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Media contacts: Kim Schuette: 614.297.2314 or kschuette@ohiohistory.org
Glenna Hoff: 740.373.3750 or 800.860.0145 or ghoff@ohiohistory.org
For Immediate Release
Pilot Project To Benefit Ohio Communities in Saving Mid-20th-Century Architecture
(Columbus, Ohio) - The Ohio Historical Society announced today at Carillon Historical Park that the city of Dayton and the surrounding communities of Fairborn, Kettering, Huber Heights, Oakwood, Trotwood and Vandalia have been selected for a pilot history-architecture survey documenting the historic themes and buildings of the mid-20th century, from 1940-1970. In the Greater Dayton area, the project, Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past, will produce previously unrecorded information about housing, subdivisions, public and commercial buildings and the work of area builders, developers and architects.
"We’re excited to launch this first-of-its-kind study in the greater Dayton area," said Bill Laidlaw, state historic preservation officer as well as executive director and CEO of the Ohio Historical Society. "The city and surrounding suburbs had a boon of construction in the mid-20th century, so it’s fitting that these communities were selected for a pilot survey of historic properties from this time period."
The Ohio Historical Society’s Ohio Historic Preservation Office will coordinate the study through two-year National Park Service Preserve America grant of $87,656, and matching funds. Partners in supporting this project include the Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Department of Development, Ohio Humanities Council, the city of Dayton, and the University of Dayton. In addition to the survey component, the Ohio Modern initiative includes preparing a statewide historic context document outlining the important social, political and economic trends that shaped land use decisions, architectural styles, property types and building technology in Ohio from 1940-1970.
According to Barbara Powers, who oversees the Ohio Historic Inventory, Ohio Archaeological Inventory and the National Register of Historic Places programs, and who will direct the project for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, most historic preservation efforts to date have been focused on properties that were built before 1920. As a result, buildings from the more recent past are being destroyed to make way for new development before we understand their historic, cultural and architectural significance.
"Many times these more recent historic structures are torn down to make way for larger, newer developments with no regard as to why Americans built them in the first place," Powers said. "The Ohio Modern project that will begin to document culturally significant architecture from this period to ensure that agencies, local governments and community planners have the knowledge necessary to make appropriate decisions regarding these resources. It will also aid property owners, scholars, historical societies, historic preservation, community groups and the general public in having a better sense of the importance and architectural legacy of this time period in Ohio."
Ohio Modern will directly benefit Dayton and the surrounding suburban communities with information about how to recognize significant mid-20th century properties associated with post World War II historic events and architectural trends. Ohio Modern will also serve as a model for communities throughout Ohio to begin
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identifying and evaluating similar architecture and neighborhoods. The information resulting from Ohio Modern will be used for nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places and for informed decision making for education, tourism and economic development projects.
The 30-year span, from 1940-1970, was a time of great change defined by the end of World War II, modern architecture, the Baby Boom, a tremendous expansion in suburban neighborhoods and the construction of the interstate highway system. Between 1950-1960, Ohio’s population increased by 22 percent and more than 1.8 million homes were constructed, including 127,000 in Montgomery County alone. Ohio was a significant leader in manufacturing and industry. It was a period that transformed the state’s cities and towns, suburbs and landscapes, and continues to define Ohio today.
Dayton, a Preserve America Community, and the six adjacent communities were proposed because they exemplify the post-war explosion of development during this optimistic time in the nation’s and Ohio’s history. Communities such as Dayton experienced an increase in population from returning veterans and the migration of workers from elsewhere – all seeking jobs in the booming industrial and manufacturing sectors. Much of this dramatic growth was defined by suburban residential developments that resulted in changes in land use, increased housing, the need for more schools, and changes in commercial architecture – most dramatically the rise of shopping plazas and centers.
Less than 1 percent of the built environment from these 30 years has been recorded in the Ohio Historic Inventory, leaving the period of greatest impact with the least amount of research and documentation. Information gathered from the survey is expected to record approximately 500 representative historic properties in Dayton, Fairborn, Huber Heights, Kettering, Oakwood, Trotwood and Vandalia to the Ohio Historic Inventory.
The history-architecture survey will begin this month and be completed by June 30, 2010. The team of consultants performing the survey includes: Steven Avdakov, Heritage Architectural Associates; Kathy Mast Kane, Historic Preservation Consultant; and Nathalie Wright, Historic Preservation Consultant.
Additionally, Ohio Modern will chronicle individuals, families, and companies that designed, developed and built these structures and subdivisions. Interviewing the local builders, contractors and real estate developers responsible for the construction of the era provides a rare opportunity to tap into the memories and knowledge of the very individuals and companies that shaped the places where people lived, worked and shopped.
In addition to the Ohio Historic Inventory forms, reports will be published of both the pilot survey project and the statewide historic context study. These reports will be shared broadly with preservation and development-related groups in the Miami Valley and throughout Ohio. The results of the Ohio Modern project components will be introduced at a public forum in Dayton and posted on the Ohio Historical Society’s web site.
"The city of Dayton and Dayton Preservation, Inc., have expressed the need for this project," Laidlaw said. "The study will be the first step to prevent additional significant loss to the city’s architectural, industrial and cultural heritage from this time period. By surveying buildings from the recent past, Dayton can be an example to other Ohio communities and to work toward rehabilitation and revitalization of neighborhoods."
For more information about Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past, contact the Ohio Historic Preservation Office at 614-298-2000.
The Ohio Historic Preservation Office works to preserve Ohio’s historic resources through activities, such as identifying historic properties and nominating them to the National Register of Historic Places, certifying federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credit projects, providing technical assistance on historic preservation
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issues, qualifying communities for the Certified Local Governments program, administering a competitive grants program, reviewing more than 6,000 federally-assisted projects a year to ensure that alternatives are considered in any action that may affect properties listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology and natural history. For more information about the Ohio Historical Society and its programs, call 614.297.2300/800.686.6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org.
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Theses Dayton houses of the recent past are representative of those found in the survey area. Photos courtesy of the city of Dayton.
Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past Highlights:
- Pilot survey project will identify and evaluate mid-20th century architecture in selected neighborhoods in the Dayton and likely surrounding suburban communities of Fairborn, Kettering, Huber Heights, Oakwood, Trotwood and Vandalia. Survey will document 500 properties on the Ohio Historic Inventory form.
- Historic survey report that includes the research design, summary of the survey methodology, brief outline of historical development of survey areas, bibliography, maps of overall survey area and specific subdivisions surveyed, assessment of the significance of the inventoried properties based upon National Register criteria and integrity requirements and a list of properties/districts that may qualify for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
- Summary of oral interviews with local developers, builders, community leaders representing historic themes and construction activity associated with the survey areas and the broad themes identified in the statewide historic context.
- Statewide historic context publication outlining the important social, political, and economic trends that shaped land use decisions, architectural styles, property types and building technology in Ohio from 1940-1970.
- Public forum in Dayton to share the results of the history-architecture survey and the statewide historic context document; results of the Ohio Modern projects will be posted on the Ohio Historical Society’s web site.
- Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past is funded by a Preserve America grant from the National Park Service with matching support from the Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Department of Development, Ohio Humanities Council, City of Dayton and University of Dayton.
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