Youngstown 2009 MVHS Historic Preservation Awards

We had the pleasure of attending the Mahoning Valley Historical Society (MVHS) Annual Meeting last night at the Steel Museum, where the 2009 Historic Preservation Award winners were recognized.

I got a look at the plans for the renovation of the planned Mahoning Valley History Center at the Harry Burt/Ross Radio building, and it really lets light into the place. There will be several exhibit spaces, a meeting facility with kitchen, offices, educational spaces and climate-controlled archival storage.

The first award of the night was the Community Revitalization Award which went to the Fallen Fire Fighters Bridge.

The bridge formerly known as the Spring Common Bridge was refurbished and renamed the Fallen Fire Fighter’s Bridge in 2008. The Bridge was designed by the engineering firm of Wilbur Watson and Associates of Cleveland and constructed in 1949 by the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company. The objective of restoration was to enhance the Bridge while preserving the original design, materials and appearance. The deck was replaced; a new sidewalk was constructed with new railings; and structural steel repairs were made to the beams and girders. The structural steel was cleaned and repainted a shade of red that both commemorates the fire fighters and complements the surrounding environs.

The second award was the Commercial Revitalization Award, to architects Ron Faniro, Paul Hagman and Frank Rulli, of the Sweet Jenny Land Company.

Youngstown’s late 19th and early 20th century history of development from a small Midwestern town into a thriving metropolis is well documented by the built environment in its downtown. Stemming from concern of the rapid loss of these assets, the three architects of Faniro Architects formed the Sweet Jenny Land Company for the purpose of rescuing and rehabilitating the John R. Davis Building. Built in 1899 the architects saw this building as an opportunity to save an historic structure and to develop it in such a manner as to serve as a model of a mixed-use, adaptive reuse of a historic urban property. The structure houses a street-level retail space, the offices of Faniro Architects on the second level and a loft-style residence on the upper floor.

The final award was to the Bolan Family for their remarkable effort in rehabilitating the Emerald Street homes you see when driving on the 422 connector east of Wick Avenue. I see these homes almost every day, and they’re a signal throwback to this kind of working-class housing that is so prevalent in the rust belt. Their condition, so highly visible to YSU students and visitors alike, is an important impression, and the Bolan Family is to be commended for their commitment to and personal investment in the project.

Built between 1900 and 1912 presumably by the steel mills as worker homes, the eight remaining row houses along Emerald Street in Smoky Hollow were acquired by the Bolan Family between 1999 and 2008. Four of the homes are completed and occupied my members of the family, while the remaining four are in various stages of rehabilitation. The renovations have been funded completely by the family who want to protect the environment by resuing and recycling materials, restore the homes on the outside to as near as authentic as possible, use local businesses and vendors, and improve the quality of life in Smoky Hollow.

We had the pleasure of sitting next to three of the Bolans at the dinner and were impressed with their stories. When they accepted their award, one family member said, “We are rich, we just don’t have money.” This is so true of our area right now. How can we complain for what we lack when we have families like the Bolans who are dedicating their very lives to the area’s restoration?

Popularity: 48% [?]