, that has demonstrated sustained and superlative achievement in historic preservation. The Driehaus Preservation Awards recognize and celebrate the country's best preservation projects-projects that highlight cutting-edge preservation approaches or technologies. These exclusive awards, given at the National Preservation Conference, serve to educate and inspire and raise the visibility of the preservation movement. Nominations for these awards are due by March 16. Note that the nomination process has changed from previous years. To review the guidelines, eligibility requirements and learn how to apply, click here.

Grants for Properties Damaged by Hurricane Sandy

The Ohio History Connection is accepting applications for grants that will fund projects related to preservation of historic properties damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. OHC expects to award $300,000 in grants to assist historic preservation projects in Cuyahoga and Ashtabula counties, the two Ohio counties that received a disaster declaration as a result of this storm. This may also include projects to improve preparedness for future disasters. For construction projects, properties must be listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The minimum grant award is $2,500. These grants have no requirement for the applicant to provide matching funds. Retroactive costs may be eligible for reimbursement provided damage is documented as hurricane-related and federal procurement standards were met. All projects must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Applications are due to the Ohio History Connection, State Historic Preservation Office by May 1, 2015. Click here for more information.

Your Ohio Tax Return can  

Make History!

It's easy to make a tax-deductible donation to Ohio History!  Look for "Ohio Historical Society" on your Ohio tax return and designate a dollar amount. Your tax-deductible donation goes to support history projects in local Ohio communities. In its first two years, the History Fund has created grants that help support local history and preservation-related projects all across Ohio. "Last year, Ohio taxpayers helped repair leaking roofs across the state, conserve rare Wright Brothers photos in Dayton and preserve Slavic heritage in Cleveland," says Andy Verhoff, History Fund grants manager.  To learn more about the program, click here.

Shaker Heights Photo Contest

The Shaker Heights Landmark Commission invites submissions based on what photographers love about Shaker Heights in the third annual Preservation Month Photo Contest. The City looks for striking images that preserve the best of Shaker Heights. The Commission wants to see images of what makes the city special and beautiful to the community. One or more winners will be selected in the categories of Architecture/building; Landscape/nature; and Community (event, street/sidewalk scene, etc.). Submissions will be accepted online February 1 through March 31, and winners will be announced May 1, at the start of National Preservation Month. Winners will be recognized across the spectrum of City media, such as press releases, website, Facebook, etc. The contest is free and open to all. View past winners and the complete Call for Entries here. Contact Ann Klavora for more information.

The Heritage Documentation Programs (Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey), a division of the National Park Service, is seeking applications from qualified students for summer employment documenting historic sites and structures of architectural, engineering and landscape significance throughout the country. Duties involve on-site field work and the preparation of measured and interpretive drawings and written historical reports for the HABS/HAER/HALS Collection at the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Projects last twelve weeks, beginning in May/June. Salaries range from approximately $8,000 to approximately $20,000 for the summer, depending on job responsibility, locality of the project, and level of experience. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen. Applications are due March, 9. Click here for more information.

Diversity Scholarship Program Accepting Applications

The National Trust is currently accepting applications for its Diversity Scholarship Program. Program participants will receive complimentary registration and lodging to attend the 2015 National Preservation Conference, to be held in Washington, DC in November. The Trust seeks emerging preservation professionals and community leaders new to the preservation field whose attendance at the conference, PastForward 2015, will strengthen their commitment to historic preservation and benefit their communities. The deadline to apply for a Diversity Program Scholarship is May 5, 2015. Click here for more information.

Where's Benedict?

Community Design Charrette this Saturday

LAND studio is gathering ideas for improvements that could be made to Jim Mahon Green, a city-owned public park that runs along the north side of Detroit Avenue in the area between West 29th and West 45th streets. As part of this project, a community design charrette will be held on Saturday, March 7 at St. John's Church, 2600 Church Avenue in Cleveland. At the charrette, anyone interested will be able to contribute ideas, express opinions, and participate in informal, low-pressure discussions about the park's future. No design skills are necessary to participate, and the charrette will have an open-house format, so participants can stop in at any time for a few minutes or stay for the entire time. The charrette will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and refreshments will be provided. For more information contact Vince Reddy at 216-621-5413, ext. 107, or vreddy@land-studio.org.

Oberlin Heritage Center Seeks Volunteers for History Walks

The Oberlin Heritage Center will offer a training workshop on Saturday, March 14 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. for volunteer docents interested in learning how to guide the Freedom's Friends (Underground Railroad) History Walk. Volunteers will learn about Oberlin's role in the history of abolition and the Underground Railroad and how to present the walking tour in a 75-minute stroll through historic neighborhoods surrounding downtown Oberlin. Registration is requested by March 9. The workshop is free and open to the public. Volunteers need no previous training in leading tours; all that is required is a commitment to assist with at least four history walks within the coming year. For more information, or to reserve your place at the workshop, visit www.oberlinheritagecenter.org, call 440-774-1700 or e-mail tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org.

Presentation on the Ecclesiastical Architecture of  

William P. Ginther

As part of the preparations for the 100th anniversary of the dedication of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Lorain, Anthony Valleriano will offer a presentation on the ecclesiastical architecture of Akron architect William P. Ginther at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, in the church, which is located at the corner of 15th Street and Lexington Avenue, Lorain. Parking is available in the lot off 14th Street. Copies of Mr. Valleriano's book, Dedication, showcasing the work of William Ginther, will be available for purchase. The presentation is free and open to the public. Call 440-988-3984 for more information.