Posts filed under ‘Charleston Village’
A Maritime History – Lorain was not all steel-The Captains
I am a transplant from a sea faring nation. I always wondered why Lorain did not hold her “inland seas” connection dearer to their historical hearts.
Today’s Morning Journal http://www. morning journal.com covered the talk given by one of Charleston Village Society’s http://www.loraincounty.com/charlestonlorai/ Co Chairs- Renee Dore
“One of the captains Dore shared information about was Capt. Thomas Wilford. She referred to him as the “steamboat master” and explained how he saved his family from a ship wreck on Lake Superior.
Dore said she learned about Wilford 10 years ago, and is in part how she became interested in the history of the Black River and those who helped establish Lorain, formerly known as Charleston Village.
As I read Rene’s remarks I remembered the night she introduced us to Captain Wilford
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/capt-wilford-a-hero-of-the-inland-seas/
and his connection, how this led to a continuing journey through the seas of Lorain’s maritime history and her lights along the shore …
Words: Henry Burton, 1877.
I have reprised the article from February 2008
by Loraine Ritchey
He has become “my” captain,from the moment Renee Dore came through my front door with his story, this man of the inland sea captivated my imagination and part of my heart.
It all started in frustration and anger -this romance. Charleston Village Executive Board were holding a meeting in my home- we were under threat of blight and had been told that the little park that had been a public green space for two centuries was to make way for “condos”. We were meeting to plan a course of action . What could we do , this small band of neighbors, to show the worthiness of Lorain’s history and this oldest neighborhood, from which Lorain eventually grew, to those that only saw limited revenue for the short term?
As we sat there, Renee mentioned that she had received some papers from a contact at Bowling Green University. Renee, who loves this old neighborhood, played as a child on her streets, and has given back to her three fold, including building a “new” home – 
hoping to restart a community, had gone in search of a man- a ship’s captain. Her captain may have lived in the house where she lived as a “wee bairn” and in her search through the archives of the Black River Historical Society and the Lorain Public Library, in order to document the stories and the worth of Portside – before it went to the wrecking ball-
click to enlarge
had come across a story of a ship’s captain who had saved his wife, children and crew from a shipwreck.
I remember Renee coming in that evening, full of excitement, even though the meeting was going to be “dour”, as we started reading the old news paper accounts; I came to the overwhelming realization ,that inspite of what we were facing ,I had to chronicle this man’s tale. It is a tale of love, bravery, adventure and humanity, one that my grandfather would’ve described as a “cracking good yarn” .
I persuaded Renee to leave me the documents and started to piece the tale together, my theatrical background switched into overdrive, in my mind I saw the play , the movie that could be made from this…. my creative instincts saw so many possibilities.
I kept studying the old black and white photo copy of the man in question, 
I was experiencing deja vu – I know this face, his eyes -why? I am not even from here originally; he was originally from England , but nowhere near where I had lived. Why was this face amongst the old newsprint so familiar? I asked my mother who came over the next day as I was typing “Her Book“
“Mum look at this picture what do you think?”
He certainly reminds me of someone but who? – well lets get on with “my memories”
since you have nagged me to do this for decades”
and the Captain stayed on the desk.
The days went by and the Captain’s face haunted me, as I typed my mum’s memories of her childhood and young life. I would take a break and look at the photo on top of the printer
“you know me- you know – you know me “
it seemed to accuse but I just couldn’t make the connection.
I eventually got lost in the problems facing Lorain, 
when a phone call took me back to The Captain. It was my very good friend, fellow actor Dave Cotton. Dave and I have gone through the good times and the bad, we laugh and moan together. It was one of those dreary days –
“tell me something good”
he said
Dave, I have just been putting together a story about a sea captain , it would make a great play even a better movie- the visual , the romance , the tragedy, the bravery I just can’t get this guy out of my mind.
Dave hadn’t heard of such a significantly adventurous tale from Lorain’s past and he and his family had lived in the area for generations.
I then went rabbitting on about this Captain Wilford,
That’s funny
said Dave
my great grandmother’s name was Wilford
THE FACE – of course that face -it was David- the moustache , the hair was a little different but the eyes – it WAS DAVID!!!!!
Dave IT IS YOU!!!
David who has known my penchant for the dramatic, laughed and said
” I have never heard of this guy in our family stories or documents” Dave.this is just too coincidental ! You have to look and see
after a couple of days research it was confirmed the heretofore unknown Captain Thomas Wilford was Dave’s great,great uncle.
Dave had passed his home on his way to meetings at the Black River Historical Society , never knowing that he had a connection. 
From there the tale continued to grow, in order to raise funds for the Charleston Village Cemetery, Dave, his theatrical talent blessing us, started telling the tale of the shipwreck, and in order to make sure his facts were correct embarked on a journey of his own discovery .
Not only was a remarkable piece of Lorain’s history found, more was uncovered , his wife-Fanny who had had his arms protectvely wrapped around her as the large Canadian ship came out of the fog to slice into their schooner) her own connection to the Civil War
, her family and Lakeview Park , 
the worth of a rental, 
the people who laid this towns foundations, once again living and breathing as we celebrated the two hundred years .
The fact that the State of Michigan deems the story of the shipwreck and the preservation of the wreck as important to the history of the Inland Seas and the archiver of the Titanic- Ken Marschall has also archived the Osborne but Lorain knew not the worth of her people to the maritime history………
Note to access the photos of the Osborne as she rests at the bottom of Lake Superior – near White Fish Point click here and scroll down
to be continued……….
When Vision is “cloudy” Property Holding LLCs- NY TIMES
“It” was the Icon House of West Erie and for the Point of Sale poster child- No one would go through POS to buy this house !
A great deal has been written about this house on this blog and elsewhere
Morning Journal Headlines
Lorain house sets record with $45,750 escrow requirement by R. Payerchin June 2014 – we are now in 2016 and end of August
And from that article where a real estate agent was bemoaning the Point of Sale
“It appeared the home at 1348 W. Erie Ave. could have an escrow amount that is more than the house is worth.
The home is owned by the Federal National Mortgage Association, commonly known as Fannie Mae.
The Lorain County Auditor’s Office puts the market value at $85,210, but the home’s last listing price was $36,000, said Ken Myers, the real estate agent who last had the house for sale.
Callers interested in the house don’t understand how it can have a listed sale price of $36,000 and a city repair requirement of $45,750, Myers said.
“It’s not wonderful in any sense of the imagination,” Myers said. “We have properties we can just not sell now. Everybody just walks away because nobody wants to put that kind of money in a house in Lorain.”
NOT every body walked away except the owner at the time Fannie Mae Mortgage… No! it was purchased February 2015 from Fannie Mae for “0” dollars apparently
Sale Date: 2/3/2015
Sale Amount: $0.00
Conveyance: 2015090327
Grantor: FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION
Grantee: KAJA HOLDINGS 2 LLC
and there in lies the rub- as Kaja had been on my radar as “buying” up homes in this “old neighborhood” and selling… SORRY leasing to own ….these properties – even our 1348 West Erie Home with another of those handmade signs-
I won’t bore you with regurgitated information you can find the “rest of the story here !
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/the-follow-up-a-tale-of-two-houses-city-council-loraine/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/09/11/the-housing-court-and-you-lorain-part-one/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/housing-court-and-you-lorain-continued/
and here
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/04/07/plump-lady-plummets-and-the-housing-trip-continues/
where the “new ” attorney for Kaja in this area (presumably) is Mr. James White- who did clarify that Vision/ Kaja were not affiliated (professionally speaking) with Harbor Portfolio, the Property Company that featured heavily in the New York Times article in February-
I reached out to Mr. White a few weeks ago to see what was happening with the property at 1348 W. Erie and he stated :
Several of the violations to the exterior have been repaired. The City’s required escrow to perform the repairs has been deposited with an escrow agent with repairs to follow.
Well some good news on the 1348 house apparently but not so good news for Kaja and Vision Properties.
The New York Times and their investigative journalists ALEXANDRA STEVENSON and MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN published another hard hitting article about the blurring of the lines between landlords, renters, and the right to own ( well sometimes) the American dream or perhaps nightmare.
Remember this just isn’t a Lorain County problem these “businesses” are popping up everywhere there is a problem with mortgage dumps and the “federal connection”
.( Nearly half of Vision’s homes were bought from Fannie Mae, the government-backed mortgage firm, according to RealtyTrac. NYT- Article below)
The focus of this particular article is Vision Properties , buys homes spread across 24 states through nearly two dozen limited liability companies, all with different names like MI Seven, OH Seven and Kaja Holdings.
I would suggest looking at the video- in the article and reading thoroughly – because Lorain, we are “part of the business” and business seems to be expanding.
Another blue house – 1038 -4 blocks down from the Kaja Icon house – historic in nature – being that it was one of the Porter Ship Captain’s homes) is now owned by Princeton Commercial Holdings LLC
Sale Date: 11/17/2015
Sale Amount: $0.00
Conveyance: 2015095351
Grantor: BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC
Grantee: PRINCETON COMMERCIAL HOLDINGS LLC
I can’t believe it passed Point of Sale in November seeing that the windows are broken and boarded – especially since we have such strong ordinances as with boats and morning glories😉 but who knows- I certainly haven’t a clue anymore as to “code of enforcement????
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/municipal-manipulation-lorain-e-again/Zillow listing just under $45,000 ( now off the market – apparently- don’t say it SOLD!!! NO please not that………
photo source Zillow
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1038-W-Erie-Ave-Lorain-OH-44052/34535192_zpid/SHHHHHHHH don’t tell these companies that “rolled roofs on dwelling is “legal in Lorain” cause we are already singing the blues……….
Proving Innocence – Not Guilty or Neighborly
Every time I read of accusations on facebook , social media etc I do so with a wariness. I wouldn’t have had a few years ago. In my last post
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/municipal-manipulation-lorain-e-again/
I mentioned our 11 months of hell caused by an elderly neighbor who truly believed her accusations. Before her dementia she had been a good neighbor, wanting to help with the community and did so , her talent as an artist used more than once with neighborhood events .
The family made no effort to help and so this neighbor literally took down her favorite tree, glass blocked her windows and put up fences . She was scared , frightened and alone in the fact she did not get the help she needed and that fact rippled through our lives. Due to her actions, we could not help – our attorney forbade any contact- so we had to leave her to her own terrifying nights until at last, after being found by another neighbor wandering the street in her night attire, something was finally done. The damage to our family was already done-
I wrote about that time on another blog The WoM Blog 10 years ago – I would like you to read this tale of accusation – 11 months of proving innocence- this could happen to you –and the years between have not erased the helplessness and yes anger at the family we felt.
WoM Logo by Scott Baklar
J’Accuse- The Cost of Innocence
It is 6:00 am. in Lorain – Do you know where your attorney is?
John Paul Sartre got it right when he stated in his play – No Exit
”HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE!”
The accuser and the accusations:
A neighbor, elderly and alone (who fully believed in her accusations) and since she wasn’t a known trouble maker or on anyone’s radar was totally believable- so the complaints made to the various authorities seemed reasonable.
1. a male neighbor throwing things at her house
2. male footprints in the freshly fallen snow leading to her front door from the neighbors
3. weapons being hidden between the houses
4. a male neighbor exposing himself through the fence
5. a neighbor opening the fire hydrants on the street
6. a male neighbor pointing a gun at her through the back door
7. a male neighbor hiding in the shrubs
8. intruders in her basement
9. intruders inside her house
10. up on her roof at night
11. neighbors cutting her phone lines
So I would ask you – you are the Lorain Police Department – you are getting these calls from an elderly woman, all alone- starting in June and carrying through to May of the next year. You send patrol cars -you check – you wake people from a sound sleep at all times of the night to make sure they are home and not harassing an elderly woman.
You respond when a citizen complains, it is documented. The elderly woman tells the rest of the neighborhood what it happening to her, enlisting their aid. The “family” of the accuser calls the accused family “perverts”-among other insulting remarks.
ARE YOU FEELING SYMPATHY AND OUTRAGE FOR THIS POOR WOMAN?
The REST of the story :
1. the things being thrown -tennis balls- coming across and into her yard as the kids in a neighboring home are playing ball.
2. footprints in the snow- the mail carrier coming from one house delivering to another
3. weapons ( supposedly being hidden to hit the neighbors on the head) – fallen tree limbs from her own tree4. THE DE -FENCE NO. 4 -in the Accusations list
Oh! and the “exposing of a male part of the anatomy through the fence (from two properties away I might add)
X marks the spot where the “protruding penis” was supposed to have happened
It was the first accusation – I remember it so well another neighbor phoned,
NB. where is your husband?
ME: He is at the store –
NB: Oh good Sally phoned to say he was putting his penis through (another neighbors fence) ( two doors away)
ME: WHAT???? Is this some sort of a joke??
NB: No she is claiming your husband is sticking his penis through a knot hole in the fence….
AND SO IT BEGAN –
The elderly lady was fixated with the knothole and the penis and called out the police on another fine summer day. I asked the officer who was a little sharp with me at first to please come and look at the fence. He reluctantly did so – I showed him the knot hole and its position in the fence and then I said
“officer if you can put your penis through that hole I will personally put the handcuffs on my husband “
A little grin did flicker across his face as he remarked ”
” No thank you ma’am I am more endowed than to fit that opening.
I then took him to the other side of the fence where we have a pond. and where in order to expose oneself you would have to lay on your side half in the water.
The officer wrote up a report which was pretty laughable- the Chronicle Telegram and their reporter saw the police report, thankfully we were spared our names in the article – Shawn Foucher wrote the article : If The Fence Don’t Fit You Have To Acquit!
5. Opening Fire Hydrants – The fire dept. was called by the accuser, and the LFD were very irate, it was in fact the Lorain Water Dept. as they had a water line burst on Oberlin Avenue. So when the Fire Dept then turned off the gushing fire hydrant the water dept. guys from the Utilities Dept came running down the street waving their arms as they were now having to deal with gushing water .
astoundingartifacts.blogspot.com
6. The gun , after three such calls and reports it turns out, when questioned further, that the “gun” was actually a “RAY GUN” and this wonderful invention (invented apparently by the accused) could make her steel back door disappear for 8 seconds at a time and she had to blink to get it back!
7. The shrub – was an over 70 foot maple tree, which not only did the accused manage to climb, in the dark – but did so in a DRESS. (ouch!)
8. The intruders (now there were two) the accused and his wife- apparently getting in through the vent in the glass block window
9. Picture this if you will. The police are called the “intruders” (we now have two again) are in the house, armed . One officer arrives, he has called for back up however there is a serious problem elsewhere other officers are tied up on another call. With caution the officer calls to the intruders to come out of the closet. Nothing, silence- weapon at the ready he throws open the door to a closet???? no one
Ma’am are you sure they went in here?
The Accuser:
What is the matter with you ? Can’t you see them- they are hiding under that lampshade!
Call for back up was cancelled!
10. Up on the roof (raccoons and squirrels using her roof as a route from one tree to another )
11. The phone lines were cut as a truck making deliveries to More for Less caught the overhead lines and ripped them down.
NOTE – pretty funny isn’t it??? but these plausible complaints were harrowing to us at the time and terrifying to her – AND WE HAD TO PROVE EVERYDAY – EVERY COMPLAINT THAT WE WERE INNOCENT!!!!
The EFFECT😦 Due to these accusations):
1. Hundreds of dollars were spent by the accused on lawyers letters, dealing with the accusations, building higher fences . Family members of the accuser making insulting and damning remarks (rather than seeing the problem- again lawyers letters)
2. Months of harassment, being woken from a sound sleep at all hours of the night with the police at the door responding to the accusations. Not being comfortable and able to relax in your OWN home.
3. Documenting your every move for over a year. Because when someone makes an accusation that you were doing something at a certain time you better have proof that you were elsewhere and have a reliable witness.
So you keep a daily/hourly diary, where you were, who was with you, if you go to the store alone -you keep the time stamped receipt. You cannot even go into your back yard without a witness or companion. Your reputation is shot! Your life becomes about PROVING YOUR INNOCENCE every day, just because “J’Accuse”.
4. The embarrassment is bad enough but the stress takes its toll, infact this living on the accusatory knife-edge ( and people will say – hmmmm where there is smoke…..) effects you emotionally and physically you become ill. You can’t sleep, you are on the defensive, your life is turned upside down and the lives of your family, you are angry, bewildered and hurt .
YOUR HOME, YOUR SANCTUARY BECOMES A PRISON
Everyday you have to prove innocence because someone made an accusation, that on the face of it, was believable. You spend your days “explaining” and your nights waiting for the next phone call or knock on the door wanting to know what you are doing and where you have been .
It is only when you look into the “rest of the story” that you realize that as ridiculous as these accusations really were the suffering, expense and the toll on a family -wasn’t funny.
AND NOW – the hedges are grown deliberately- so the daughter and husband who had their say as I was screamed at by the “construction king ” and ironically wanting MY HELP in their “estate court case” can no longer peer into my garden- let them inspect the alley–
You see the grandfather also had issues before he passed only at that time it was another neighbor who bore the brunt of his “visions” – those ” good ” neighbors eventually moved…… So before accusations are made – and believed remember sometimes all is not so cut and dried…………………………THIS PROVING OF INNOCENCE CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE ……….
Municipal Manipulation Lorain (e) – Again!!!!
There have been times that this home and family have borne the brunt of people using city offices and law enforcement as weapons of choice by people who object to me, my writings, this blog.
In one very serious instance it was NOT because of what I wrote and the target was not initially me. An elderly woman – a neighbor- was suffering from mental issues- and left to it by her family- her weapon of choice was the Lorain Police Dept . Eleven months of hell for us and her. I wrote about that time on the old WoM Blog. I will reprise that post.
WoM Logo by Scott Baklar
A few days ago, once again, I was accused and accosted by a foul mouthed and obscene rant- threatening behavior – a male face , puffed up and shouting in rage, whilst his wife and his mother looked on.
Also, looking on and having their say – their neighborhood “friends”. As I listened to what was being shouted at me by a young man, whose command of the English language was grounded in obscenity and filth, I looked into the face of the woman , the daughter of that elderly mother. The mother, who had been trapped in her own mind and whose peculiar visions had caused so many months of concern to this family and the neighbors. We had the added expense of lawyers letters, out- reach to the family members by LPD etc. had failed to get the elderly lady help.
In the end the lady was found wandering the streets in her night clothes and the LPD and Social Services stepped in. The family members had done very little to help the mother or the neighbors. ( I have all the documentation, from that time, the diaries we had to keep- it went on and on for 11 months.)
I found it ironic, since they( the daughter and her husband) moved into the mother’s house they had wanted MY help. The daughter had their attorney contact me a few months ago wanting ME to testify on their behalf as to the conduct of the sister with regard to the mother .
Maybe they had their nose out of joint ( she and her husband) because I told their attorney that our own attorney had told us not to have anything to do with any of that family ever and that the family, in my opinion, left their mother in a pitiable state scared of the visions she thought were real.
I would not have been a sympathetic witness to their “estate” dispute. Could that be the reason she joined in the attack with cryptic comments?
In the last year the weapon of choice by “irate accusers” has been the Lorain Building Dept. The Lorain Building Dept. who have been written about as well, critically, for many years, on this blog –
“Administrations, councils come and go but the Building Dept is a common thread and the glut of decrepit housing/buildings in this city lays firmly at the door of lack of enforcement for many years”
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/dye-abolical-goose-gander-inspection-process-pt-4-lorain/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/hurled-through-the-window-retribution-who-done-it-lorain/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/cowboys-of-lorain-schneider-shoots-crazy-eight/
Do they too have an axe to grind – one has to wonder? The Building Dept. under Richard Klinar claim they will not get into neighborhood disputes, have been manipulated to do so ,in my opinion, at least TWICE in a year!!!! I am apparently “RE- inspected” for issues that were non- violations in the first two inspections! This complaint driven dept. should, imho, switch to zone inspections and not just drive by outrageous violations because no one complained??? to get to the petty ones.( Oh! and in Lorain a rolled roof on a pitched roof is legal- how about that slum lords- no longer will you have to put up a real roof!!! You can exchange the old blue for the new black)
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/retribution-dye-a-tribed-the-process/
And it has continued, not only effecting my property but others, as the rushing to file petty retribution complaints in the “alley” has recently happened .
Let me state here for the record I have never filed a “formal complaint” with Building, Planning and Housing- I have written on my blog about issues faced but I haven’t filed any formal complaints.
I have been accused of so doing. Do these holier than thou self righteous – do no wrong think I would be the only one objecting to their placement of construction/ commercial vehicles and travel trailers.
No sorry ! there are others who do not wish to live in a construction parking lot and look at rv’s on the grass. But apparently according to “he of the foul mouth rant” –
“Nobody fu#king cares this is a fu#king hood. YOU are the only one that fu#king cares….. you fu#king bitch”…. this is fu#king Lorain
yelled at the top of his voice . This wasn’t the first time, he yelled obscenities from his parent’s front porch three weeks earlier for the whole street to hear- and hear it they did!
Well at the risk of more concrete through the window , or worse, I will not be silenced. The act of spewing obscene venom at me for at least 10 minutes, aggression and veiled threats apart from the label of
“fu#king c$nt” … I am going to blog about you … you shamed me on your fu#king blog”.. I am gonna park my fu#king vehicles in front of your fu#king house
( such a mature way to deal with his anger – makes a mother proud apparently) )…
and you fu#king bitch put your husband in hospital”
as I walked away . His parting shot was he was going to run for city council- seems I am the catalyst to get people involved in local government 😉
I will continue writing. I will not be cowered by the lack of intelligent and civilized behavior. Little did they know as the tirade continued it was being witnessed by a neutral individual; of course there are now cameras as well .
My latest visit from the Lorain Building Dept. was once again about my husband’s boat –
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT BOAT??????
Of course, I wished he had gotten rid of it years ago- but it has now become like the downspout named “Don” a matter of principle.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/ode-to-a-downspout-named-don-lorain/
Three times we have been inspected in two years – 2014 on a zone inspection ( which we passed)- then the “Dye’ diatribe and the insistence we were inspected (2015) ( using her position on the Design Review Board) and even she was insulting about the boat – and the Lorain Building Dept. responded very quickly – no less than 4 working days- to find the boat in compliance then – the weeds at that time belonged to the City of Lorain😉 and the next door lot
…..are you hiding your junk boat?… My roots go back further in this town more than you riding the boat over to ellis island. is that the boat in your back yard…..
and included in a filthy email sent by another of the “posse of putrid language”
“your back yard have and old fu#king boat” who he did suggest further in his tirade “what you need is I real man to fu#k your fat ass pleople of lorain when you get a clomplain from the city is this woman going around sucking the city’s departments di#k”
NOTE: do you see a language pattern here – such brilliance and command of debating skills🙂
and the latest complaint by the construction fu#k – king of the neighborhood! who admitted making the complaint in the heat of his argument .
AGAIN THE BOAT!!!!!
We have been in compliance with the “boat” for years……
Underneath the tarp is a Chrysler Sport Satellite 15′ and original 70 hp motor
photo source http://www.ralphsrapidtransit.com/71SprtSat.html
Chrysler boats were far ahead of their time. The full foam flotation that was standard on all Chrysler boats, later became federally mandatory on all
You can read about the Chrysler Marine Division here
http://www.allpar.com/history/marine.html
A quick internet search to see if this boat was crap or a classic ( as my husband swears it is) turned up prices that were in at least one case more than we paid for it and the average price was about $400 less than we paid for it all those years ago.
It is now deemed a “classic”
So the boat and me are staying put for now – but just incase anyone else decides to use the Lorain Building Inspectors as their weapon of choice here is the evidence of compliance
NOTE: Dear Inspectors you need to brush up on botany – Mint, Swiss Chard , Horseradish and Morning Glories are not WEEDS!!!!!
But the weeds referred to ( all duly planted by said husband for my mother’s recipes) and those morning glories to cover the chain link fence (which I hate) – allows viewing by those who wish to find fault!!!! – and that is going to change, if I have my way………. But maybe I should save the city time and money and have my property inspected by them once a year to make sure we are in compliance- save them the paperwork and time !
to be continued……. J’ Accuse –
History Regurgitated- Ohio Preservation Meeting
The 501C3 of which I am Co – Chair ( Charleston Village Society Inc) ( if you have been reading this blog has been around since the late 1980’s and a 501C3 since 1993) was invited to meeting on grant applications etc. for historic preservation funding
CVSI is completely reliant upon donations, cash and in kind. We are an ALL volunteer organization.
http://www.loraincounty.com/charlestonlorai/
Introductions were made in that crowded room ( they weren’t expecting such a large turnout)- boding well for historic preservation one would think. The list of communities with “Historic Preservation Districts” included Lorain- I don’t believe 90 percent of those attending “knew” where those are – BUT I can tell you where at least one district is found. The state designation encompasses the area of Lorain’s oldest neighborhood and the area Charleston Village Society oversees ( AN ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION) IN PLACE BEFORE THE STATE DESIGNATION.
My optimism changed quickly to DEJAVU – as the power point presentation got started. Wait a minute! I have seen the same sort photos, different years and different locations , the same power point presentation , even the same jokes when people filled Lorain City Council Chambers in 1993.
The historical rhetoric continued -how to apply – what you need to do, what the benefits are etc. Yes, same spiel I heard nearly a quarter of a century ago. We were excited then, the state was excited there was already a “community based preservation group”( Charleston Village Society Inc) – fully involved with city leaders and the county . The speech I heard today by JEFF SIEGLER
DIRECTOR OF REVITALIZATION
Jeff attended Ohio Wesleyan University where he received his bachelors degree in economics management. While working for a historic tax credit developer In Richmond, Virginia Jeff completed his Masters of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in urban revitalization. Prior to becoming the Director of Revitalization at Heritage Ohio, Jeff worked as the Director of the Lancaster Special Improvement District and Main Street Lancaster.
I had heard in essence heard before – you see we had his predecessor of long ago Kevin Kuchenbecker “talked” us- the BOD of mainstreetlorain”- into joining a Main Street program that was unwieldy , in 1999/ 2000 and was not designed for the area , Lorain is an entitlement city- which means we can’t get the same benefits non entitlement cities can access ( Funny that was never brought up when we were being “courted”)- “mainstreetlorain” organization 1996 had already encompassed an area far bigger than what a Main Street usually covers and I and my Co – Chair Rich Robbin did bring that up and told
not to worry it would be handled!
. Oh the problems were surmountable we were informed ( only they weren’t)
artwork Chris Ritchey
Maybe a time to revisit that piece of history as Charleston Village Society Inc was a founding member of mainstreetlorain and on the board of the Main Street program in Lorain and at one time I was a volunteer director for 7 months so the organization didn’t go belly up. Main Street ( Lorain) eventually became Lorain Growth Corporation http://www.loraingrowth.com/ .
I have been involved up to my eyes in Lorain
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/pulse-magazine-treasure-town-a-blog-heartbeat/
but it was almost insulting to see that nearly a quarter of a century on these “historical preservation ” way forwards are stuck back in the last century and can only regurgitate the rhetoric
a healthy down -town has to have a healthy neighborhood and vice versa-
now what decade in the past was that ever mentioned??? ( sarcasm ) ,
you have to work together with local officials
.
To people who have, over the decades , been there done that, worked with 8 administrations, countless number of council people , not to mention police chiefs, fire chiefs civic organizations, educational institutions, we are not any farther ahead than when we met in the meeting room of the Broadway Building with Heritage Ohio in 1999/2000 and in 1993 when we went under the architectural review. In fact, we have lost a lot of significant homes and buildings and our downtown- well what can I say Channel Five said it all
So let us see what benefits we, as a neighborhood ,have derived from being in a state recognized district for these many years.
Lorain has a number buildings on the National Historic Register
Oh and yes one with a hairnet controversy -Broadway Building, another with promises not fulfilled as the rain comes down – Eagles Building – look at them now (with fresh eyes).
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/the-wondering-donspout-wants-to-know-how-come/
How can that be? What doesn’t seem to be told or at least made very clear is that IF PRIVATE MONEY IS USED to rehab , tear down, paint a building pink there is nothing “Historical Preservation” can do!!!
The only time they have teeth is when “public monies” are used at any level. Have ANY of the historically significant homes in this neighborhood been cherished by the “Historians from Ohio”? We can’t even find funding to preserve the headstones of Lorain’s founding families in the little cemetery on 6th.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/a-cemetery-tale-charleston-village-lorain/
I don’t think they even know the history of this- Lorain’s oldest neighborhood. Within walking distance of my old house
( not historically significant except for maybe the window connection and the artisan who came to Lorain )
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/windows-on-lorain-the-neanderthals-a-tornado-history/
Captain Wilford’s Home
There is the Captain Wilford House, which housed the Captain his wife Fanny Gillmore of the Gillmore Civil War letters
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/civil-war-letters-fannie-gilmore-lorain/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/capt-wilford-a-hero-of-the-inland-seas/
and we haven’t even touched on the rest of the Gillmore family although you can find the series here .
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/generally-gillmore-the-last-post-lorain-part-12/
Just take a walk and look at that house now.
Admiral Kings’ birth place – you may remember Admiral King
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/fleet-admiral-ernest-j-king-remembering-you/
( Gov. Kasich sent a lovely proclamation when we designated the “tribute site across from his birthplace Gov Kasich wished him well in his retirement – hmmmmm not sure his office staff knew the history of the Commander of the US Fleet (WW2) as he had been dead 50 years – can you retire from death??? We informed them of their error and we received another proclamation but without the fancy gold seal😉
Photo Lisa Miller
The little historic park- the earliest surviving green space in the county 1807 saved from condos ( you know the importance of a public square statement) not by Ohio but by a bunch of “history boneheads of Charleston Village Society” – history boneheads – designated by Editor John Cole (Morning Journal)
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/the-history-park-1812-201-hundred-years-a-recorded-city-park-veterans-park-lorain-ohio/
The only thing I can see we benefit from in being a state preservation district is the fact if public monies are used in our neighborhood to rehab then there are standards to be met eg. windows unless the house is historically insignificant and when the city or country needs to demo a property we ( CVSI) are usually asked to provide a letter stating why we as an organization ,whose mission statement includes preservation of the neighborhood, don’t object – see an example file here
CVSI Gow House
Then to be told by the speakers, Oh it is a local issue, get ordinances passed, accountability is local and you need to take before and after pictures etc. etc. well that was it- accountability HA!
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/05/10/abate-the-wait-lorains-housing-court-objection/
I had to leave before I regurgitated…… I have 25 years for publicizing before and after and before and it has become “history’!
The Charleston Village Society Float in the international parade and the big blue box from 1992
Ah and 24 years later ……https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/05/17/money-where-your-mouth-is-part-one/
Time to get off the soap box.
Money Where your Mouth Is- The Process- Part two
Part One https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/05/17/money-where-your-mouth-is-part-one/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/june-3rd-your-truth-chris-ritchey/
freedom of speech by Chris Ritchey
As I have pondered the terrible events happening since I wrote part one- I have decided to stick by my opinions, not to be silenced by a barrage of obscenity and intimidation because of the lack of respect for others and laws of the city – even if it is on the block where I live. Documentation and catalogue of happenings have been sent to various entities so if I pop my clogs they will know where to start the investigation😉
We raised our children and have grown old in this old house. Our world was rocked when our son died from Cancer. During the months that followed, I could have cared less what was happening in the outside world , the advocate for history and this neighborhood lay buried beneath the cruelty of disease and the cruel aftermath perpetuated upon this family by his “bride” and her family- https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/december-11th-the-beginning-of-the-beginning/
To be honest, the world could have come to an end outside these windows and I wouldn’t have cared. Months and now years have come and gone, the pain still is as strong- you just get better at holding it back in public- well for the most part.
The property at 1125 had become an issue, truth be told, it was really an issue for the 40 years we have lived here along with the big blue box. As stated in part one, the hedges, shrubs and the huge maple shielded me- for the most part- from at least the visual happenings.
We had made enquiries to the City of Lorain, once the house was demolished, as to purchasing the property. Three years went by and then the announcement property owners adjacent to these vacant lots could apply for purchase. We actually thought long and hard about this as we are ourselves fast approaching our “sell by date”. We knew this was not going to be an easy or cheap project to take on, with all its other problems, there was one “underlying ” challenge.
This old house sits above the lot next door by a few feet – just how high above wasn’t noticeable until the shrubs and trees were removed. The surprise -was a good 5-6 feet above the lot next door.We are literally on the bank of the ravine .
There is an underground rivulet/stream at the bottom of a ravine which actually used to come out of the ground by my garage and headed north east toward the lake.
“The Charleston River” ( my name for it) and its ” topography” – trench were noted on the 1837 Map ( Ohio Historical report)
The old river bed shows in the middle 1800’s hand drawn pencil map from Peggy Gillmore’s estate ( now on display at Lorain City Hall)
and on the 1880’s map
We knew that after the Tornado the street scape changed. According to Peggy Gillmore, the last of the founding family of Gillmores in this city ,
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/generally-gillmore-the-last-post-lorain-part-12/
she told me on the south corner of 4th and Hamilton ( home was destroyed in that tornado ) a friend’s grandmother would put out the milk cans in the stream to keep cool in the summer. Peggy said there was a small bridge where the old Irving School play ground now sits in order to cross but that was filled in before the tornado. The house on the opposite corner ( also demolished sat on the opposite bank of the ravine – and was known as The Bluffs.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/history-demoed-another-rehabbed-pt-1/
This old house and the property next door to the west were built in the rebuilding time – after the tornado. The home that sat on the lot which was then 66 ft. was lost in the tornado.
There was a lot of “lot cut ups” after the tornado – probably to entice people to purchase and rebuild . You can see the before
and the old tax map showing 1912 showing the who and then the split lots from 66 feet to 33 after the tornado and that continued…..
now the lots are not uniform and over the years footage has changed hands
Some people, for whatever reason, purchased three feet and some 6 feet from their neighbor and one extended the back of their lot from the traditional 157 to 165 – maybe in lieu of giving up 9 feet from their 66 foot lot . I don ‘t know but what I did know was that we were going to have issues.
1. being the river still running underneath the lot (1125)
2. the fact the lot is over an old rubble landfill from the debris of the tornado
3. the expenses that would be incurred to make the lot attractive after years and years of neglect and abuse.
The added expense of taking down a huge 95 foot maple , sitting close to the house, you just knew that wasn’t going to be cheap.
Did we really want to take on a project this large and the proverbial pains in the rear this would entail at our age.
And then ,as I sat one day on the balcony trying to enjoy a summer morning, the vehicles were once again using the lot as their personal cut through, construction vehicles parked, dump truck full of debris, the noise and even more vehicles finding a place to park, peace shattered. I realized I did not want to spend my last remaining days looking at this situation? Since the city has very little accountability for those that do what ever they want – we had decided we at least needed some control over what was happening to “Highway 1125” . We started the paperwork……….
Study + Plan = money = blah blah = Lorain= ?
I will admit to being pretty naïve as to how government worked and the tools( aka “study/s”) needed by the City of Lorain. In the early 90’s. Charleston Village Society http://www.loraincounty.com/charlestonlorai/ was pretty new as a 501C3 back then. You see CVSI did it backwards we became a neighborhood organization without anyone’s help or dollars. We did the ground work ourselves , tried to make a difference.
We were ridiculed (as the village idiots) and yes even Community Development for the City of Lorain tried thwarting us at every turn – “the middle class clique “ their term -Chuck Urindrisky and Sandy Prudoff possibly concerned about their ” HUD cash cow” . We became an organization over which Community Development had no control – we were the loose cannon.
artwork Chris Ritchey
Finally, we were recognized and our input was required. We were asked to attend a series of meeting with the “movers and shakers” ( I kid you not that was the term used) at the then Lorain High School on 6th.
We were , Rich Robbin and I, excited- maybe something would finally get going in this old neighborhood and Lorain.
We printed out our newsletter, at the time, with the facts and figures from government sources and handed out the newsletter to the movers and shakers – with the headline of 20 odd years ago FOR RENT ONE CITY – LORAIN. Our figures showed Lorain heading from an owner occupied city to 60 percent rental. Not much has changed over the ensuing decades except the “quality” of the rental market took a downward dive in the older neighborhoods(in my opinion) .
Back to our naivety . We duly attended the meetings , the flip charts , touting Lorain’s assets – the Palace , the Lake, the people , the parks , organizations, business opportunities, history etc. After the third such meeting back in the early 90’s I dared ask –
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/the-reprise-of-gobble-de-gook-claptrap-wishy-washy-ask-me-no-questions-i-will-tell-you-no-lies/
Source Dave Brown
of the Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/us
A way forward???? that very term has haunted me and made me nauseous ever since. I don’t know what happened to the “PLAN” from the 90’s and then again the “Visioning Plans of the rest of the decades that we still kept attending. I have the county plan from 1991 ) Vision 20/20 ( total misnomer in my opinion)
We did attend the “plan for the port” and yes! in fact that was one of the very few “plans that have seen implementation in the past 15 years- but one has to wonder if that would’ve succeeded if the Lorain Port Authority had not been accountable directly to the Lorain taxpayer for operating revenue through levies etc.
I attended, on behalf of Charleston Village Society the “Big Idea ” session held at the Lorain Port Authority conference room. This latest study and its outcome apparently will focus on the “zoning ” requirements for this city and determine future zoning/planning based upon the study results . You can find the project schedule the time line – meetings etc. here
http://www.loraincompplan.com/uploads/4/7/9/6/47960399/lorain_project-schedule.pdf
There were representatives from a few organizations at the table for this session with Senior Planner Justin Robbins AICP
there were the obligatory flip charts , not much has changed there and it was the “Opportunities ” Page that took me from
to the old curmudgeon !
As the people around the table, only one of whom I have ever seen attend any of these previous decades of “plans”, told of the strengths and the opportunities……. I was transported BACKKKKKKKKKKKK to a time of long ago and a plan far away…
OK! I admit all my good intentions of say nothing went west as I looked at the same “opportunities” being written down on yet another flip chart. The same damned things that were written down in the first planning / study strategy I attended those many years ago.
.
So I forgot my good intentions and said my say ( on the negative side ). Apparently after 20 odd years of Visions and Plans the positives remained the same so not much to ADD there .
I had my say about Lorain’s largest business – the Rental Business
( As a real estate agent and landlord painted a more than rosy scenario” and Yes there is a lucrative business in Lorain!
10 MILLION 800 THOUSAND A YEAR or 900,000 A MONTH coming from the voucher program alone into the coffers of the landlords , a majority of whom live outside Lorain.
I am sure those stats haven’t decreased probably increased since the post
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2014/08/26/the-time-has-come-the-walrus-said-lorain/
FROM 1991…..
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/category/city-of-lorain/page/5/
“Right now ( 1991) you’re giving Lorain away a house at a time , a piece at a time and no one seems to care”
Ward Two the ward that has the Lake, the opportunities for development, itself glutted, decaying and home to even in worst shape now than when the “movers and shakers” held that round table at the Lorain High School cafeteria.( also gone and re planned)
One thing did change the plus side held Lorain City Schools but although the buildings are newer they now find they are in the negative. Back in the time that Lorain forgot ( along with her tangible history) Lorain Schools held many studies and discussions on their way forward – attended more than one – Ironically the last one I wrote about
5 Years ago the Goals for Lorain City Schools coming from http://www.ode.state.oh.us plan
THE OUTCOME 2016 Sept.
OH! OH! THAT DIDN’T GO QUITE ACCORDING TO PLAN!!!!!
We could say no more studies , no more plans but these are part of the government hoops and showing the money boys of government – a way forward and community buy in. I suppose it would be cheating to just update the old studies and plans???
Oh and that Lake it also has to go on the negative and plus ( which cancels it out somewhat) because 1/3 of the area that would normally draw in business is water and that water is usually frozen for 5-6 months of the year and rough for a least a couple of months as well – there goes your “boat” people .
Entertainment District/ Downtown and maybe see the area jumping on weekends for 3 months or so BUT will not support a thriving downtown area or gentrify the neighborhood in order to have foot traffic. It has to be part of a much “bigger idea” and I am not sure I have seen that yet….
So this latest “input from the public” is How do we want our community Zoned ?
http://www.cityoflorain.org/building/lorain_zoning_maps
Updating Lorain’s Zoning/Planning:
An Entertainment zone?( year round???)
Zoned Historical ( better get on that fast we have very little historical bricks and mortar left)-
Residential ( up market zone)( down market)
Recreational Zone – lawn parking of Rv’s
Light Industrial – street parking of construction vehicles ( note these can be grandfathered in as it happens every day)
Heavy Industrial – and so on and so forth……..
” EQUALITY/ACCOUNTABILITY ZONE- SUB ZONE NO ROLLED ROOFS On PITCHED ROOFS ZONE
Yes that is what I would like an equality/ accountability and no rolled roof Zone – where everyone has to follow the ordinances we already have! With “Zone inspections rather than complaint driven ”
But for right now……. I am completely ZONED OUT
September 20, 2016 at 12:01 pm 4 comments