An Ohio Town's "Apathy"
Endangered Victorian in Portsmouth, Ohio
Credit: John Kelley
May 14, 2002
Dear Preservation 911,
I am sorry to report that Victorian architecture is soon to be extinct in my hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio—or maybe I should say "ex-hometown," since I've pretty much disowned the place.
The level of apathy toward historic buildings here is pathetic. We have one of the few surviving Columbia theaters, built in 1911. You would think that one of our wealthy residents would want to preserve this piece of history. Wrong. After it closed in the 1980s, it was empty until a Columbus businessman bought it last year. He is fully restoring it, and plans to use it as a live- music venue, but no one—not the mayor, the city council, or any of the many wealthy residents of our area—is lifting a finger to help.
Portsmouth's 1911 Columbia Theater, in disrepair
Credit: John Kelley
But this is nothing compared to the extinction of Victorian homes, many of which were devoured by a college expansion several years ago. Now we stand to lose the rest to a wasteful and needless political program, the "New Schools" project. It will cost $59 million dollars for four new buildings. Less than half of that amount could fix the purposely neglected old ones. A lot of the houses are ordinary or run-down, but there are several fine houses dating to 1855.
Does anyone out there know how to stop this outrage?
Sincerely,
J.W. Kelley
Portsmouth, Ohio
E-mail the writer with advice, comments, or commiseration.
Got a 911 in your town? Send us an e-mail.
Preservation 911 is a message board open to all readers. While National Trust staff will respond to the extent feasible, this will not be possible in all cases. We encourage other readers involved in state or local preservation to respond with advice or assistance. To contact either a regional office of the National Trust, a statewide or local nonprofit organization, or your state's historic preservation office, click here for a state-by-state list. The National Trust's regional and field offices bring the programs and tools of the Trust to communities across the country. They offer technical assistance through consultations and field visits and financial help through small grants. They hold educational programs for professional preservationists and work to foster policies that help historic places. They also provide leadership on issues that concern entire regions, such as saving historic schools, fighting sprawl, and revitalizing cities.
