Heritage Appreciation Briefs : January 2007

On November 29th, the Ross County Historical Society hosted Jeffrey Darbee and Nancy Recchie for the last talk of the Fall Speakers Series. They are professional preservationists who live in Columbus and work throughout Ohio, and their talk was titled "Communities of Distinction: Using Historic Preservation to Enhance Livability and Spur Economic Development." Ross County Historical Society director Tom Kuhn introduced them as "two of the best authorities on the subject," and said he wanted the talk to help dialogue in Chilicothe.

About 40 people were in attendance. Unfortunately, I did not see any members of the Design Review Board or local government, or any prominent businesspeople in attendance.

With gracious permission from News Director Mike Smith, I quote the text from the radio stories I recorded for Chillicothe Clear Channel radio stations WKKJ, WBEX, and WCHI.

Historic Preservation is not about living in the past, it's about economic development - that was part of the message heard at the Ross County Historical Society Wednesday night.

Columbus preservationists Nancy Recchie and Jeffrey Darbee spoke about what they call "Communities of Distinction" - places whose uniqueness makes them valuable in a cookie-cutter world. They feel our town is one of those.

Recchie said "Chillicothe has all of the elements to be a community that stands out - for livability, economic development...You have so many economic resources. But its going to take a real concerted effort to make sure that as the community changes and evolves, you don't sacrifice that character."

And what is preservation? Recchie gave a definition that might be surprising: "Preservation is really about managing change. Its about looking at what you have, what the assets are, what makes your community unique - and protecting those, and using those as the springboard for the future."

Darbee and Recchie have visited many towns. Some of them have caught their eye because of the uniqueness of the place - its friendliness to pedestrians, the rich architecture, the comfortable feel. Jeffrey Darbee says Chillicothe is one of those places. But, "the challenge to the community is how do you recognize these elements, knit them together, make sure people appreciate all of these qualities in a way, and protect these qualities in a way, that continue to make it a livable and desirable community."

Darbee feels the Carlisle Building is an important part of that community. "It is certainly a pivital building in the streetscape of the community. Were that building to be lost, it would be a serious blow to the integrity, the character, the quality of downtown Chillicothe. For those reasons, I think it worth a special efort."

Darbee and Recchie are Columbus preservationists who are impressed with Chillicothe's potential. They've helped many places preserve and build on their historic character, creating even more livable communities. "Its clear that people in Chillicothe care about their community. They want a livable community, they want a desirable community, they're proud to show it to family and friends...they want a high quality of life."

What about the Carlisle Building, a hot preservation topic in Chillicothe? Recchie says "it is the most important intersection, its an important building, it maintains the scale of your downtown, and this community ought to do whatever it can to figure out a new use for it and try to preserve that building."

A husband and wife business team, Recchie and Darbee have each spent more than 30 years helping successful preservation projects. Their talk was the final one in the fall speakers series at the historical society.

Loren Genson of the Chilliciothe Gazette spoke with the two and wrote the story "City must stop tearing down its historic buildings." That story also helped fire up recent Design Review Board appointee Tom Castor to write a letter to the editor criticising preservationists in Chillicothe, which I respond to in this newsletter.

Nancy Recchie and Jeffrey Darbee live in German Village in southern Columbus, and are the co-authors of Images of America: German Columbus and the upcoming AIA Guide to Columbus.

The League of Women Voters is continuing a dicussion on community development that will lead to a "Town Meeting" March 27th. Their interests in this program include "the historical and geographical factors, the social and economic impact, the legal and political considerations, and future goals" of community development in Chillicothe and Ross County. Already they have hosted guests in two meetings to explore the topic.

On October 24th, the topic was historic preservation and promotion. Kyrsten Vogel of the Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau spoke on her role of promoting tourism to Ross County. Nancy Recchie, a Columbus preservation consultant, spoke on historic preservation and its economic value. Tony Eollonardo, Franklin Conaway, and Joy Gough also added to that discussion. (Joe Molnar, chairman of the Design Review Board, was unable to attend that night.)

On November 28th, the topic was an "economic and political forecast and overview." Jeff Spencer spoke of his role in the Appalachian Regional Commission and Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission. Chris Manegold of the newly created Economic Development Alliance of Southern Ohio explained his duty to foster job creation in the area. Doug Corcoran represented the Ross County Commissioners. And Joe Molnar, chairman of the Design Review Board, spoke on his duties.

Plenty of time was allowed for discussion after the speakers introduced themselves and explained their duties, and an outline of the talk was made for the LWV on a large easel notepad. Some pertinent comments I noted from the two sessions are below.

• 1,300,000 people visited Ross County in 2005, contributing $149,000,000 to the local economy. Overnight visitors spent $175 and day-trippers spent $98 a day.


• Kyrsten Vogel would like to offer hospitality training for "first stop" places, where visitors get their first impression or introduction to the area. This would involve a one-day seminar on a bus with an abbreviated tour of attractions.


• The main frustration with marketing the area as a tourist destination is there is a lack of partnering and communication among attractions and businesses.


• "Heritage Tourism" is very popular, where travellers want to experince a sense of place. They spend more on average than typical tourists.


• In the "Main Street" historic preservation / economic development program, every $1 of public money garners $27 of private money. Chris Manegold said "why not" to the idea of Chillicothe entering the program.


• In Chillicothe there is a fear of loosing power and independance by entering programs such as the Main Street program.


• The Chillicothe Design Review Board tends to operate from a fear of disinvestment in the downtown.


• Nancy Recchie suggests 'If you don't have the self respect to set and keep guidelines, why should I care about or invest in your community?'


• Think thematically - think in terms of links. For example, the "Underground Railroad" is a link between counties.


• The built environment - the buildings and their arrangement - is a backdrop for tourism. When you loose it, there is no replacing it.


• Historic buildings should be seen as a resource that can be capitalized upon with adaptive reuse. There should be a plan to make a feasibility study of all downtown building stock.


• The key to effective tourism is "finding what is especially special."


• Chillicothe has "incredible architecture." Franklin Conaway shared a story about conference in Cincinnati where attendees come to Chillicothe on a bus tour. Many missed their flights becase they wanted to stay and see more of the town.


• What Tony Eollonardo sees of Chillicothe in 5 years is a downtown hotel, a rebuilt canal, inhabited upstairs, and planned parking.


• Nancy Reccie said that Columbus' North Market was saved by an anonymous person with resources who took key city officiasls on a tour of other cities' redeveloped city markets. After that, there was no question that the North Market deserved saving.


• What is the difference among "restoration," "preservation," "conservation," and such a group as the Design Review Board? The National Park Service, which coordinates the National Register of Historic Places and the Main Street Program, has good explanations on its website.


• Architectural review protects investment - the biggest increase of real estate value is in reviewed communities, such as German Village.


• The Appalachian Regional Development Commission's current project is a Native American-themed tour, which will include a CD-ROM and booklet. They are working with the Ohio Historical Society, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, "Tecumseh!," and others.


• Joe Molnar feels Chillicothe needs a plan to follow. The downtown is at a crossroads. We can have a downtown where peope can live and work and enjoy...


• Joe Molnar also feels the unfinished Carlisle Building is an asset, but also an albatross.


• He feels we need to get downtown owners and merchants in one room to talk. There was a downtown summit 6 weeks ago.


• Jeff Spencer said that we need "spark plugs" - people who activate projects.


• Chris Manegold said that the downtown is a barometer for the city - you get a feel for a town, a visual impression, by touring its historic center.


• Chris Manegold said that downtowns are fragile creatures. In order to succeed, you need a manager / director.


• Doug Corcoran's vision of Chillicothe in 5 years is "better and more of the same" - for example, a revised transportation plan that would help the north and west sides.


• Doug Corcoran feels Chillicothe is a hub for south and southeast Ohio.


• Jeff Spencer says there is more planning in Ross County than in all the rest of his southern Ohio district.


• One member was impressed with the tourism marketing of Adams County. Jeff Sencer said 4 years ago they had studies and planning, and decided to focus on encouraging entrepreneurship.

The next League meeting on January 30th, which the public is again welcome to, will focus on social and economic markets. Guests will include the proprietors of Magic Waters Theater; Brad Cosenza of Chilicothe Parks & Recreation; and Marvin Jones of the Chillicothe-Ross Chamber of Commerce.

The culminating event will be a "Town Meeting" 7 p.m. March 27th at the Ross County Historical Society where about 10 experts will meet with 100 members of the community in a discussion facilitated by the LWV.

The town meeting will then be "processed" in the League meeting April 24th by inviting a triad of successful cities or counties to briefly present their histories. Guests will be from Marietta, Logan, and Pickaway County.

The League of Women Voters meet 7 p.m. in the rear of McDonald Financial Group at 37 West Second Street.

(Thanks to Sharon Verhoff for sharing the rubric outlining this effort with me.)

I now have a webbooklet for my one-man consulting company, INTREPID HISTORICAL SERVICES. You can find it starting at < http://www.horizonview.net/~ihs/IHS/IHS.html>. I offer National Register nominations, costumed guided tours of Chillicothe and Ross County, brochures on the historic built environment, slide lectures on local history and architecture, mapping, and more. Especially check out my photography - I'm proud of the selections I have available there.