FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2007
Contact: Mike Brown, 645-6428
Katharine Moore, German Village Society, 221-8888
Columbus' Historic German Village designated as a
"Preserve America Community" by the White House
First neighborhood in Ohio to achieve honor
(Columbus) First Lady Laura Bush has notified Mayor Michael B. Coleman that Columbus' beautiful and historic German Village is designated as a Preserve America Community. While other towns and cities have achieved the designation, German Village is the first neighborhood to achieve this honor.
"Building neighborhood pride and improving the quality of life are the cornerstones of Columbus' mission, and we are proud to stand with the residents of German Village in celebrating this national recognition," said Mayor Coleman. "We must protect our historic buildings and cultural heritage, and the homes of German Village are among the best examples of preservation in the nation."
Area residents will host a celebratory breakfast with Mayor Coleman on April 27th at the Olde Mohawk Restaurant at 819 Mohawk Street. The event includes a $10 buffet breakfast, doors open at 7:45 a.m.
Preserve America is a White House initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the initiative include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities.
"The German Village community has achieved national attention because our civic association, The German Village Society, has successfully partnered with the City of Columbus over the last fifty years. The focus and tenacity of our membership is truly remarkable" said German Village Society board president Mary Cusick.
The German Village community has led the way in historic preservation both locally and nationally," O'Shaughnessy said. "I was happy to have the opportunity to write a letter in support of the nomination and delighted that we've achieved this prestigious designation."
The Preserve America Community designation is granted to eligible neighborhoods that meet three general criteria:
- The neighborhood, in partnership with the city government, has recently supported a historic or cultural preservation project that promotes heritage tourism or otherwise fosters economic vitality, and involves a public-private partnership between government entities and at least one civic association, nonprofit, and/or business enterprise.
- The neighborhood has recently adopted a resolution or policy statement indicating its commitment to the preservation of heritage assets within the neighborhood.
- The neighborhood meets at least five criteria specified in three broad categories: discovering heritage through historic places, protecting historic resources, and promoting historic assets.
German Village met the criteria in each category with impressive programs and projects that include the Ralph and Dorothy Fischer Archives (a collection that includes an archival file for each structure in German Village); the German Village Visitors' Center; Stewart Avenue School tutoring and sponsorship; architectural scavenger hunts for Ohio history and German language students; the German Village Commission; the German Village Society Historic Preservation Committee; German Village Oktoberfest; the Society's printed materials; their award-winning Visitors' Center Video; their involvement as a charter member of the Council of Historic Neighborhoods; and the annual Caretakers of a Legacy Awards program.
German Village was Columbus' first historic district, with boundaries recognized by City Council in 1963. The German Village Commission was the city's first architectural review board, established in 1963. The entire 233 acres of German Village were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 by the National Park Service.
|
