St. Clair Village and Waterville archive honored

The Dixon Building at the corner of St. Clair and Lafayette streets is in the historic village.

The St. Clair Historic Village in the Warehouse District and the Wakeman Archival Research Center in Waterville will receive Excellence in Preservation Awards tonight from the Landmarks Preservation Council.

"I'm just tickled pink," Kathleen Steingraber, executive director of the Toledo Warehouse District Association, said. "I could not be more proud."

The village, five buildings at Lafayette and St. Clair streets, was built in the late 1800s. The warehouse district association bought the complex in 1998 to renovate it for apartments and retail space.

It opened in November, and the commercial space is completely leased as well as most of the 11 apartments.

"This is kind of a wonderful culmination of about 15 years of hard work that appears to have happened overnight," Ms. Steingraber said.

The Wakeman Archival Research Center, built in 1880, was purchased by the Waterville Historical Society in 1997 and houses the society's archives.

Ms. Steingraber is receiving an individual award from the council. Other people and organizations receiving awards are:

●The Rev. Paul Kwiatkowski, for work toward preserving churches, schools, and redeveloping the Lagrange area.

●The River East Economic Revitalization Corp. and the city of Toledo, for saving the Coad Building.

●William D. Speck, author of Toledo, A History of Architecture.

The presentation will be at the Toledo Club.