Springfield Register of Historic Properties
The following districts and buildings are on the local register by the Springfield Historic Landmarks Commission:
•The South Fountain Preservation Area
•The East High Street District
•The former Springfield News-Sun building, 202 N. Limestone St.
•Fellowship Spring Hill, 714 N. Limestone St., formerly known as Church of God Sanctified, Third Presbyterian Church or Northminster Presbyterian Church
•The Bushnell Building, 14 E. Main St. and 16-18 N. Fountain Ave., formerly Wren’s Department Store
•Pennsylvania House, 1311 W. Main St.
•IOOF Home for the Aged, 404 E. McCreight Ave.
•Wittenberg University’s Myers Hall
•The Heritage Center, 117 S. Fountain Ave., formerly known as The Marketplace
Formerly listed, now demolished
•The Arcade Building, located on the southeast corner of East High Street and South Fountain Avenue
•Clark County Veterans Memorial Hall, 300 W. Main St.
•Innisfallen Greenhouse/C.A. Reeser House, believed to be the site of the first successful mail-order nursery
Working list
The following structures were listed as potential targets for the local register:
•Key Bank, 1 S. Fountain Ave.
•Regent Theatre, 117 S. Limestone St.
•Hotel Shawnee, 102 E. Main St.
•Fairbanks Building, 4 W. Main St., currently known as Hull Plaza
•Starret and Fried Building, E. Main St.
•A.B. Graham Building, 31 N. Limestone St.
•U.S. Post Office, 150 N. Limestone St.
•Covenant Presbyterian Church, 201 N. Limestone St.
•Clark County Court House, 101 N. Limestone St.
•Charles A. Cregar House, 483 Park Place
•David and Julia Gotwald House, 505 N. Fountain Ave.
•King-Gotwald House, 1 Ferncliff Place
•Mary B. Gotwald House, 515 N. Fountain Ave.
•Hezekiah and Nancy Geiger House, 469 Woodlawn Ave.
•St. John Lutheran Church, 27 N. Wittenberg Ave.
•Crowell-Collier Building, 200 W. High St.
•First Lutheran Church, 30 S. Wittenberg Ave.
•Masonic Temple, 126 W. High St.
•Ferncliff Cemetery Caretaker’s House
•Champion Machine Company Warehouse, Linden and Monroe, now known as Champion Chemical
•Second Lutheran Church, 705 Linden Ave.
•St. Joseph Catholic Church, 819 Kenton St.
•Hattie Moseley House, 645 W. Grand Ave.
•Hartman Rock Garden, 1905 Russell Ave.
•Odd Fellows Home, 404 E. McCreight Home
•Wren House, 1115 N. Limestone St.
•Hughes House, N. Limestone St.
•Snyder Park
•Former Springfield High School
•Gammon House, 620 Piqua Place
•Center Street YMCA
•Lustron Houses, multi-property
•Mast Mansion, 910 W. High St., also known as Castle Knoll
•Zimmerman Library, Wittenberg University
•Recitation Hall, Wittenberg University
•Weaver Chapen, Wittenberg University
Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun has reported extensively on the debate about historic preservation and downtown buildings, including recent stories on demolitions and changes to tax incentives for downtown.
About 40 Springfield structures are being considered for potential inclusion on the local historic register.
A working list was released at the Springfield Landmarks Commission meeting Monday night. The commission is expected to review the list and get more input from other local historians and preservationists before the next meeting May 11.
The commission may make recommendations for the Springfield Register of Historic Properties later this year. If listed, no exterior changes could be made to a property without the consent of the the commission.
The list is a starting point for the discussion moving forward and is largely based on architectural significance, said local historian Kevin Rose, who was asked to help the commission compile the working list. Other important structures based on historic and archaeological significance will also be considered.
The commission is working to find experts on certain topics.
“It really needs time for a group to analyze it,” Rose said.
The Springfield Register of Historic Properties has 12 historic structures and districts listed, but three have since been demolished — Clark County Veterans Memorial Hall, the Arcade Building and the Innisfallen Greenhouse/C.A. Reeser House.
In December, the original portion of the former Springfield News-Sun building, 202 N. Limestone St., was placed on the local registry, the first addition since 1986. Cox Media Group sold the building in February 2014 to Lagos Apartments IV Inc. The News-Sun now operates out of 1 S. Limestone St., Suite 1010, in downtown Springfield.
The commission is also looking to represent Springfield’s African American history, Rose said. The initial list released in 1985 wasn’t comprehensive, he said. Several important aspects of Springfield’s history, including its African American heritage and industrial factories, weren’t represented.
The list is designed to show which buildings have enough importance to be considered a landmark, Rose said. But not every building on the list can be saved, he added. An example is the Crowell-Collier Building, which is currently undergoing a court-ordered demolition to certain buildings.
“We’re not saying they can be saved or that we’re making the case for adaptive reuse,” Rose said. “We’re just saying they should be saved, if possible.”
Several government-owned buildings were recommended as landmarks, including the post office in downtown Springfield and the former Springfield High School. While the buildings are exempt from landmark requirements, they could be added to the register with honorary status.
Other buildings, including St. Raphael’s Church and the Westcott House, are already protected as part of the East High Street Historic District, but could also be nominated as individual landmarks.
“It’s part of the district, but to me (the Westcott House) is one of our most important pieces of architecture and one of the most important works of architecture in Ohio,” Rose said.
Board member Melissa Tuttle also wants to work with building owners to gauge their interest in having their structures be included on the landmarks list.
Second Baptist Church, 615 S. Wittenberg Ave., spoke to the Landmarks Commission about possibly having the structure placed on the historic register. There are currently no African American landmarks on the register.
“It needs to be on there,” said church member Craig Wilson.
About the Author
