BUILDERS OF YOUNGSTOWN
NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH: MAY 2019
Downtown Youngstown landmarks tour set for May 8
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etro Monthly will commemorate National Preservation Month 2019 with an architectural walking tour of downtown Youngstown. It will occur 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 8 in downtown Youngstown. The tour will begin on the southwest corner of Central Square, across from the Civil War monument. Mark C. Peyko, publisher and editor of Metro Monthly, and Sean T. Posey, author of “Lost Youngstown” and “Historic Theaters of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley,” will lead the free tour, which will cover the history and development of the central business district. The tour will include “Central Square Skyscrapers,” and the “The West Federal Commercial Streetscape.” Peyko has a master’s degree in historic preservation planning from Eastern Michigan University. His degree focused on architectural history, preservation planning and American settlement. Peyko is past president of the Northside Citizens’ Coalition, which completed a successful diverstment of historic housing in the Wick Park Historic District north of Youngstown State University. Posey is an author, journalist and photographer. In 2016, the History Press released his first book, “Lost Youngstown.” Posey’s second book, “Historic Theaters of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley,” was released in August 2017. Posey’s work has been featured in a variety of publications, including The New Republic, Citylab, Salon, and Moyers & Company, where he worked on campaign coverage for the 2016 presidential election. He is a writer and speaker.
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METRO MONTHLY ELECTRONIC IMAGE BY RON FLAVIANO
Metro Monthly Publisher Mark C. Peyko leading a downtown landmark’s tour in 2007
The tour will include “Central Square Skyscrapers” and “The West Federal Commercial Streetscape.” The architectural tour will be presented in memory of local musician and political activist Robert D. Fitzer, who died in 2007 after an extended illness. The Mahoning Valley will join thousands of individuals around the country this month as part of a nationwide celebration of National Preservation Month. Since the National Trust for Historic Preservation created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities with events ranging from architectural and historic tours and award ceremonies, to fundraising events, educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its over-
whelming popularity, the National Trust in 2007 extended the celebration to the entire month of May and declared it Preservation Month to provide an even longer opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of this country’s cities and states and enable more Americans to become involved in the preservation movement. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit membership organization. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving and preserving historic places. For more information, visit http://www. preservationnation.org/
Tour to be presented in memory of Robert D. Fitzer of Youngstown
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his year’s landmarks tour will be presented in memory of Robert D. Fitzer, an instructor of clarinet at Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music, who died in 2007 following an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Bob was born in Youngstown on July 27, 1956 to James Robert Fitzer and Dolores Elvira (Severino) Fitzer, who were Dana School of Music faculty members. Bob was widely known in Youngstown for his political and community ROBERT D. FITZER
Architect for Henry Ford designed Stambaugh, Mahoning Bank buildings
activism. He was a Democrat, a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Church, and a Cleveland Indians fan. Fitzer served on the faculty of the Dana School of Music since 1996 and was director of the Clarinet Studies program. He began musical studies with pianist Gene Rush (Tennessee State University) and with pianist Harold Danko (Eastman School of Music) and began clarinet studies at age 10 with Carl Marks Jr. He graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor of arts in performance. Bob undertook additional academic and performance training at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria and at the International Festival-Institute in Round Top, Texas. He studied
with Chicago Symphony Orchestra clarinetists Clark Brody and Larry Combs. Fitzer was active in community and civic affairs. From 1987 to 1994 Bob was a feature writer and senior consultant for Speed of Sound magazine. He served as co-host and producer of the WYSU-FM political radio show “Commentary Café” from 1995 to 2001. Fitzer loved Youngstown and its architecture. An advocate of historic preservation, he was involved in many efforts to preserve the city’s architectural history, particularly in the downtown area. Memorial contributions in Bob Fitzer’s memory may be made to the Fitzer Family Scholarship Fund, c/o the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University.
he skyline of Detroit and the development of American industry would have been much different without Albert Kahn. As the leading industrial architect of the 20th century, Kahn’s revolutionary engineering helped Henry Ford streamline the assembly line and achieve mass production. Kahn’s pioneering use of reinforced concrete allowed for wider expanses of open, unobstructed space in factories and public buildings. His brother, Julius, patented the process and Albert used it in thousands of factories and public buildings in the ALBERT KAHN U.S. and abroad. Although his 1903 Packard Automotive Plant in Detroit was the first major factory to use reinforced concrete, Kahn’s Highland Park plant for Ford was a turning point for both the auto maker and modern American manufacturing. In addition to creating efficient production spaces for automotive clients, Kahn’s designs also considered the comfort and safety of workers. Factories typically had large, operating windows that allowed light and ventilation into the workplace and the buildings were fireproof. Although Kahn embraced modern technology, he also created residential, commercial and institutional architecture that was rooted in history. Like many of his contemporaries, Kahn used classical elements in his public buildings and his homes for Detroit’s auto elite were often steeped in traditional English architecture. Although Kahn remained in Detroit, his brother and the Trussed Concrete Steel Co. relocated to Youngstown in 1906. Around this time, Albert got some of his earliest work in the Mahoning Valley. In 1906, he built the Stambaugh Building, which became the headquarters of Youngstown Sheet IMAGE COURTESY OF MARK C. PEYKO AND PRESERVATION YOUNGSTOWN and Tube. It was one of the earliest skyMahoning National scrapers on Central Bank (Huntington) Square. Another local before a 1920s exKahn design, the pansion. Mahoning National Bank Building, was built in 1910 and expanded in the mid-1920s. Other structures in Youngstown included the Trussed Concrete Steel Co. (Truscon) on Albert Street and Julius' Youngstown home on Tod Lane. – Mark C. Peyko
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