Article published November 27, 2007
NORTHWEST OHIO
Transfer of 4 historical sites to local ownership under study
The Fallen Timbers Memorial, above, has the highest profile of the sites in northwest Ohio. The monument stands between the battlefield and the fort on a small parcel of land in Maumee.
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THE BLADE
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By LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
A study of whether to transfer as many as four historical sites in northwest Ohio to local ownership could mean bigger changes at some of those sites than to others, local officials said yesterday.
The Legislative Service Commission is conducting a study of incentives that the legislature might offer to local non-profit groups or municipalities to persuade them to take over as many as 20 sites now owned by the Ohio Historical Society.
Among the sites under review for potential transfer are the Fallen Timbers Memorial in Maumee, Cooke House in Sandusky, and Glacial Grooves and Inscription Rock, both on Kelleys Island.
George Kane, director of facilities management at the historical society, said the organization isn't ready to plant a "For Sale" sign on any of its 60 historic sites just yet.
"We're not soliciting anything at this point. They asked us what sites should we be talking about and who should we be talking to," Mr. Kane said. "We gave [the Legislative Service Commission] a list of 20."
The Glacial Grooves on Kelleys Island would be transferred to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which has operated the attraction for decades with little remuneration from the Ohio Historical Society.
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Of the northwest Ohio sites, the Fallen Timbers Memorial might have the highest profile, but the Cooke House is likely to require the greatest incentives, Mr. Kane said.Scott Carpenter, a spokesman for the Toledo Area Metroparks, which owns the Fallen Timbers battlefield and nearby Fort Miamis, said the local agency is more than willing to study taking over the Fallen Timbers Memorial.
The memorial is between the battlefield and the fort on a small parcel of land in Maumee.
"If they're interested in selling it, we'd definitely be interested in talking to them," Mr. Carpenter said.
"Part of our responsibility as manager of the overall historic site is to find a way to link the three sites [the memorial, the actual battlefield, and Fort Miamis] together. The monument is key for us in the preservation and interpretation of that historic site," he said.
Inscription Rock on Kelleys Island with its Iroquoian inscriptions is among locations being considered for transfer.
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If an ownership transfer is able to occur, Mr. Kane said it likely would be a $1 transaction that would allow the historical society to remove the memorial from its inventory.
The two sites on Kelleys Island - Glacial Grooves and Inscription Rock - likely would be transferred to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which has operated the two attractions for decades with little remuneration from the society, Mr. Kane said.
The society spent just $180 on maintenance at the Glacial Grooves site between July, 2006, and June, 2007, and $130 maintaining Inscription Rock during the same period, Mr. Kane said.
The society spent $560 at the Fallen Timbers site in its 2007 fiscal year, mostly as an assessment for a water line, Mr. Kane said.
By contrast, there were $14,364 in expenditures for the Cooke House in Sandusky, which suffers from a number of maintenance maladies, Mr. Kane explained.
"We just got a grant from a local foundation to replace the boiler. We're just doing that work right now," he said. "We have problems there with storm drainage; it does not have good [handicapped] access; it needs some storm windows, and we've had problems with water in the basement."
The Cooke House is a 19th century home in downtown Sandusky that once was the home of Eleutherus Cooke, the city's first lawyer who later was a lawmaker. It was deeded to the historical society by the Dorn Trust and is operated by a nonprofit group, the Old House Guild.
An officer of the Old House Guild, who did not want to be identified, said any potential transfer might be complicated because of the trust. She referred any other questions to another officer, George Gilbert, who could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Kane said the Cooke House "does have some statewide interest" but is on the list of 20 locations under study because not having it in the society's inventory wouldn't lessen its mandate significantly.
"We feel it's currently managed by the local community, and not having it under our care would not impede our ability to talk about the major themes of Ohio history," Mr. Kane said.
Contact Larry P. Vellequette at:
lvellequette@theblade.com
or 419-724-6091.
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