Save Ohio's Treasures

Heritage Ohio’s Save Ohio’s Treasures program aims to provide a funding bridge to make preservation of threatened or neglected historic properties a reality.

What is Save Ohio’s Treasures?

Heritage Ohio created Save Ohio’s Treasures (SOT) as a below market rate, responsive revolving loan fund (RLF) to support historic preservation projects across Ohio. Our approach is Preservation through Prevention; stabilizing properties through targeted reinvestments in mechanical systems, roofs, structural issues, and other projects to make them safer, and to ensure that they are ready to be returned to a functional use. Most communities have funding for facade improvements, and while it’s important for a building to look good, it also needs to be sound, stable, and safe for use. The SOT committee is currently reviewing financing policies, program guidelines, eligibility, and other administrative processes in order to do a formal launch of the program by the end of the year.

Save Ohio’s Treasures gives Heritage Ohio the opportunity to directly support historic preservation with bricks and mortar funding. With current high interest rates and limited access to capital, it’s more important than ever that we have as many resources as possible to help save historic commercial properties in Ohio.

Our Pilot Project

Heritage Ohio is currently involved with a pilot SOT project in Ravenna. Riddle Block #9 is a massive, historic structure that anchors a prominent intersection at the heart of their downtown. SOT funds will support the renovation of three storefronts, the restoration of an interior skylight and atrium, and work on two residential units. The project is expected to be completed in 2024.

Growing the Fund

Our initial SOT loan pool was $165,000, created with support from The 1772 Foundation and other funding resources. Earlier this year, we received another allocation of $100,000 from The 1772 Foundation, for which we had a $65,000 match. It is our goal to make that a 100% match, and we are actively working to fundraise the $35,000 gap by the end of 2024. We hope to grow the fund to $500,000
by the end of 2025.

How You Can Help Save Ohio’s Treasures

If you are interested in making a donation to Save Ohio’s Treasures, and to support preservation through prevention, you can make a tax-deductible donation on the form below, or contact Matt Wiederhold at 419-320-2105, or email him at mwiederhold@heritageohio.org.