Message from the Co-Presidents
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As our program year concludes, we have just a few items to note:
1927 Building
First, if the news has not already reached you, we want to let you know that on Tuesday the Board of Education abandoned the proposal for housing and voted to proceed with plans to negotiate an agreement that would protect the oak allée and use the site of the 1927 building for public school purposes only, thanks to a generous gift from the Quagliata Foundation.
While this means the 1927 Building will be demolished, it also means that the proposal to keep only the front façade of the building and build condos behind it WILL NOT go forward. This is a huge victory for the historic district, which could have had an inappropriate development located in one of the most important neighborhoods in town.
It also means that HHA will move forward on plans to complete the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) of the building and work with the District’s staff and contractor regarding salvage of its key architectural components. We hope those artifacts will someday be used to create a commemorative gateway from the oak allée to the school district grounds beyond.
We are grateful to the Quagliata Foundation for its generous proposal that will provide resources to assist the District in funding projects that benefit Hudson’s students. In addition, we are grateful to Hudson Heritage Association’s generous patron who has agreed to fund the HABS work and the expenses associated with salvaging the building’s key architectural components. But also, we are grateful to you, the members of Hudson Heritage Association and our other supporters in the community.
We want to thank all of you who attended school board meetings, sent letters and emails to the board, erected signs in your yard, and encouraged your friends and neighbors to speak out on this issue. This was a challenging project from its earliest days. While HHA hoped from the outset that the 1927 Building could be saved, in the end, we believe we can all be proud of the fact that the property will continue to serve Hudson’s students as an educational asset and will remain a cornerstone of the District’s nearly 100-acre campus in the heart of Hudson’s historic district.
HHA Annual Members’ Event and Program
Special thanks to our Program Committee, and especially to Committee Chair Linda Matty, for the lovely evening we enjoyed May 12 on the grounds of Western Reserve Academy, where we celebrated HHA’s 60th anniversary and presented our Preservation Awards to two organizations and one individual. Our evening began in the newly restored WRA Chapel, and then moved to the John D. Ong Library for refreshments and socializing. Thank you to WRA for its hospitality, and thank you to Shelley Sedlacek, chair of our Preservation Awards Committee, and her committee members for leading the process to nominate this year’s very deserving award recipients. More details about the awards can be found below.
Membership Drive Underway
By now, we hope you have received your annual membership appeal from HHA and have already taken steps to renew your membership or join our organization. As we noted in our appeal, to continue the good work HHA does for our community, we need your financial support. Because we are an all-volunteer organization, every dollar you contribute goes directly to supporting HHA’s goals and mission. We hope as you write your check or contribute online that you will remember the impact HHA has had in the last 60 years maintaining Hudson’s historical architecture, its streetscape and Western Reserve aesthetic. We cannot continue our efforts without your support!
Correction
Lastly, in May's featured home article about the Baldwin-Buss Merino House, we neglected to acknowledge the contributions of Peninsula Architects, John Milner Architects and Peg’s Foundation in the efforts to preserve and document the historical home. We thank them for their efforts! We would also like to thank Peninsula Architects for the beautiful rendering of the house depicting the house after restoration.
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Kathy Russell & Diccon Ong
Co-Presidents
Hudson Heritage Association
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Hudson Heritage Association Recognizes Outstanding Contributions to Historic Preservation in Hudson
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As part its commitment to recognize those who have made extraordinary contributions to the preservation of Hudson’s historical buildings, village streetscape and Western Reserve architectural aesthetic, Hudson Heritage Association has named two organizations and one individual to receive its annual Preservation Awards. The awards were presented at the organization’s Annual Members’ Event and Program, held at the Chapel of Western Reserve Academy May 12. This year’s recipients include:
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Case-Barlow Farm
The Board of Case Barlow Farm received a Hudson Heritage Association Preservation Award for its work to restore “Big Red,” the bank barn that sits as the centerpiece to the Case-Barlow farmstead located on Barlow Road in Hudson. Built in 1890 by the Case family to support a 465-acre dairy operation, the farm, farmhouse, barn and various outbuilding remained in the Case-Barlow family until the property was donated to the First Congregational Church of Hudson in 1996, and then purchased by a non-profit organization established to save and restore the property. In 2017, the group began a plan to transform the barn into a special events venue. The renovation included repairs to the exterior, interior structural improvements, the addition of bathrooms and a catering kitchen, new plumbing and electrical, and installation of tulip poplar flooring throughout the main floor of the building.
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Michael Fleenor, Historian & Preservation Award Judge, Ned Kendall,
Case-Barlow Farm Board Trustee, and Christie Borkan, Preservation Award Judge & Historian.
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Western Reserve Academy
WRA received a Hudson Heritage Association Preservation Award for its work to restore the Academy’s Chapel, built in 1836 by Simeon Porter, one of the region’s most important early architects. The focal point of WRA’s “Brick Row,” the Chapel is the only structure of its style in the Western Reserve to have classrooms on the first floor and a chapel occupying the second and third stories. The project receiving this award was designed to remove some updates to the building and restore other elements reflecting its Federal/Greek Revival origins. Work included removing the pipe organ installed in the 1960s and re-installing Palladian windows on the Chapel’s east side, refurbishing and reinstalling the original pews, replacing the hardwood floor on the main level, removing, refurbishing and reinstalling lighting fixtures, adding ADA accessibility, and removing, refurbishing and reinstalling the 1890s tower clockworks.
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Michael Fleenor, Historian & Preservation Award Judge, Jeremy Paul, Director of Facilities at Western Reserve Academy, and Christie Borkan, Preservation Award Judge & Historian
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Patricia A. Eldredge
Mrs. Eldredge received a Hudson Heritage Association Distinguished Contribution to Historic Preservation Award for more than 50 years of work to support historic preservation and downtown revitalization in Hudson. An active board member of Hudson Heritage Association for many years, she served on Hudson’s Architectural Board of Review for 14 years, was a founding member of the Case-Barlow Board of Trustees, and co-authored the book Square Dealers, which chronicled the businesses and buildings that lined Main Street in Hudson in the 19th Century. She also served as co-chair of the Downtown Improvement District Commission, which spearheaded the development of First and Main. In addition, she served as an early trustee of the Cleveland Restoration Society and sat on the board of the Ohio Historical Society, where she chaired the Physical Structures Committee, overseeing the Society’s 58 historic sites located throughout Ohio.
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Patricia Eldredge (center) with her children, Bill and Tamesin Eldredge.
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“It’s only because of the dedicated efforts of organizations and individuals like WRA, Case-Barlow Farm and Pat Eldredge that the Hudson we know today continues to exist,” said Diccon Ong, co-president of Hudson Heritage Association. “Preserving and protecting historic Hudson takes time, money and a huge commitment to saving what is good and different about our community. We hope these awards convey, in small measure, the great debt we owe to those who have made so many sacrifices to make sure our town continues to reflect the Western Reserve architectural ideals on which it was founded.”
HHA’s Preservation Awards annually recognize and honor historic structures in Hudson that have been well-preserved or restored within the last five years in a manner that maintains the historic integrity of the property. No minimum or maximum number of awards will be given in any year. To be eligible for the award, properties must be at least 75 years old, and may include private residences, commercial buildings, publicly owned buildings, non-profit organizations and historic landscapes. For more information about nominating a property for the awards, visit https://hudsonheritage.org/events-news/hha-preservation-awards/
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Patricia Eldredge thanks members of Hudson Heritage Association after receiving the
HHA Distinguished Contribution to Historic Preservation Award,
presented at HHA’s Annual Members’ Event and Program,
held May 12 at Western Reserve Academy.
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HHA’s Newest Board Members
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Erin Dickinson
Erin grew up in Stow and was a day student at Western Reserve Academy, graduating in 1999. After that, she obtained a BA in History and English from Vanderbilt University and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School. She practiced Business Litigation for nine years before becoming a stay-at-home parent. She and her husband, Michael VanBuren, also a WRA grad, have four sons. Last year, they moved their family back to Hudson from Broadview Heights. Erin is active in the community, serving as an Executive Board Member for Community Legal Aid and a candidate for Summit County Council.
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Barbara Breedon VanBlarcum
Barb just recently retired as HCTV’s Program Director. Over her many years with HCTV, Barb established an exemplary history of working in the community media industry. She honed her skills in video production and editing, team building, public speaking, and fundraising. She is a strong media and communication professional with a B.A. in Semiotics from Brown University and a M.Ed. in Educational Tech/Curriculum & Instruction from Kent State University. She is also, of course, a beloved and long-standing member of the greater Hudson community. In fact, in 2020 she was awarded Good Day in Hudson’s Citizen of the Year Award.
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Renew your Membership or Join HHA Today!
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Use the link below to connect to our website and join on-line or mail a check to:
Hudson Heritage Association
P.O. Box 2218
Hudson, OH 44236
Select from the following membership levels:
• $500 - David Hudson
• $250 - Preservationist
• $100 - Historian
• $100 - Business
• $55 - Couple/Family
• $35 - Individual
Thank you in advance for your continued support!
There's no time like the present to protect the past!
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Programming Will Return in September
We wish you a pleasant summer and will return in September to resume our monthly programs. Please watch for more details as we begin our 61st year helping to preserve and protect historic Hudson.
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PO Box 2218 - Hudson, OH 44236
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