Here are a few shots of the wonderful houses that I am getting to know in the North Jefferson Street Historic District. Enjoy!
Archive Page 2
29
Mar
09
seen (scene?) in Huntington
One of the very cool things about working with historic structures is the stories that accompany them. ARCH owns the Alexander T. Rankin House in downtown Fort Wayne, and I’ve gotten to know quite a bit about the life of Mr. Alexander T. Rankin, the home’s builder. Rankin was the minister for the Fort Wayne Presbyterian congregation beginning in 1837, and was also deeply involved with abolition activities both locally and regionally. Rankin left Fort Wayne in 1844, and relocated to the Buffalo, NY area.
In 1859, Rankin was sent as a missionary to the west, and kept a diary during his travels. I’ve got a copy, published by the Johnson Publishing Company, of Boulder Colorado, in 1966. Rankin wrote about his first day in Denver, on July 31, 1859. As soon as he arrived, he went to the offices of the newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News, to have an advertisment published announcing the arrival of a minister. Here is how Rankin describes the visit:
“July 31. Went to the printing office to get my appointment announced in the paper–while there a man rushed in, caught the editor (William Byers) by the collar, drew a pistol, & threatened to murder him on spot–[I]got some men to interfere to protect him. One of the employees of the office raised gun to shoot the assailant–instantly half a dozen pistols were drawn…After some time the ruffians returned to the office & fired through the window at the man who raised his gun to protect the editor but missed him, they then mounted their horses & fled, pursued by a number of men who soon came up with one of them whose name was Steele–& one of the persons shot him [in] the head–their horses at the same time being at full speed…a pretty ruff introduction to Denver.”
Mr. Byers’ Rocky Mountain News continued for almost 150 years. It published its last edition today. The Rankin House, on the other hand, is showing off its new storm windows, and geothermal heating system, and preparing for the installation of new, working shutters, in the next few weeks.
posted by Angie
09
Feb
09
The Lincoln Highway in Indiana
Former ARCH staffer Jan Shupert-Arick just announced that her new book The Lincoln Highway across Indiana will be released in mid-April. This will chronicle in vintage photos the route(s) of the first coast-to-coast highway as it made it’s way through northern Indiana. The Lincoln Highway came directly through downtown Fort Wayne before continuing northwest to Churubusco and Beyond! Look for this Arcadia Publishers book this spring. Way to go Jan!!
ARCH will provide Fright Site Hikes of downtown Fort Wayne as part of the Paranormacon Conference, on Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 9:30 pm. Register at www.paranormacon.com.
posted by Angie
26
Jan
09
The Deam Oak
Charles C. Deam (1865-1953) was Indiana’s first State Forester. An “internationally known botanist,” he was a pioneer in the Conservation movement in the state. A native of Bluffton, he discovered this natural cross between two species of Oak in 1904. Acorns from this tree have been systematically spread across the country. I’m including it in the 2008-2009 Resurvey of Wells County that ARCH is currently conducting. I’m also including this photo from the Ball State University archives taken in 1966.
Images prepared for ARCH by Melissa Dunning, 1999
The Eavey’s grocery store on Decatur Road, Fort Wayne, opened on July, 31, 1956, and ever since, the Eavey/Scotts Cornucopia sign has been a beloved and familiar landmark on Fort Wayne’s south side. Although it is not the original sign—the sign and lighting were completely replaced in 1992, but the support structure is original—the sign is a significant local landmark. As one of the last of the grand “spectacular” signs of the 1950s, the cornucopia stands 70 feet tall, and formerly was made of porcelain coated steel, with neon lights outlining each fruit and vegetable. In 1992, the sign was replaced with a new metal sign, which did not include new neon outlining the produce. As a community landmark, however, the changes are almost imperceptible, and the sign is every bit as loved now as it was loved in 1992.
However, the removal of the original materials may make preservation efforts difficult. Most funding sources for historic preservation projects require that the building/site/structure be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We’re in the process now of getting a determination of whether the sign is eligible, since the sign materials are not original, and are not yet 50 years old—the usual criteria for inclusion on the register.
We’ve also begun investigating whether the sign could be protected through the Fort Wayne Local Historic Preservation Ordinance, which allows property owners to have a special designation—much like a special zoning—that will require that the city’s Historic Preservation Commission review all visible changes to the exterior of a protected resource. As a sign, all of the cornucopia would be subject to review. The main problems with this avenue are that, 1) the owner needs to initiate the designation; and 2) the ordinance marks a specific piece of real estate, and not the historic resource itself. So, in this case, it would involve making the entire Scotts parcel a local historic district. Unfortunately, the store itself has been remuddled so many times it is not architecturally significant at all.
IF the owner would donate the sign, and IF a location for the sign were located, and IF funds were found to pay for its removal and replacement, then it is possible to have the sign protected. As a piece of public art [which it most definitely is] it might then be eligible for Local Historic District protection. Otherwise, we will need to hope that the next owner of the store chooses to keep the sign, as Eavey’s, Scotts, Super Value, and Kroger did while running their grocery store operations in the building.
One other option to consider, should the above fail, is donating the sign to one of the national sign museums (there’s one in Cincinnati) or to a local entity like NATMUS in Auburn, which has collected other local retail signs of the 1950s (though I do not think they have the space).
The ARCH Preservation Committee will discuss the sign, and may propose further action at its meeting later this month.
Thanks to A Child of the Fort and the webmaster at Around the Fort for bringing this issue to the attention of ARCH.
On a personal note: as a child of the south side, myself, the cornucopia has been a most important landmark my entire life. I was in the marching band at Bishop Luers (when they still had one)from 1978-1982, and every practice was timed to the big neon clock on the west side of the store, easily seen from Luer’s football field across the highway. The clock is gone now, too.
posted by Angie
06
Dec
08
Ghost of buildings past
photo by Mary True, History Center
Congratulations to Debra Ann Sorg and Marilyn Scheumann, the Cookie Friends, for their award winning version of the Samuel Hanna Homestead, at the Festival of Gingerbread. The History Center sponsors this wonderful holiday event each year, and every so often a cherished memory of architecture past is included.
I don’t remember the Hanna Homestead. It was undoubtedly the most substantial and significant example of Greek Revival style ever built in Fort Wayne, and was noted as one of the most profound examples in the entire state, by Wilbur Peat in a 1962 publication.
from the ACPL Community Album collection
Owned by FWCS, it was demolished in the mid 1960s, and the site is now Hanna Homestead Park.
The Cookie Friends visited ARCH as they researched and planned their Gingerbread house. Thank You, Debra and Marilyn, for a delicious memory of buildings past.
posted by Angie
TO: HLFI Affiliates and friends of Historic Preservation
FROM: Marsh Davis
Historic Landmarks Foundation’s top legislative priority this year is to seek major substantive changes to Indiana’s Rehabilitation Tax Credit program. Tax credits have proven to be a major incentive for investment in historic properties. Since the Federal tax credits for historic commercial rehabilitation were enacted in 1976, over $40 billion has been invested in preservation project.
Most states have enacted tax credits for commercial rehabilitation to offset state income tax credits. Indiana enacted its credits in the mid-1990s, but our program is fatally flawed because it has an unworkably low annual allocation cap of $450,000. That means very few projects and a twelve year backlog. (If you are awarded the credits today, you can use them in 2019!) States that have tax credit programs with very high or no caps are seeing much investment in historic properties. When state credits (some as high as 40%) are coupled with the Federal credits (20%), the incentive for investors and developers to take on difficult projects is much greater and is often the determining factor in whether a project moves forward or not–i.e., whether a historic building is saved or not.
We need your help as we appeal to the Indiana General Assembly this session to fix our busted tax credit program. You can help us by identifying old buildings that are potential tax credit projects.
These buildings must be:
Income-producing (or income-producing when rehabilitated. Example: an old, unused school that is adapted for rental housing)
Historic ( which means listed in, or eligible for listing in, the National Register of Historic Places. They do not need to be individually listed, but can be part of historic districts. Think courthouse square districts.)
What we are looking for, specifically, are those properties that, in all likelihood, will not be rehabilitated without a major financial incentive such as tax credits. Many communities have empty historic buildings–schools, hospitals, factories, and “Main Street” commercial buildings–that are deteriorating, presenting a negative image for the community, and not contributing to the tax rolls. We need to identify those types of properties–potential tax credit projects–throughout the state so that we can build a case for the need for tax credits.
Our premise is this: tax credits that stimulate investment in Indiana’s historic properties will benefit both state and local economies. The few tax credit projects that have been undertaken in Indiana have yielded a 4:1 return to the state. For every dollar the State offers as a credit, it gets four back in state income tax revenue. Not a bad return! Add to that the residual benefits of jobs, payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, and it looks even better. And then there’s the real reward: preserved historic landmarks and revitalized communities.
Help Historic Landmarks build the case for support for historic preservation through an effective tax credit program. Please send us names and locations of potential projects (a brief description would be helpful) by December 8.
Your help in this effort is essential.
Thank you!
Marsh
Marsh Davis
President
Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
340 West Michigan Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-639-4534
800-450-4534
Fax: 317-639-6734
ARCH vice-president Karen Richards was among the nominees honored today at the Foellinger Foundation’s Carl D. Rolfsen Stewardship Award luncheon. Karen has served on the ARCH board for over 5 years, and has been instrumental in organizing our Holiday Jewels Tour and Feast program, and the new Halloween Ghastly Bash.
posted by angie
27
Oct
08
Duke Tumatoe Rocks for ARCH!
]
I’m exhausted.
Saturday was the big day for halloween in Fort Wayne. First up was assisting with the set-up and meeting the band–Duke Tumatoe and the Power Trio–while they set up for the big costume party. Here’s some shots from the party:
ARCH Board members Jon Allmandinger and Wendy Stein–both not wearing their usual board meeting attire, I should add.
Then it was off to lead a Fright Night walking tour of the best of Fort Wayne’s downtown ghost stories and haunted places. 8 volunteers and Lori and I from the office led almost 200 people through dark streets, alleys, and parks as we discovered how creepy old hanging grounds, lost gravesites, and ghostly spectors can be!
I also narrated one of the Haunted Sites Bus tours, which also sold out. 220 people enjoyed the four trips through some of the earliest battlefields in US history, the sites of horror and mystery, the locations of some of the ghostly appearances of Carole Lombard, and the very odd story of the double burial of Anthony Wayne.
posted by angie
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