The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Group seeking historic status for downtown
The Downtown Painesville Organization has begun the process for a National Register historic designation.
On Feb. 13, the DPO Design Committee met with Ohio History Connection Survey and National Register Managers Ross Nelson and Susan Tietz to discuss the proposed Painesville Historic District and the National Register nomination process.
The design committee is comprised of about six members who were responsible for establishing this proposed district of more than 50 structures that are over 50 years old.
“We wanted to identify a district that had a true strong historical base,” Executive Director David Polakowski said. “We have eight historical homes here. Around the square we have several historic buildings.”
The committee meets once a month.
Polakowski said both community members and city leaders have been very supportive.
One of the members, Tara Carlson, is pursing a master’s degree in historic preservation and decided to write her thesis on Painesville.
She has been instrumental in the process, he said.
Some of the structures in the proposed Downtown Painesville Historic District include Painesville Municipal Court, 7 Richmond St., which was built in the early 1800s; Painesville United Methodist Church, 71 North Park Place, which was built in 1873; Dollar Bank Building, 113 Main St., built in 1900; St. James Episcopal Church, 131 North State St., built in 1865; T &T Bakery, 252 East Erie St., built in 1936; and Veterans Memorial Park established in 1800.
Polakowski said the park is the core of the city.
“It sounds like the history is well established,” Tietz said. “We will work with you to make sure that we’re all comfortable with the boundaries and we think they are defendable boundaries. Then you will submit your first draft and someone in the office will be assigned a review of that draft and they will work with you.”
Tietz said it will take about nine months to a year to complete the register nomination.
“Once we feel the nomination is really ready and all the criteria has been met and a strong argument has been made for significance and integrity, then it will go to our State Review Board and once they approve it, then it will move on to the National Park Service to review it. Overall, it is a long process,” she said.
Tietz and Nelson took a tour of the proposed historic district and got a first-hand experience viewing the structures throughout the downtown area and learning about its history.
The DPO’s mission is to preserve history while building futures.