Ottawa, OH (WLIO) - The Building Doctors stopped by the city of Ottawa to give advice on how to keep those old buildings in tip-top shape.
The two-day free event held by the State Historic Preservation Office educated property owners on ways to better inspect, maintain, and preserve their historic buildings, and the best resources available to get the job done.
According to the office, keeping water out of properties 50 years and older should be a priority, as moisture is the leading cause to damages in basements, paint, and plaster walls.
"Historic buildings are really telling you about the history of a community, and it makes what your community is different than another community. It isn't like, you know, go in and where am I? You know, you don't know where you are when you preserve your historic buildings through the building Doctor program. Justin (Cook) and I work on federal and state historic tax credits. When you preserve your buildings in those ways, then you are saying something about here I am in Ottawa, because these historic buildings have been preserved in Ottawa," explained Mariangela Pfister, Ohio History Connection State Historic Preservation Office.
The building doctors will be visiting several buildings in the Ottawa area tomorrow to look for any structural problems.
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Building Doctors Will Make Rounds June 25-26 in Ottawa
OTTAWA – The Putnam County Community Improvement Corporation and the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office will sponsor a Building Doctor Clinic for old-building owners in and around Ottawa from June 25-26.
The clinic will feature Building Doctors Mariangela Pfister and Justin Cook of the State Historic Preservation Office.
It begins with a free seminar from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at the Ottawa Brewing Company’s Walnut Room, 202 W. Main St., Ottawa. Open to all old-building owners in the area, the seminar will feature guidelines for renovation projects and ways to solve the most common problems of buildings dating from 1800 to 1960.
On Thursday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Building Doctors will visit pre-1960 buildings within Ottawa and nearby communities, advising owners on specific technical or design problems by appointment. They will examine all kinds of old buildings, including homes, commercial buildings, churches and public buildings. Some things that typically call for an on-site examination include persistent peeling paint or flaking plaster, a wet basement, deteriorating masonry and plans for remodeling, additions or demolitions.
Pfister has been with the State Historic Preservation Office for more than 30 years. She heads the Technical Preservation Service Department, which reviews applications for federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits, works with the Building Doctor program and answers questions about the care and maintenance of older buildings. Pfister has a master’s degree in history from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in history, English and secondary education from Capital University.
Pfister will be joined by Cook, another experienced Building Doctor. Cook reviews applications for federal and state historic preservation tax credits and previously reviewed projects that receive federal funding, licenses or permits for effects they may have on historic properties as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. He has a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Vermont, with additional studies in history and urban and regional planning, and a bachelor’s degree in classics from the University of Pittsburgh.
Pfister and Cook will be accompanied by Building Doctors-in-Training Miranda Fisher, Abby Marshall and Trent Bradford.
Fisher is the architecture transportation reviews manager who works closely with the office’s federal and state partners and local communities to protect historic properties during implementation of federal and state transportation initiatives. She received her undergraduate degree from Kent State University, where she majored in art history and minored in Italian and architectural studies. Later, she received her graduate degree in preservation design from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
Marshall serves as the survey and National Register manager in the Department of Inventory and Registration. She works closely with the Ohio Historic Survey Program and the National Register of Historic Places Program, documenting historic resources across the state. Marshall earned her bachelor’s degree in geography, specifically, travel and tourism, and her master’s degree in historic preservation from Ball State University.
Bradford is a technical preservation services manager in the Technical Preservation Service Department. He reviews state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credit applications and advises applicants on how best to apply the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Rehabilitation to their projects so that they receive tax credit financing. He has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Cincinnati
The seminar and on-site consultations are free with registration. To register, go to building-doctor.org or call 614-298-2000. For more information, contact Amy Sealts, Director, Economic Development, Putnam County Community Improvement Corporation, at 419-523-5595 or amy@putnamcountycic.com.
The Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office is Ohio’s official historic preservation agency. It identifies historic places in Ohio, nominates properties to the National Register of Historic Places, reviews federally assisted projects for effects on historic, architectural and archaeological resources in Ohio, consults on conservation of older buildings and sites and offers educational programs and publications.
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About the Ohio History Connection:
The Ohio History Connection is a statewide history organization with the mission to spark discovery of Ohio’s stories. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered in 1885, the Ohio History Connection carries out history services for Ohio and its citizens. This includes housing the State Historic Preservation Office and the official state archives and managing more than 50 sites and museums across Ohio. For more information, go to ohiohistory.org. The Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Columbus Foundation provide support for Ohio History Connection programs.
