Highlands HIstoric District

Should Jeff Michel be nominated for Middletowns next elected Mayor?.  He has beeen here 3 and 1/2 years and seems to have a lot going for him!  1. To do away with the Ward system.  Now he is pushing Highlands Historic District, which will qualify them for HUD and CDBG Funds, and suggest a Lake be built upon the Hill to hekp Beautify the Landmark Area.

I agree with 'The Weaver.'  Why not revitalize the former Middletown Regional Hospital property with mixed-income rental housing.  Utilize architecturally compatible designs so that the NIMBY residents of the Highlands Historic District will not object to this new construction.  What do you think about that Sammie?? 

I just love it when all these people talk about saving historic buildings (their own) and the history of Middletown when they can’t even save the cemetery that was established in 1827.

Miss Vivian -

CHAPTER 1210:  HISTORIC PRESERVATION

1210.01  POLICY AND PURPOSE.

 

The City hereby declares as a matter of public policy that the preservation, protection, perpetuation and use of areas, places, structures, works of art or similar objects having a special historical or aesthetic interest or value are a public necessity and are required in the interest of the health, prosperity, safety and welfare of the people. (Webster Dictionary – necessity – 1. the state or fact of being inevitable or necessary. 2. something essential, esp. to existence. 3. poverty; great need. 4. compulsion.)
The purpose of this chapter is to:

 

(a)     Preserve and protect the heritage of the City by delineating structures, sites and areas that reflect the City’s cultural, social, economic and architectural history;

 

(b)     Stabilize and improve property values;

 

(c)     Protect and enhance the City’s attractions to residents, tourists and visitors, and to encourage business and industry;

 

(d)     Foster civic pride in the beauty and notable accomplishments of the past;

 

(e)     Strengthen the economy of the City;

 

(f)      Protect and enhance the visual and aesthetic character, diversity and interest in the City;

 

(g)     Promote the use and preservation of historic sites and structures for the education and general welfare of the residents of the City;

 

(h)     Safeguard the property rights of the owners whose property is declared to be an historic site or is located in an area designated as an historic district;

 

(i)      Develop appropriate settings for designated historic sites or historic districts; and

 

(j)      Establish a Council on Landmarks and Historic Districts.

(Ord. O91‑19, passed 3‑5‑1991)

Bobbie - Here are just a few:

A lot of homes in this new district were owned by some of Middletown’s most prominent industrial and business leaders—at the local, state and national level.

For example:
7 Alameda Circle was built around 1915 by Charles R Hook, who was Chairman of ARMCO. Hook was married to the daughter of ARMCO’s founder, George M. Verity.

In addition to his career at ARMCO, Hook was also instrumental in helping to establish Junior Achievement as a national organization. Indeed, the national organization has an annual award named after him-it is actually the organization’s highest honor. This was taken from a press release:

The Hook Award is named after Charles R. Hook, an industrialist who served as president and chairman of Junior Achievement during the 1940s and 1950s. Under Hook’s leadership, Junior Achievement grew from a regional program in the northeastern U.S. into a national organization.

Hook also served as president of the National Association of Manufacturers, chairman of National Bible Association, trustee of America’s Future, Inc. and on the Board of Directors of several companies

Finally, Hook as been named on the 20th Century’s Great American Business Leaders by the Harvard Business School.

http://www.hbs.edu/leadership/database/leaders/charles_r_hook.html

You can read more about Charles R Hook. His biography is titled “The Human Touch in Business.”

Another ARMCO Chairman, Logan T. Johnson, lived on McGee. Jeff Michel’s home on Florence belonged to yet another ARMCO official, Middletown native W. W. Sebald, who served as President and Vice Chairman.    
The Aull/Driscoll families owned several homes in the districts as well. The Aull/Driscolls were loosely connected to the Sorg family. Grace Aull was married to Paul A. Sorg, son of Paul J. Sorg. He died at a young age, and the couple did not have any children. Grace inherited the Sorg Paper Company, and the Aull side of her family (later Driscolls) would run and control the Sorg Paper Company before it was sold to a national company.

Yet another home was owned by Ames Gardner who was part of the Gardner family, who owned a major paper concern in Middletown.

The homeowners are working hard to collect their individual stories. These are just the few that I know. I fully support their efforts to preserve this part of Middletown’s history.

Mike

There are remedies to the points raised above. Firstly, Ms. Moon, I applaud your efforts and impetus to protect historic interests. I do however feel after reading the city ordinance, I'm sure it supports a plausible argument the landmark at the cemetary has been determined or so named as historically significant. I'm sure the O.R.C. does a better job no?

As for the Highlands district, it obviously is an overly zealous effort by Mr. Kohler to protect the interests of the docs, and others around that area and if they can secure low interst grants, loans, that's not going to sit well with others who also have nice homes. I know of at least one new construction near Dan Ward in that area. The biger question is why did only 3 show up to support it, and no one that had objection did? Were there no notifcations? I want my Williamsburg replication cul de sac to be named "Antrim Estates District" in honor of the road taking golfers to St. Andrews as Mr. Kohler seems partial to Scottish landmarks. Or, perhaps it could be called the Downing District. For those in opposition, it could easily be brought down by council.

If I read the ordidance correctly, I assume the vault has not been named a landamrk. Then, the question becomes, how does it become a landmark. Do you need signatures or a motion by counil. Once you establish that, then its a landamrk of significance. Would that not be an easier route to take? At this juncture, I doubt if you'd have the votes to have it named a landmark on council.      

Kohler decides too much in this town. That's part of the reason why it's in the condition it's in. With Kohler (and Mulligan) living in a designated historic district themselves, isn't it a conflict of interest for him to determine which areas of Middletown are historic? Should he be involved with making decisions with respect to historic areas especially when it involves money allocations to these areas as with South Main St.??? He benefitted by living in the South Main area by receiving money for his property didn't he? Did he have a hand in this decision and, if so, is this ethical? Are there credentials that one must have to determine what is historic or not or does the city just "deem" someone able to determine historic criteria? What are Kohler/Ashworth's credentials that make them the "historic area designators"? Are there legal guidelines to determine who is qualified and, if so, are they being followed in this city? If not, is there any legal recourse? If Kohler and Ashworth are making decisions that involve the use of taxpayer money- be it local, state or federal money- shouldn't the public be allowed to challenge those decisions? Where is the balance to all of this?

Ahh Wasteful
Now we are to the meat of the problem…If the City had been taking care of the cemetery the Vault would not need to be restored...If the City had been taking care of the cemetery it would not have become an unsightly weed field littered with broken stones and  I wouldn’t have spent the last 5 years and a bunch of money cleaning the mess up….If your family was buried in this cemetery it would really matter to you.

 

sj, point well made. The floodgates will open. I recall my home was built by a gentleman who's family had four generations of read admirals that went back to the McCain family, hence, my home and neighborhood must therefore be historic. I've given this more thought. I like the name of Monticello District in honor of the builder of the houses in my neighborhood from Virginia. How is "historic" defined? Is it by age? Mine's 50 years old, so what's the cut-off. And what about the modern homes built in Highland Park? Are just victorian homes deemed historic? Or should the Frank Lloyd Wright look house designed by the Tasmanain Architectural group out of Scottsdale be deemed historic. Well, I have my neighborhood earmarked. I know Currier & Thornhill will want theirs branded. And of course, DaVinci will want theirs marked historic, especially with the age of the oak trees. 

This may be said another post; if so, I missed it - for those of you who wanted the old hospital's little brick wall torn down (corner of Florence and Sherman), the reason it is staying up is because that is the wall where the Highlands Historic District plaquard will be displayed...just rumor at this point...