Progress Through Preservation (PTP) actively encourages and promotes the preservation, maintenance, restoration, and adaptive reuse of buildings, sites and neighborhoods that are of historic or architectural importance in Akron and Summit County.

April 28, 2008

Speaker Russ Pry, Summit County Executive

The new year's the time for taking stock of where we've been, where we are, and where we're going, a valuable exercise for the preservation-minded as they move forward in 2008. Last year PTP tallied over forty societies and organizations focused on history and preservation. So, let's take stock of Summit County now.

Did you know that Summit County has 38 Ohio Historical Markers? Half are in Akron, seven are in Barberton, three are in Hudson, and the remaining nine are distributed throughout the county. Since the marker program requires the sponsor to pay for the marker, the placement of a plaque demonstrates a community group's commitment.

For Summit County the Department of the Interior lists over 140 sites on the National Register of Historic Places. While 49 are in Akron, the balance are distributed through the county with 23 attributed to Peninsula.

PTP's March 2008 newsletter briefly described the history of the U.S. Department of Interior's National Park Service Certified Local Government (CLG) program which is run in Ohio by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office (OHPO). Four Summit County communities – Hudson, Green, Barberton, and Akron – are eligible for the benefits of this program.

A number of Summit County communities, Hudson and Green being but two examples, have a long interest of concern for historic preservation within their jurisdictions. Some townships too, such as Bath, have also demonstrated a similar concern.

An overview of historic preservation at the county level will be the focus of county executive Russ Pry when he speaks to PTP members, guests, and friends in the original 1836 chapel of the Bath United Church of Christ, 3980 W. Bath Rd., at 7:30pm on Monday, April 28, 2008. Mr. Pry is no stranger to historic matters, for he's been a member of the Mogadore Historical Society and can speak eloquently on that community's past.

Please join us in an historic setting for an interesting evening which is open to all.

May 19, 2008

Speaker Donna DeBlasio, Youngstown State University.