Webinar: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)
Wednesday, November 15th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Catherine Lavoie, Chief of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) of the National Park Service (NPS), will talk about the program, how and why it was started, its mission, and its value, with a look at early HABS work in Ohio. HABS was established in 1933 as a unique public-private partnership between NPS, the Library of Congress (LoC), and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) aimed at creating an archive of America’s architectural heritage, then perceived to be rapidly vanishing. Under NPS management, AIA “district officers” in various states across the nation heeded the call to action, selecting and recording sites they deemed worthy of recognition, through measured drawings, historical reports, and photographs. The documentation was housed at the Library of Congress and made available to the general public. While times have changed, HABS still records historic architecture, as well as engineering sites and landscapes, while field testing new technologies to determine best practices and training the next generation of preservationists through its summer student recording program. The collection now spans about 45,000 sites and can be viewed online through the LoC website.
About our presenter:
Catherine Lavoie has a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Maryland with an emphasis in historic preservation and material culture. She worked briefly in state and local preservation before coming to HABS as a historian intern, rising to senior historian, and finally chief in 2008. Catherine is active in the Vernacular Architecture Forum, mostly recently serving as 2nd Vice President and was awarded VAF’s Buchanan Award for excellence in fieldwork and public service (2002) for her HABS study of the Quaker Meeting Houses of the Delaware Valley. Most recently, she co-authored Buildings of Maryland, the latest in the Society of Architectural Historians Buildings of the United States series.
Webinar: Restoration Housing
Wednesday, July 19th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Throughout the US, affordable housing is reaching crisis levels for many Americans. Yet vacant homes often sit for years without intervention and many are demolished to be redeveloped without a plan for their immediate redevelopment. What can be done about these issues?
Founded in 2014, Restoration Housing is a community-based, nonprofit developer focusing on the historic preservation of neglected architectural resources for the social benefit of low-income communities. At the core of everything Restoration Housing does is the belief that all people, regardless of circumstance, deserve to live in strong, healthy communities and dignified housing – the catalyst being the reinvestment in our historic built environment.
About our presenter:
Isabel Thornton is the Executive Director of Restoration Housing, which she founded in 2014 out of a passion for historic preservation and affordable housing. She received a BA in Architectural History from the University of Virginia and an MHP and MPL in Historic Preservation and Urban Planning from the University of Southern California.
She serves on the Real Estate Development Committee for Community Housing Partners and the Blue Ridge Interagency Council on Homelessness. She is also a board member for Carilion Medical Center.
Isabel lives on a farm in Botetourt County with her husband and four children.
Heritage Ohio’s 2023 Preservation Month Photo Contest: And the winner is…..
The votes have been tallied and it’s time to announce this year’s winner. Congratulations go out to Brian Hiles for his photo of Elder High School in Cincinnati!
Be sure to catch the winning image on a future issue of Revitalize Ohio. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest and who voted for their favorite image.
Heritage Ohio’s 2023 Preservation Month Photo Contest | The Story of Historic Preservation
Help us celebrate Preservation Month this May by participating in our annual Preservation Month Photo Contest. This year’s theme is “The Story of Historic Preservation” and we’ll be looking for your great images that capture what YOU think celebrates historic preservation. In tandem with your image, we want to hear the great story that goes with it. Whether it’s a story of a formerly endangered building that has been saved, a story of the people who built it, or a story of the people today who love it, we want to know why your subject material is important.
Once you get that perfect image and write the story behind it, submit your entry using our online submission form below (available beginning April 14). Our Preservation Committee and Board of Trustees will choose finalists from all of the entries we receive, and then we’ll open the contest to online voting. As in years past, your online votes will determine the winner! The winning image will be featured on the cover of a future issue of Revitalize Ohio. Good luck!
Dates to remember
Entries accepted: Friday, April 14-Friday, May 12
Online voting of finalists: Friday, May 19-Thursday, May 25
Winner announced: Friday, May 26
Webinar: The Dayton VA Medical Center – Past, Present, and Future
Wednesday, November 9th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
On November 9, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will partner with Heritage Ohio on a webinar
focusing on two new initiatives at the historic Dayton VA Medical Center (VAMC). Founded in 1867 as
one of the original branches of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, the site originally
served Union Civil War Veterans. Today the Dayton VAMC provides world-class medical care on a
National Historic Landmark Campus.
This webinar will include information on the National VA History Center (NVAHC), which will occupy two
historic buildings on the VAMC campus. Once complete, the NVAHC will be the central location for
seminal artifacts and archives of historic significance from across hundreds of VA locations. The site will
provide storage, preservation, and access to these materials, as well as a museum and education center.
The VA will also present plans to look for private-sector partners to redevelop a series of vacant historic
buildings on the Dayton VAMC campus.
Presenters
- Michael Visconage, VA Chief Historian
- Alec Bennett, VA Senior Historic Preservation Specialist
Webinar: Partners for Sacred Places
Wednesday, September 7th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The religious landscape across the US is changing rapidly as many congregations are closing, merging, or otherwise changing their relationship with their buildings and properties. Partners for Sacred Places works with congregations, judicatories, and preservationists across the faith spectrum to help congregations make decisions about their property with an eye toward community-minded approaches for transitioning sacred buildings and properties. This webinar will look at the current situation of religious properties as well as some of the resources in Partners’ recent publication Transitioning Older and Historic Sacred Places.
Rochelle (Shelly) Stackhouse, MDiv, PhD will provide an introduction to Transitioning Older and Historic Sacred Places: Community-Minded Approaches for Congregations and Judicatories, a new resource for congregations contemplating changes in the ownership or use of their buildings, and describe the tools and approaches this guide offers to church and community leaders.
Presenter
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, The Rev. Dr. Rochelle A. (Shelly) Stackhouse was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1982. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, she has served churches of varying sizes as Senior, Solo, Interim and Transitional Pastor in Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. She now serves as Senior Director of Programs for Partners for Sacred Places. She received a PhD from Drew University in Liturgical Studies and has taught at numerous seminaries, most recently Yale and Lexington. She is the author of one book and numerous book chapters and articles. She currently lives in Connecticut.
2022 Heritage Ohio Annual Conference
Registration Agenda Presenters Sponsorship Hotel FAQ
You’ll do better in Toledo! Join us in the Glass City October 3rd to the 5th for the Heritage Ohio annual Preservation and Main Street Conference, presented by Sandvick Architects & Coon Restoration. Engage in conversations around expanding the definition of preservation, and how and why we decide what to save. Take a fresh look at the Main Street approach to revitalization, and how strong neighborhoods support our historic commercial districts.
Our conference tracts this year are centered around Community Interest; Historic Sites and Properties; Community Involvement, Engagement, and DEI; Funding Resources; Historic Tax Credits; and Historic Preservation and Design Review. With nearly thirty sessions and six tours highlighting the best of Toledo and the revitalization community across Ohio, there’s something of interest for preservationists of every level, from beginner to seasoned pro.
The conference kicks off Monday with a deep dive into Historic Tax Credits, hosted at the restored Jones mansion in Findlay, Ohio. That evening, join us at the historic Toledo club for our Legacy Circle evening reception, where you’ll mingle with Heritage Ohio board members and many of our valued preservation partners. Tuesday will offer a full day of educational sessions and walking tours, along with a diverse vendor showcase and social mixer. Tuesday evening, we’ll travel to the historic Ohio Theatre in the Lagrange Neighborhood for keynote remarks from US Representative, Marcy Kaptur, followed by our annual awards ceremony and the inaugural Heritage Ohio film festival. Wednesday will feature more educational sessions and tours around Toledo.
Looking for Handouts & Presentations?
Visit our Dropbox folder for the conference materials.
Our Sponsors
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Ohio Main Street Program Networking Sponsor
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Exhibitors
Heritage Ohio’s 2022 Preservation Month Photo Contest: and the winner is…
Thank you to everyone who voted this past week for our entries. We’re pleased to announce the winning entry: A Moment Frozen in Time, submitted by Mary Beth Sills.
An intriguing setting combined with great public support for the entry translated into an emphatic contest win. Congratulations to Mary Beth! We’ll be featuring her winning image on a future cover of Revitalize Ohio. Thanks to everyone who voted.
Heritage Ohio’s 2022 Preservation Month Photo Contest: vote for your favorite!
The entries have come in and our finalists have moved on to the online voting round of our Preservation Month Photo Contest. Check out our finalists below and vote for your favorite. Voting closes Monday, May 30, so don’t sleep on casting your vote for your favorite. We’ll announce the winner Tuesday, May 31. Good luck to our finalists, and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry.
Remember, the stakes are high: the winning image will be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue of Revitalize Ohio! Good luck!
Learn more about how each image conveys the spirit of preservation, in the photographer’s own words.
1. For the Love of Liberty: Our Powell Liberty and Delaware County Historical Societies, as well as our Liberty Township Trustees have been instrumental in ensuring the preservation of this, our 1876 farmhouse and home to generations of Bartholomews and Cases. We are so grateful to live in a community that protects its history while embracing its future.
2. Preserving Ohio’s Past for the Future: The white stone exterior of the Ohio Judicial Center captures the pride felt in Ohio’s history. On the front are 14 carved stone panels showing the important industries when the building was completed in 1933. The large art deco statues on either end of the building were proud statement of Ohio’s booming economy. The pride in preserving this historic building is the pride we have in the state of Ohio.
3. Walk Through: Often, I walk through buildings for many reasons including: evaluating conditions, showing property, checking construction progress, etc. When I captured this image, I was really focused on the door frame and how it invited me to walk through. Beyond the door frame, the stairs drew my eyes upward toward a future of possibilities for this space. Then there’s the light. The way in streamed in. It’s like the past was right there and so was the future.
4. Kaleidoscope Carnivore Cafe: The Toledo Zoo’s Carnivore Cafe is one of the most creative adaptive uses in NW Ohio, having been converted from the Carnivora House to the Carnivore Cafe. Now the Toledo Zoo’s most popular eatery, during the famous “Lights Before Christmas” display the cafe literally glows.
5. A Moment Frozen In Time: Taken in Cambridge’s Underground store front this image showcases a prop used during the few tours given to the community to help preserve this rare space.
National Register of Historic Places and African American Sites
Wednesday, June 8th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Ohio has hundreds of important historic sites related to under represented communities: Ohio Green Book properties and other Civil Rights related properties from the 19th and 20th century. This webinar will provide the background and knowledge to encourage more conversations in the field of preservation in relation to underserved communities. Diamond will also touch on two specific projects King Records and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House.
We will discuss the National Register of Historic places and illuminating the importance of underrepresented communities in preservation. This webinar also examines The National Park Service Underrepresented Communities Grant.
Our Presenter
Diamond Crowder, Underrepresented Communities Survey & National Register at the State Historic Preservation Office. Diamond has a B.A. and M.A. in History, University of Toledo (with major areas of study Early American History, African American History, and Women and Gender History) and is currently finishing her doctoral dissertation that specifically focuses on African American women post Emancipation (University of Cincinnati).
Heritage Ohio’s 2022 Preservation Month Photo Contest | The Spirit of Historic Preservation
May will be here before we know it, and that brings Preservation Month. And we’re planning to celebrate in style. Already a momentous month for the organization (we’ll be saying good bye to Joyce Barrett, and welcoming Matt Wiederhold as our new executive director) we’re also working on a Preservation Month Webinar Series. Plus, our Preservation Month Photo Contest will launch in late April.
This year’s theme is “The Spirit of Historic Preservation” and we want to know what that means to you, and how you convey that spirit in your photo entry. It could be an artistic image of your favorite historic Ohio building, a vibrant Main Street in action, or a beautiful home awaiting its rehab hero.
Once you get that perfect image, submit your entry using our online submission form below (available beginning April 25). Our Preservation Committee will choose finalists from all of our entries, and we’ll open the contest to online voting. As in years past, your online votes will determine the winner!
Remember: the winner’s prize includes their winning image featured on the cover of Revitalize Ohio! Good luck!
Dates to remember
Entries accepted: Monday, April 25-Monday, May 16 at noon
Online voting of finalists: Monday, May 23-Monday, May 30
Winner announced: Tuesday, May 31