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
Downtown Development, Tradition, and Change!
Matt Long and Chad Boreman, owners of the Quinby Building (1897), new home to Ace Hardware in downtown Wooster.
Downtown Wooster has been reinvesting and revitalizing its downtown for 34 years. A true public/private partnership, more than $215 million of reinvestment and revitalization has occurred since the inception of the Main Street program, beginning in 1987.
In 2015, two former Main Street Wooster board members and subsequent chairs, Matt Long, a local attorney, and Chad Boreman, a local financial planner, formed CBML, Ltd., to acquire and add other community properties.
2018 brought a change for the Quinby Building (1897), a four-story, 26,000 sq. ft. building located on Wooster’s Public Square. Originally occupied as the William Annat Co. Department Store until the 1990’s, the building was most recently the company outlet store for the Newell/Everything Rubbermaid Store.
When the property was listed for sale in 2018, Boreman and Long, generational members of the community (Chad, five and four generations, Matt, three and seven) decided to purchase the building to preserve the “status quo” of the building, keeping the Everything Rubbermaid Store in place, and maintaining Wooster ownership. Long stated, “it was too important of a building to leave to chance”.
Due to the pandemic and revitalization of the 1993 streetscape construction on the Public Square, Newell/Rubbermaid decided to close the large facility in August, 2021 leaving a potential and significant vacancy for downtown Wooster. Long and Boreman made plans to lease “pop-up” stores in the firstfloor retail space (7,500 sq. ft.) while seeking to recruit a long-term tenet; however, early in the planning process, they were approached by Wooster-based E&H Hardware Group, LLC regarding a long-term lease of the entire Quinby Building (1897).
Enter Christopher Buehler and Rich Fishburn, fourth generation, great-grandsons, of Ed and Helen Buehler, who began the Buehler’s grocery chain in 1929 in New Philadelphia, then moving to Wooster where they opened a store in downtown Wooster. Adding stores throughout Ohio, the business is now 92 years young! A hardware company was added, not as a separate company, in 1959, as part of the Orrville, Ohio store.
E&H Hardware group was formed in 2011 as a separate entity from the Buehler’s Fresh Foods grocery chain, opening 25 Ace Hardware stores throughout Ohio. Both Buehler and Fishburn wanted to have a store in their Wooster hometown for years but could not find a space that filled their needs. With Newell announcing the closing of the Everything Rubbermaid Store, Rich went to Christopher and said, “This is it! A perfect building for what we want to do!” The partners envisioned the building as their “flagship store”, a destination for local, regional and tourism customers.
Christopher Buehler & Rich Fishburn looking at uncovered column in the Quinby Building
The E&H partners contacted Long and Boreman and, within a month, executed a lease and created a new partnership to bring a large, new business to the existing downtown retail businesses. (The current hardware store, Tignor’s Hometown Hardware, was purchased by the E&H group: the employees will be a part of the Ace Hardware store when it opens in March, 2022.)
Long and Boreman will have the exterior of the building painted and the Ace Hardware interior will house three floors of hardware, with additional lifestyle- living merchandise including outdoor living, home goods, a dedicated contractor area, The Nook, “a store within a store”, and a plumbing and handyman business. The fourth floor will be the corporate offices of the E&H Hardware Group.
“We want this store to be an anchor for downtown Wooster, we want it to evolve all the time, we want it to complement the downtown and participate in activities with all of the downtown businesses. We will be a “test store” for new and upscale branding of products, introducing new hardware and living products to the customer, yet continuing to offer the products that are “tried and true”, stated Buehler and Fishburn. Boreman and Long said, “This is a “perfect storm”; a traditional business in a traditional downtown, with community development supporting the “sense of place” that is downtown Wooster, Ohio!”
By Sandra C. Hull
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of Revitalize Ohio. All rights reserved.
Using the Standards for Rehabilitation to guide your project
Wednesday, December 8, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation consist of 10 common-sense principles to guide and evaluate rehabilitation work done to historic resources. Whether you’re contemplating a future tax credit project or thinking about applying for a historic preservation grant, adhering to the rehab standards will be critical to receiving your final approvals. Join Mariangela Pfister, Department Head, Technical Preservation Services of the State Historic Preservation Office, as she provides a basic overview of the standards and how they are interpreted.
Presenter
Mariangela Pfister, department head and deputy state historic preservation officer for technical preservation services, heads the Technical Preservation Services Department which manages the Building Doctor program, answers questions about care of older buildings, and works with applicants for the Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit and the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit. She has developed a wood conservation presentation, has written articles on preservation topics, and continues to work on a series of fact sheets entitled “Fast Facts” on common old-building maintenance issues. Pfister holds a master’s degree in history from The Ohio State University and bachelor’s degrees in history, English, and secondary education from Capital University.
Legacy of Colonel Charles Young and the Buffalo Soldiers
Thursday, October 14th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Join us for an overview of the story of the Charles Young and the Buffalo Soldiers National Monument located right here in Wilberforce Ohio. Charles Young was born to enslaved parents in 1864. He entered West Point military academy in 1884. In addition to a distinguished military career, he was professor of military science at Wilberforce University. Overcoming great obstacles he was revered by thousands, and buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in 1923. Join the webinar to learn more about this illustrious American.
Presenters
Our presenter will be Robert Stewart, the current Superintendent of the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. He has worked with the National Park Service at sites in: Baltimore, Tuskegee, Selma, and Vicksburg. He has a bachelor degree from Coppin State University and a master degree from University of Baltimore. He is a member of various civic and social organizations, including Black Pilots of America.
Bring Back Main Street with Small-Scale Manufacturing: The Who, the Why, and the How
Wednesday, September 15th – 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Too many places are stuck in a default model of economic development strategies left over from the 80’s. People and places are being left behind. It doesn’t have to be that way. Attend this webinar to learn about how we can flip the model on economic development and do it in a better way. One that invests in people and places. One with a focus on action now and not just long-term plans. We’ll discuss how to build a strong and resilient economy through concrete steps to include all types of talent in your entrepreneurship efforts, why (and how) to focus on small-scale manufacturing businesses as a catalyst, and how new real estate models for main street (and downtown) can be essential to your success.
Special bonus: We’ll be giving away a few copies of Ilana’s new book, Recast Your City, to webinar attendees.
Presenters
Ilana Preuss is the Founder & CEO of Recast City, author of the new book, Recast Your City, and co-author of Discovering Your Maker Economy and Made in PLACE: Small-scale manufacturing & neighborhood revitalization. Through Recast City, she partners with local leaders to bring main street back to life, bring business back to downtown, and build an inclusive and resilient economy. She is passionate about making great places and sees that small-scale product businesses are a missing piece in today’s mixed-use development, commercial property repositioning, and local economic development strategy. Preuss’ passion for great places grew out of her experience working with big and small cities all over the country when she led the technical assistance program at the U.S. EPA Smart Growth Program, and as the Vice President & Chief of Staff at Smart Growth America.
Preservation Shorts
Thursday, August 19th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Join Heritage Ohio Staff for a series of 4 interviews about current preservation activities in Ohio.
Guests:
1. Lindsay Jones, Owner of Blind Eye Restoration, will discuss how she built her business and what priorities she focuses on.
2. Eric Van Renterghem, a historic preservationist and developer of the Jones Mansion, a historic tax credit project in Findlay, which converted a Victorian mansion into a popular event center
3. Jessica Lucas, a volunteer working to rehabilitate the historic Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, an important site of the Underground Railroad, outside of Burlington, OH.
4. Matt Wiederhold, the executive director of Main Street Medina, will be speaking about his personal adventures in serial home rehabilitations.
Historic Rehabilitation & Windows: When to Repair & When to Replace Webinar
Wednesday, June 9th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
This presentation looks at window repair and replacement for historic rehabilitation projects. Research, planning, window assessment, standards, and historic tax credits are reviewed. A broad range of window rehabilitation solutions are shown through case studies of historic projects.
This course is registered for 1 HSW LU through AIA.
Presenters
Mariangela Pfister – Mariangela Pfister, department head and deputy state historic preservation officer for technical preservation services, heads the Technical Preservation Services Department which manages the Building Doctor program, answers questions about care of older buildings, and works with applicants for the Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit and the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit. She has developed a wood conservation presentation, has written articles on preservation topics, and continues to work on a series of fact sheets entitled “Fast Facts” on common old-building maintenance issues. Pfister holds a master’s degree in history from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degrees in history, English, and secondary education from Capital University.
Chick McBrien – Chick, now retired, was a regional architectural manager for a national window manufacturer. His team was responsible for commercial and residential project development. His 45 years of fenestration field experience concentrated on historic preservation and commercial replacement. He has spent the last 25 years developing historic commercial window projects with design professionals in the US and has been involved in many Federal Historic Tax Credit projects. Chick has spoken at national, regional, and local events about windows in historic preservation. He has presented national webinars on the subject and provides continuing window education to many preservation groups.
Medina’s House of Treasures: The Restoration of the McDowell-Phillips House Webinar
Wednesday, May 26th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
In 2019, the Medina County Historical Society society held a capital drive to purchase and preserve the iconic McDowell-Phillips house located at 205 S. Prospect street in Medina. This beautiful Queen Anne Shingle-style home was built in 1890 by R.M. McDowell. Located in the Bankers Row historic district the house features 7 fireplaces, and 14 rooms; considered the largest house in Medina.
Join us during Preservation Month to learn about this successful project.
Presenters
Brian Feron – President of the Medina County Historical Society
Born and raised in Medina County, Brian is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in Business Administration. He retired in 2020, after working in senior management positions in customer relations, inside sales and technical support in the steel, toy, plumbing and lighting industries. Brian joined the Medina County Historical Society Board in 1999 and has served several terms as president. Key projects he has worked on recently include a $150,000 capital campaign in 2016 to improve the basement; drainage; foundation; and museum space in the John Smart House, a 1886 Queen Anne Victorian owned by the historical society and used as a public museum.
Matt Wiederhold – Executive Director of Main Street Medina
Matt Wiederhold has been involved in community development and revitalization for 20 years, and is a graduate of the National Main Street Institute. He currently serves as the original and current executive director of Main Street Medina, in Medina Ohio. A 1992 graduate of the University of Toledo with a degree in art history, focused on American art and architecture from 1860-1930.
The Preservation Month Photo Contest – stay tuned for finalists and online voting!
Update 5/17: We’ve received some great entries and we’ll open voting soon. You can choose your favorite!
Preservation Month is just around the corner and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the spirit of revitalization and preservation in a (hopefully) soon-to-be post-Covid Ohio than to bring back our photo contest. The contest is open and we’re ready to receive entries.
Just complete the form below to submit your entry (one entry per person, please) and put these dates on your calendar:
Entries accepted: April 26-May 14
Finalists announced: May 21
Online voting: May 21-28
Winner announced: May 31
Good luck! You can enter your image below.
Need some inspiration? Check out our 2019 winner Harrison Wicks’ entry below of the historic former Erie Depot in downtown Kent.
Preserving the Built Context: How the City of Milwaukee has Invested in its Housing Stock Webinar
Wednesday, March 3 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Many legacy cities have been dealing with an aging housing stock overlaid with slow value increases since the housing market recovery of the mid-2010s.
Join Larry Kilmer II, Program Director for the City of Milwaukee’s Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation, for a discussion about locally funded housing rehabilitation programs and the creative financing underpinning those programs.
Speaker
Larry Kilmer II has been working in affordable housing for more than ten years, focusing primarily on creating and sustaining homeownership. Prior to his current position as the Program Director for the City of Milwaukee’s Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation, he was the Housing Rehabilitation Manager for the Department of City Development. Before working for the City, Larry was the Housing Rehab Manager for the non-profit ACTS Housing. Additionally, Larry is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Larry holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning as well as both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Architecture. He is currently enrolled in the Urban Studies doctoral program at UW-Milwaukee.
New Solutions For House Museums: Five Lessons Learned Webinar
Wednesday, January 13 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Join author Donna Ann Harris for this webinar about the second edition of her best-selling book, New Solutions for House Museums: Ensuring the Long-Term Preservation of America’s Historic Homes. Donna will share stories from a handful of her 18 case studies to highlight how the new uses or users of these historic sites made them more financially sustainable–even through the Great Recession–and the lessons they learned about stewardship for the long haul. The second edition was published on November 1, 2020 and is now available from Rowman and Littlefield Publishers/AASLH. The publisher is offering a 30% discount, if you are interested in purchasing the book. The discount code will be shared at the end of the presentation.
Speaker
Donna Ann Harris is the principal of Heritage Consulting Inc. a Philadelphia-based Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) consulting firm that aids non-profit organizations and government agencies nationwide in the following practice areas: downtown and commercial district revitalization, historic preservation, tourism product development, and non-profit organizational development.
Ms. Harris is nationally known as a Main Street professional, having served as State coordinator for Illinois Main Street before starting her consulting practice in 2004. She has worked with local Main Street organizations in 24 states and presented at every national Main Street conference since starting her firm. Most recently she recorded three, 90-minute fundraising webinars for the Main Street America Institute.
AltaMira Press published her book New Solutions for House Museums: Ensuring the Long-Term Preservation of America’s Historic Houses in 2007. This title has been the best seller for AltaMira Press since its publication. A second edition was published by Rowman and Littlefield Publishers/AASLH in November 2020. For 16 years Ms. Harris has been speaking about and consulting with historic house museums around the country about alternative uses and stewardship responsibilities.