Around Town

By Christopher Miller
If you have ever been involved in either the formation of a new non-profit organization, or serving as a Board Member of an established non-profit, then you know that it can be a very rewarding experience.

The Record/therecord-online recently sat down with Jessica Stevenson, who has a dream that is about to become reality.

“I want to grow it further in the future with perhaps a full board, and designated non-profit status…I want this to be a group that goes out and does preservation work and projects in the community,” Jessica said in an interview.

Historic Lock Haven was formed in 2019 as a way to champion preservation causes in the local community and throughout the region.

The website is a wealth of information on the upcoming organization, what it does, and how it can help. The following information was pulled directly from their website: “Historic Lock Haven is a local organization that promotes historic preservation in the local community. We believe that with education, advocacy, and outreach we can preserve these historic sites and structures for future generations to enjoy.” “With the understanding that our rich cultural heritage is a non-renewable resource, we seek to encourage continued use of historic structures to fight off demolition and neglect.”

But just what is historic preservation? “Historic preservation has intrinsic community and cultural value to preserving elements of our past…understanding the people who came before us gives us a greater appreciation of the places we live,” Jessica explained. “It is also an economic opportunity…there is distinct historic and cultural character in every community, and this is often sought by homebuyers, businesses, and tourists.”

Armed with in-the-field experience and backed by a firm education from Cornell’s Historic Preservation Planning Program, Jessica has traveled the country working on numerous preservation sites and initiatives, citing experiences in the Dallas, Texas area.

“I saw what was happening in small communities around Texas in regards to revitalization, and wanted to bring it to Lock Haven – awareness, education, about history and value that buildings have in the community, why it is important, and why we need to protect these resources,” she said. “I think there are small steps if a concerned group joins and forms a coalition, there are small steps we can take along the way to prevent further “demolition by neglect.”

It is this “demolition by neglect” that Jessica is very passionate about.
“We want to preserve and do everything we can for a structure, it could potentially provide a source of income such as “heritage tourism” by preserving our downtowns, districts, and helping local business owners, and boost it (economically) to have it as our main points of interest to bring people here.”

As a Preservation Consultant in Dallas, Jessica was working on what are called “Section 106 Projects.”
Section 106 is part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which requires federal agencies to consider the effects on historic properties of projects they carry out, assist, fund, permit, license, or approve throughout the country. If a federally-assisted project has the potential to affect historic properties, a Section 106 review will take place which involves who should be involved in a consultation, public input, identifying historic properties in the area where the project could have effects, assessment of the effects of the project on historic properties, and achieving a resolution to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effects.

“In Texas, there is a whole lot of development happening…I was working on a historic tax credit project for an apartment community, a Queen Anne style house wanted historic tax credits, so we went through the whole process to get it approved,” explained Jessica.

“Just in my personal experience,” Jessica started, “I’ve documented everything from pole barns, a barge canal, a potato shed, bridges, culverts, a duck hunting camp, an apartment complex, homes, a WPA park, and nearly 100 historic resources at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport just for Section 106 consultation.”

“As I observe what other preservation groups are doing around the country with advocacy and outreach, it makes me want to follow in their footsteps, Jessica mentioned. “They developed activity books for kids to learn about preservation – activity booklets, coloring pages, and things for children to look for in the community, such as architectural styles.” Projects that Historic Lock Haven have completed include the Around Town Activity Booklet geared towards kids and the Google Earth Virtual Walking Tour. Both are available on the website.

I asked Jessica just what a Historic District is, because Clinton County has a few of these proposed within her confines.

According to Jessica, “a historic district is a neighborhood or group of buildings that have been designated together.” “The properties that make up the district may not have enough significance to qualify as landmarks, but are important because they contribute to the overall character of the area.”

She pointed me in the direction of a really good explanation of this – a neighborhood of well-maintained homes built in the 1800 or 1900s may qualify as a historic district if the buildings still convey a sense of the early appearance of the neighborhood. We have 1 very well known Historic District locally on Water Street (in Lock Haven) and that covers much of the Water Street area downtown.

“At one point someone did propose a John Sloan District when the (Fox’s) Market House was put on the historic register,” Jessica explained. As noted in the historic survey submitted to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, “Sloan’s childhood neighborhood was a hub of commercial activity for the community with the City Market on one corner and two hotels on two other corners”. Today, the buildings continue to provide a glimpse into what Lock Haven life may have been like in the late 1800s during John Sloan’s early years.

So what services exactly can a Historic Preservationist provide? According to Jessica, “the official list is National Register Nominations, Historic District Survey, Section 106 Consultation, Historic Tax Credit Consultation, and historic home/building research, but mainly the first four.” As you can tell, this can certainly keep somebody busy!

“With all the great things happening downtown (Lock Haven), I’m excited to see what Lock Haven will look like in 10, 15 years.” “I think we have a bright future ahead but at the same time, we also need to be strategic and figure out ways to be proactive in dealing with the built environment.” “As preservation goes hand in hand with revitalization, I’m hoping more businesses downtown will be able to utilize historic tax credits and other incentives that help with rehabilitation, and that as a community, we continue to be good stewards of the rich heritage passed down to us and will be able to pass it on to future generations.”

“If people want to get involved with Historic Lock Haven, please send me an email, or if anyone is interested in preservation incentives, please reach out to me – I want to get a coalition together with a full Board,” Jessica emphasized. “It is a slow-moving project so far, but I’ve surely put a lot of work into it!”

Historic Lock Haven
historiclockhaven@gmail.com
https://historiclockhaven.com
Facebook: @historiclockhaven
Instagram: @historic_lock_haven