of Chillicothe, Ross County & South-Central Ohio
of Chillicothe, Ross County & South-Central Ohio from Preservation News 6, April 2004I worte this back in March and April of 2004. I am on the record as saying this, and so I reprint my commentary - however billious - verbatim.
A year after this city's participation in the state's bicentennial - a month and a half after Statehood Day - less than a month before the inaugural "History Day" celebration in downtown Chillicothe - another act of barbarism perpetrated by those who believe they are above the law and personally act in the public's best interest.
They won't listen, will they?
Irreplaceable, unique, significant. Officially recognized, legally protected, officially (supposedly) reviewed.
But no, to them it's an ugly eyesore, beyond hope, not worth an investment, in the way of modern conveniences.
The demolition of the two little Greek Revival land offices on West Second Street in Chillicothe testifies to the ignorance, small-mindedness, arrogance, and contempt - in belief and action - here in Ohio's first capital.
The treatment of the two buildings broke three laws, in my opinion:
The Design Review Board decision to approve demolition was a farce. The official decision of the DRB in permitting demolition stated that the buildings were not architecturally or historically significant - and yet the architectural and historical value of these buildings have been clearly acknowledged and unquestioned since at least the 1940s. * (If the DRB hadn't granted their spurious approval for demolition, the buildings would probably still be here).
The demolition happened in the face of a restraining order delivered by a county judge, which make the perpetrators unquestionably in contempt of court. Any statement that decision was unknown to the owner is either a bold lie or grievous negligence.
When I saw them that afternoon, the ruins were presided over by a diesel excavator, parked there like a snarling guard dog frozen in time. I surveyed the crumpled lumber and brick, window glass and iron fence, and detected that characteristic odor of architectural execution: a strong musky smell of age-old dust disturbed by split wood and fractured mortar suddenly torn out of place - a fragrance detectible too often in this architectural treasure house of a town.
Is this a war of cultures? Idealist "Preservationists" with our dreams of a traditional, pleasant, attractive town fighting with the "Progressives" and their dreams of constant economic progress, land development, increased accessibility and transportation, growing population, and constant change? It is the overeducated optimists and dreamers fighting the ignorant cynics and fatalists? Is it the community-minded voluntary poor faithful fighting with the power-brokering extreme capitalists?
Does civic health - wellness of the community - mean respect and acknowledgement of history, or does civic health mean construction, replacement, revision, profit?
Neither are wholly wrong - nor wholly right.
They are two polarities that must meet in a healthy middle ground.
I sent this news release to the media after the demolition:
The buildings demolished Tuesday, April 20th, 2004 at 64 and 70 West Second Street in Chillicothe were two small, one-story wooden offices with rear additions. The offices dated to the 1840s, and were outbuildings for the predecessor to the Poland House.
They were used as business offices for land surveyors, a longstanding profitable occupation in this area starting with such local figures as Nathaniel Massie, Thomas Worthington, and Duncan McArthur. In 1852 the "Great Fire" destroyed a fourth of Chillicothe at that time, including the main house, but the offices survived, including one which is currently in use across the street at 75 W. Second, and at 72 W. Second one beside the two that was demolished about ten years ago.
The architectural and historical value of these buildings have been clearly acknowledged and unquestioned since at least the 1940s. Admired for their Greek Revival styling, they were featured in an article on Chillicothe in The American Antiques Journal in 1947 (May issue, page 7).
One of the offices was illustrated an ideal example of Chillicothe architectural styles in the 1976 booklet by Lazlo Koe-Krompecher. More recently, they were mentioned in John Grabb's 1989 book on the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad (pages 11-12).
The buildings were also noted in an expert assessment of the historic architecture of Chillicothe by Walter E. Langsam of the University of Cincinnati, who teaches courses in Western, British, American, Modern, and Cincinnati Architecture, the History of Interior Design, Historic Preservation, and American Art. He wrote that
Chillicothe also has much significant and interesting vernacular architecture - the "ordinary" types of building that often are taken for granted but can tell us so much about the development of a community. For instance, there are...the surviving pair of offices that resemble miniature Greek Temples on West Second Street...
The buildings were previously spruced up at no cost to the owner by preservationists a few years ago, but have been vacant and otherwise unmaintained for more than ten years.
If there is anything members of the DRB should remember now from Mr. Wasniewski's talk in February (which I summarized in that newsletter), It is that the members of a review board are also personally responsible for decisions that they make in that government body.
Yes, we still have property rights. However, those rights are regulated for the common good. Like an unfenced swimming pool, a stack of tires holding pools of malarial water, an unsecured construction site, or a derelict car on the street, the Design Review ordinance has been established for the public benefit.
