“There may have been a time when preservation was about saving an old building here or there, but those days are gone. Preservation is in the business of saving communities and the values they embody.” ~ Richard Moe

District Need More Than a Plaque

When we think of historic districts, we often think of longevity, permanence, endless charm, and well-preserved buildings. As a preservationist, nominating a local or national historic district is incredibly exciting. It feels significantly more impactful than an individual nomination, because as we all know (except perhaps for Robert Venturi), more is better. But at the end of the day, when the plaques have been installed, the gatherings have dispersed, and the banners are down, what ensures the overall longevity of the district 50 years from now?

Antiquing We Will Go

If you live within the Cincinnati area, the City of Lebanon is a must for exploring. Well-known for its hometown charm and vast collection of unique and eclectic architecture styles, the City of Lebanon is a treasure in southwest Ohio. With four nationally listed historic districts, one local historic overlay district, and numerous buildings listed on the National Register, this small city makes a big impact. The picturesque city offers glimpses into the past through its remarkably preserved downtown and historic attractions such as the Golden Lamb, the Carnegie Library, the Glendower Historic Mansion and Arboretum, the Harmon Museum, and the LMM Railroad. My personal favorites include the Village Parlor -think mouthwatering milk shakes - and of course my husband and I never leave empty handed after visiting the Broadway Antique Mall. As citizens and tourists walk along the pristine streets popping in and out of shops, I wonder if they ever truly appreciate the value of historic districts or understand what it takes to sustain a thriving community within one.

Beyond the Boundary

The City of Lebanon is successful because the residents continue to invest in their community while honoring their past. It’s a fine balance but whatever is worth saving, is worth saving well. (Shot out to Philip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield who wrote, “Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well,” in 1774.) When the City of Lebanon reached out to our Preservation Department, it was another indication that the community of Lebanon is deeply invested in their community. The current boundary and historic standards of the district have remained unchanged since they were implemented in the 1990s. With the recent surge in demolition permits and new construction, the City of Lebanon recognized that it was time to re-examine their existing historic overlay district. As we all know, outside of the architectural software we use, there is no “undo” command after a building has been demolished. It takes generations for a community to develop character and only a moment to destroy it.

The Preservation Department at MSA Design approached the overlay district assessment like the way one would nominate a new district. As you may have predicted from my milkshake and antique addictions, I was the first to raise my hand to volunteer to complete a visual and photographic survey of the area. Our team began by completing a visual survey of the existing district as well as the peripheral edges. We documented areas of infill, demolition, and made note of areas that represent a high level of historic integrity. Our goal was to confirm that the integrity of the existing district had been maintained and secondly, we wanted to identify areas outside the district that we felt contributed to the overall historic character of the city and should be included within the boundary. I think it’s important to note that district boundaries are not set in stone (pun intended). Our communities are living organisms that are complex and unique to each time period. What worked 20+ years ago is not necessarily what is best for our communities today as we gain more knowledge about preservation and future needs. With the realization that many buildings adjacent to the existing district are representational of the city’s earliest growth and retain the overall historic feel and visual character of the community, MSA Design proposed an expansion of the existing district. MSA Design, along with a group of fantastic stakeholders, came up with a draft map proposing areas that have the strongest sense of architectural cohesiveness and historic integrity outside the overlay district. This map was publicly shared with the community, and though not everyone agreed with the expansion, it was wonderful to see so many citizens thrilled that their property would be considered significant enough to be a part of the district.

When You Don’t Need to be The Golden Lamb

While we were confident about the boundary expansion, questions remained about the effectiveness of the historic standards. We were proposing a large increase in size to their existing district, and we needed to know if these new buildings fit within the existing framework. The original overlay district was developed using a method that was designed as a one size fits all approach to preservation. For example, if you own a home on the north side of the city that has that has undergone modifications over the years but still retains enough integrity to be considered a contributing building to the district, the owner would be obligated to follow the same set of guidelines as the owner of the Golden Lamb. Our preservation department began to think creatively and evaluated the historic standards from a new perspective. Abandoning the one size fits all approach, we wanted to come up with a set of standards that allowed for flexibility, clearer guidelines, placed more focus on prominent buildings, and less restrictions of non-prominent buildings. A modern trend emerging within historic standards is the implementation of a hierarchy or classification system. Hierarchy systems work very well within communities that have a wide range of buildings ranging from historic landmark status to buildings that are less prominent. This allows communities to focus their preservation efforts on more noteworthy buildings while lessening the burden on non-prominent buildings. Our recommendations proposed a three-tiered classification system that identifies buildings as either Tier 1 (High-Impact), Tier 3 (Medium-Impact), and Tier 3 (Low-Impact). The City of Lebanon is hoping to take the revised district map and classification system to City Council in the fall of 2024.

See the link below for additional information:

[https://www.lebanonohio.gov/departments/planning___development/aro_district_update.php]