The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
‘GET HANDS-ON’
Wellington hosts historic building preservation seminar
Downtown Lorain is like the living room of a community and it is the first thing people see when they visit a town, said Fischer, a 35year architect.
Ohio’s historic buildings are worth preserving because they create a sense of place in towns across the state, said a Lorain architect who has worked on restorations around northern Ohio.
Wellington became Ohio’s historic preservation capital for a day for Heritage Ohio’s workshop “Get Hands-On: Caring for Your Elderly Buildings.”
Heritage Ohio coordinates Ohio’s Main Street program to preserve “historic commercial architecture and the fabric of American communities’ built environment,” while enhancing business opportunities for downtown areas of cities and villages.
The workshop was part of Heritage Ohio’s continuing education about the four points in creating a community image: organization, design, promotions and economic development.
It was planned two years ago before the novel coronavirus pandemic, said Jenny Arntz, executive director of Main Street Wellington.
Arntz credited Main Street Medina Executive Director Matt Wiederhold for suggesting holding the event in Wellington — partly because he hoped to tour the historic Village Hall.
The Nord Family Foundation also sponsored the session.
Lorain architect Gary Fischer opened the seminar with his descriptions of working with historic buildings, including the Duane Building, 401 Broadway in downtown Lorain.
Downtown Lorain is like the living room of a community and it is the first thing people see when they visit a town, said Fischer, a 35-year architect.
Heritage Ohio has the best preservation slogan out there — “This place matters,” he said.
Communities like Wellington could cover buildings with vinyl siding and be done, Fischer said.
“But why does this place matter?” he asked. “It’s home, right? Home for a lot of people.”
Looking at Lorain, it’s possible to see the lack of preservation and the benefit of it, Fischer said.
The Duane Building was an abandoned eyesore, but its owner, Lorain businessman Jon Veard, was willing to restore it.
The day Fischer finished his blueprints for the structure, a squatter inside set a fire that badly damaged the top floor, he said.
Historic preservation tax credits helped pay for the restoration, Fischer said.
Owning an old building is a labor of love, he said.
The buildings suffer from two major factors: water and movement.
Sealing a roof will cure a myriad of problems, Fischer said.
But finding the causes of troubles sometimes is like a forensic exam to discover why something happened or some work was done, he said.
In a current project, the owners of two historic barns in central Ohio are spending more to restore them than the cost of a new one, Fischer said.
The owners care about saving them, he said.
For anyone thinking about purchasing a historic building, Fischer suggested working with an architect early on in the process.
The insights can be valuable — and sometimes the advice is “run away,” when a building is too far gone to save, he said.
The program drew about three dozen people from communities around Ohio.
Speakers included Frances Jo Hamilton, revitalization director of Heritage Ohio, and Lindsay Jones, owner of Columbus-based Blind Eye Restoration.
True to its name, the seminar included handson presentations from contractors who showed tools and materials used for repairing windows, woodwork, masonry and metal.
On Oct. 1 and 2, Main Street Wellington will host the Fall in Love with Wellington festival, along with the F1rst Fr1day downtown party, with sidewalk sales and child-friendly activities.
More information is at mainstreetwellington.org. Heritage Ohio will hold its annual conference Oct. 18-20 in Springfield. More information is available at heritageohio.org.