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Building Blocks Preservation Group, Inc.

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Medina, OH
Building Blocks Preservation Group, Inc.

When tangible built history falls away to "progress," collective recollection fades, pioneer legacies dim.

We will reach back and bring forward those touchpoints, honor and preserve them, for the good of all to remember.

01/28/2020

Address

326 West Washington Street
Medina, OH
44256

Website

facebook.com

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Why we exist

Building Blocks Preservation Group began in early March 2019 because one woman asked: “Why?”

Why would Historic Medina, Ohio need to demolish a 183-year-old home to add parking spaces to a fairly underutilized city park on a side street? Especially when most park-goers walk over from the neighborhoods! Wasn’t someone going to stop this from happening? Much to her husband’s surprise, SHE did.

A crowd-fund would not be enough to “Save the Huntington House” and keep the effort going after THAT one house was saved. More had to be done! So, the articles of incorporation were filed to bring “Building Blocks Preservation Group, Inc.” into existence.

Why is this house so important? Historic homes are *all important* relative to our how-we-got-here stories. In this case, Peter R. Huntington was one of the early “pioneers” out of Norwich, CT to scout land in Medina County. After several visits to survey the area, Peter purchased 100 acres just outside of the county seat, Medina Village, in the early 1830s. He chose to marry and raise his family on this land. There is evidence of his home on a plat map in 1834, and on tax duplicates by 1840. Sophia Huntington Parker, the longest living child of Peter and Jane, was born in this house and died in this house. “Huntington Street” was named after this family, where it now stands at 347 N. Huntington Street.

Currently, this simple Greek Revival Farmhouse is one of the top five oldest currently standing homes in the city of Medina. Building Blocks has contracted with Wolfe House Movers of Indiana to structurally raise and move the main house (24x35’ of it) in one piece (we pray) to its new home at 529 W. Friendship Street the week of November 11, 2019.

Medina’s community-at-large is often unaware of quiet homes that lie untended or even vacant for years. Historic details of simple, unobtrusive houses in the neighborhoods specifically within the ten-block radius of the Square are not widely recognized, despite Medina’s designation as a Certified Local Government (CLG) with the State of Ohio’s Historic Preservation Office. Efforts have been made by individually motivated council members to designate historic neighborhood districts with the support of the Medina Community Design Committee (CDC), a longstanding nonprofit that works to preserve, protect, restore and acknowledge major historic properties. But if those neighborhood associations don’t ignite, organize and continue on their own, the residents remain unaware of the precious resources they own and touch every day.

Factor in a city that is growing, and vibrant, and like all others, economically driven. City Council is a seven-member elected group of officials who vote on over 200 ordinances per year for a city of less than 30,000 residents. They attend ribbon cuttings and elaborate weekly events year `round on the Square, and lead worthy community projects. We are Historic Medina on the outside, the quaint destination location 30 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. But on the inside, a few council members fight to preserve that historic reality, as it often gets in the way of everyone elses’ “progress.”

A public charity is needed to raise awareness and educate the local public of hidden or forgotten historic resources that are in jeopardy. When buildings are demolished, history is often torn down with its walls. In collaboration with the local community immediately around Medina’s historic Square, along with neighborhood groups, CDC, City Council, Administration, local businesses, philanthropists, and Medina residents, we will collect and share knowledge, respect and preserve old homes, and step up TOGETHER to save the ones that are falling.