A Future for Ohio's Past: A Historic Preservation Plan for Ohioans 2010-2014

"In shaping a vision for historic preservation in Ohio, a challenge exists between charting a forward thinking path while remaining cognizant of the economic and political realities facing the State of Ohio and Ohio's many statewide and local historic preservation partners. During the past two centuries of relative prosperity, every region of Ohio saw development, now reflected in their cultural legacy of thousands of significant buildings, sites, districts, and structures, many of which have yet to be adequately identified, evaluated, recognized, and protected. While facing economic challenges today, Ohio remains one of the most populous states in the nation with over 11.4 million residents, and the seventh largest economy in the U.S. Historic preservation needs in Ohio far exceed the human and financial resources committed to them. Although the Ohio Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio Historical Society receives the seventh largest allocation of any state from the Historic Preservation Fund, the state investment in the office is among the lowest nationwide, with annual expenditures of less than three cents per resident. Ohio's statewide historic preservation organizations operate on very small budgets and local historic preservation groups often consist primarily of volunteer efforts working with even smaller budgets. With that in mind, the vision put forth in this plan can be summarized as follows: As more Ohioans recognize the value of our state's cultural heritage, both historic and prehistoric, historic preservation opportunities will grow. Ohioans will use the model of the green movement to cultivate increased awareness and stewardship of the built environment. Through coordinated information campaigns, Ohioans will increasingly recognize the inherent and embodied energy of materials, skill, and labor invested in historic buildings. Working through established programs, the preservation community will increase connections with educators at the primary, secondary, and collegiate level to help weave historic preservation into social studies and history classes. Local governments will work to integrate historic preservation and Main Street principles into their local planning and decision-making mechanisms through increased access to web-based preservation data and planning tools. Historic preservation partners will work cooperatively to promote the social and economic benefits of historic preservation. Through partnerships among business, government, individuals, and organizations, work will be undertaken with targeted public and private funds to identify undocumented historic and prehistoric resources and update previous surveys. Local, state and federal leadership and business leaders will be better informed of historic preservation successes throughout Ohio and more supportive of historic preservation financial and legislative needs. State funds for historic preservation will more actively provide monies for cultural resource projects. The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit will become a permanent and highly utilized historic preservation incentive." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office, Ohio History Connection, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

A Future for Ohio's Past: A Historic Preservation Plan for Ohioans 2010-2014

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