Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation
| File:Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.png | |
| Formation | 1973[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit[1] |
| Purpose | Encourage the preservation of buildings, landmarks and structures in Washington County, Pennsylvania[1] |
| Location |
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Region served | Washington County, Pennsylvania |
Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation is a non-profit educational institution in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. Its purpose is to encourage and assist the preservation of historic structures in Washington County, Pennsylvania.[1] The foundation operates its own landmark certification process, as well as working with the National Park Service to document and place landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places.[1] It also offers advice and assistance for historic building owners who wish to preserve their facilities.[1] Since its inception, the foundation has been successful in helping many historic building owners in the preservation of their structures.[1] For a number of years, the foundation has been in conflict with Washington & Jefferson College. In 1968, the college's campus master plan called for the expansion of the campus eastward towards Wade Avenue in East Washington Borough, a plan that placed them in conflict with the residents of that area.[2] For the next 30 years, the college maintained a policy of purchasing any homes in that area as they became available.[3] In response, the Washington County History and Landmarks Foundation was able to get the East Washington Historic District, a collection of 120 Victorian homes in that area, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[4] The college opposed the designation but did not object in time to prevent it.[5] According to College President Howard J. Burnett, the district "was structured to prevent expansion of the college."[5] In the 1990s, the hard feelings between some residents and the college came to a head, with residents trying to have the Borough enact anti-demolition laws to block expansion and a meeting of the Washington County History and Landmarks Foundation deteriorated into a shouting match between residents and college officials.[2] Burnett maintained that the expansion was beneficial to the community and that the opposition came from a small and non-representative group on Wade Avenue.[6] He also questioned the historic value of many of the designated homes, pointing out that many of them were in very poor shape and others were vacant.[6] As of 1995, the college owned about 30 properties listed in the historic district.[4] In the end, efforts to block the demolition of these buildings, including several which were part of the historic district, were unsuccessful.[6][7] Notably, one 140-year-old farm house at 137 South Wade Street, which the college had acquired in 1977 after being vacant for several years, was moved to a new location outside of town.[4] In 2009, the foundation sponsored an architectural survey of buildings in the African American areas of Washington.[8]
Bridges
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Historic districts
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Public landmarks
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Residential landmarks and farmsteads
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See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Pennsylvania
- List of Pennsylvania state historical markers in Washington County
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation". Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation. 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Templeton, David (August 14, 1994). "Group Seeks Anti-Demolition Law". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ Taylor, Davison; Patti Murphy (March 31, 1991). "W&J's Building Plans Putting Residents on Guard". The Pittsburgh Press.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Fitch, Antoinnette (July 2, 1995). "Old House Starts Move Across Town/Study Washington Home from 1850s Disassembled and Braced for Its Move to New Site". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Templeton, David (1994-07-24). "W&J President Answers Critics of Expansion". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Robertson, Bob (August 21, 1994). "E. Washington Demolition Delayed". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ Robertson, Bob (July 3, 1994). "Council Reconsiders W&J Demolition Permit". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. W2.
- ↑ "The Black Experience". Observer-Reporter. Nov 15, 2009.