Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun has provided complete coverage of the McAdams Building since it suffered extensive water damage in 2010, including its sale and consideration for the National Register.
A prominent downtown building has been recommended by a state panel to be placed on the federal government’s National Register of Historic Places.
The 1921 Edward Wren Company Building, 31 E. High St. — also known as the McAdams building — was one of seven sites considered for the list by the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board. The group voted Friday in favor of recommending the building be placed on the federal list.
The nomination will be reviewed by the Keeper of the National Register, which operates the program for the U.S. Department of the Interior, said Tom Wolfe, Ohio History Connection communications manager.
“If the keeper agrees with the state board that the building meets the criteria, it will be added to the National Register of Historic Places,” Wolf said. “A decision from the keeper is expected in about 90 days.”
The vacant building was nominated for its commercial history in Springfield, according to the Ohio History Connection, the former Ohio Historical Society. It served as the original location of Wren’s Department store from 1924 to 1939 before the business moved to the much larger Bushnell Building on East Main Street.
It remained there until it merged with Indianapolis-based William H. Block Company, and closed in 1987.
The National Register is the federal government’s official list of properties or areas deemed worthy of preservation for their local, state or national historical significance.
Clark County currently has 36 standing and demolished structures listed by the Ohio History Connection, which administers the program for the National Park Service. The list includes both buildings and districts, such as the Westcott House and the South Fountain Historic District.
The McAdams building was purchased last year for $185,000 by Wellington Square, LLC, the real estate arm of the Turner Foundation. The building’s former owner, Jim Lagos, filed demolition plans in November 2014 with the expectation that the land would be converted into a parking lot.
The building was severely damaged by a flood in 2010 while a new sprinkler system was being installed.
It’s likely to be converted into market-rate apartments, according to its owner. By placing the building on the National Register, it can be considered for state and federal historic tax credits. If approved, the organization likely will apply for tax credits early next year.
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