FRANKLIN BOULEVARD WEST CLINTON AVENUE
Historic District
GUIDEBOOK
WHat IS A HISTORIC DISTRICT? WHat IS A LANDMARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE? When an applicant in a historic district seeks a building permit they are required to get a Certificate of Appropriateness from the City’s Landmarks Commission. In order to provide the Commission with local recommedations, Landmarks Advisory Committees have been created, comprised of neighborhood residents and design professionals. Exterior changes to residences are reviewed by these Landmarks Advisory Committees.
The Franklin Boulevard - West Clinton Avenue Historic District was created in 2010 to recognize, protect and preserve the history and character of the neighborhood. When properties have been WHat IS the value of resources designated as part of a Cleveland Landmark FOLLOWING HISTORIC Detroit Shoreway Community changes to the property GUIDELINES? Historic District, exterior Development Organization require review and approval by the Landmarks 6516 Ave.,ofSuite to ensure that theDetroit character the 1 A historic districtCommission has distinguishing (216) 961-4242 property and the district as a whole are characteristics ofindividual an architectural www.dscdo.org maintained. type or types that are believed to be
significant within their context. City of Cleveland Landmarks Having a historic designation helps Commission protect property values and adds to 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 519 the character and identity of a (216) 664-2531 neighborhood. Advice is available to property owners planning to restore City of Cleveland Department A historic district has distinguishing characteristics of an and maintain their homes through of Building and Housing architectural type; each property is a unique record groups such as Cleveland Restoration 601 Lakeside 505 of a particular timefor and place. Having aAvenue, historic Room designation Society. See the resources section (216)and 664-2927 | Building permits helps protect property values adds to the more contact information. (216) 664-2007 Code complaints character and identity of a neighborhood. |Advice is available
WHat IS the value of FOLLOWING HISTORIC GUIDELINES?
to property owners planning to restore and maintain their homes through groups such as Cleveland Cleveland Restoration Society Restoration Society. See the resources section 3751 Prospect Avenue of this brochure for more(216) contacts. 426-1000
www.clevelandrestoration.org
FRANKLIN BOULEVARD - WEST CLINTON
FRANKLIN BOULEVARD - WEST CLINTON AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT MAP HISTORIC DISTRICT MAP
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FRANKLIN BLVD - WEST CLINTON HISTORIC DISTRICT
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Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
www.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide
The City of Cleveland’s Landmarks Commission Ordinance (Cleveland Zoning Code Chapter 161) summarizes the standards as follows: In evaluating applications for alterations or construction of property, the Commission shall consider the following standards created by the U.S. Department of the Interior: A. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment; B. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alternation of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided; C. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken; D. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved; E. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved; F. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence; G. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible; H. Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken; I. New additions, exterior, alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment; and J. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
POPULAR RESTORATION TOPICS Preservation and rehabilitation in a historic district can take on many forms. The following topics are among the most popular to require design review and should be addressed appropriately with assistance from restoration experts. SIDING
Original siding materials should be preserved, repaired or restored, wherever possible. Proposals to cover or replace original materials with lesser materials, such as vinyl, are discouraged.
WINDOWS Windows Much like siding, windows can play a large role in defining the overall character of a structure. Again, original conditions should be preserved, repaired or restored, wherever possible. Care should be taken to retain original window dimensions and style with high quality replacements, when necessary. As with siding, vinyl replacement windows are discouraged as poor substitute for original materials or higher quality replacements. ROOFS Original roof materials, such as slate, tile and wood shingle, should be preserved, repaired or restored, wherever possible. When replacement is deemed necessary, high quality roof materials should be selected with assistance of a restoration expert in order to retain the historic aesthetic of the original material and to ensure maximum durability. PORCHES Porches, large and small, can be significant contributors to the historic character of a structure. As such, care should be taken to retain the original dimensions, features and details of porch structures in the historic district. Any necessary replacement features should match the style and dimension of the originals and should be made of the same materials as the originals, to the extent possible. Original porches should not be removed or enclosed. FENCES and WALLS Fences and walls on front and side elevations are discouraged unless they can be shown to have historic precedence. If so, decorative metal or wood applications are preferred. Rear yard fences may consist of less decorative styles, including board-on-board or wood privacy fencing. These should not continue past the rear setback of the property. Chain link fencing is discouraged in all cases. DEMOLITION Removal of historic architectural features or of entire historic structures should be considered a last resort. Preservation and stabilization efforts should be fully exhausted or a directive should be obtained from relevant City departments citing conditions imminently dangerous to life, health or property before demolition is considered.
COMMON QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Q: Who is the Franklin-West Clinton Landmarks Advisory Committee? A: The committee is a group of neighborhood residents that have volunteered to be the local representatives to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission. The Committee reviews projects within the Franklin-West Clinton (F-WC) Historic District and provides a recommendation to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission either for, or against, approval of requested exterior alterations. Q: What renovation work is subject to the landmarks review process? A: Changes to the exterior of an historic structure shall be reviewed for the appropriateness of the proposed changes. Routine maintenance and interior work does not require review.
Q: How often does the Committee meet? A: The F-WC Advisory Committee meets twice a month in the Gordon Square Arcade to review projects that have been submitted for approval. It is recommended to notify the Committee at least one week prior to the meeting date. Q: What happens after the landmarks review process? A: Once the owner/contractor and the Landmarks Commission have agreed upon a design solution that is appropriate to the historic structure, the Commission issues a Certificate of Appropriateness to the Building Department for the design only. The Building Department then proceeds with the zoning, building, and code review of the proposed project.
Q& A
Q: How does the review process begin? A: It is recommended to begin the process by contacting the Cleveland Landmarks Commission or the F-WC Advisory Committee to discuss the required materials, the appropriateness of the project, and to answer any questions you may have. Submitting for a building permit will also begin the landmarks review process, but often limits the coordination between the owner/contractor and the Commission/Committee.
Q: What if my project is not recommended for approval by the F-WC Advisory Committee? A: A detailed explanation of why the application was not recommended for approval would be given to the applicant. If the applicant believes the proposal meets the historic requirements, the proposal may be presented directly to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission. The intent of the Committee is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Landmarks Commission and to serve as an asset to the community.
DOES MY PROJECT REQUIRE LANDMARKS REVIEW? 1. Do you live within an Historic District? (See map in this guidebook)
2. Are you making improvements to the exterior of your building?
YEs
YEs
YEs
NO
NO
NO
Landmarks review is not required.
Landmarks review is not required.
Landmarks review is required.
3. Do you need a Building Permit? (Check with Department of Building and Housing)
Landmarks review is not required.
Contact the City of Cleveland Landmarks Commission to begin the review process. (See RESOURCES below for contact information)
resources Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization 6516 Detroit Ave. (216) 961-4242 http://www.dscdo.org City of Cleveland Landmarks Commission 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 519 (216) 664-2531 http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/ City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 505 Building permits : (216) 664-2927 Code complaints: (216) 664-2007 Cleveland Restoration Society 3751 Prospect Avenue (216) 426-1000 http://www.clevelandrestoration.org
NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY The neighborhood of Detroit-Shoreway was first surveyed in 1806 and accounts at the time indicated that this was the “edge of civilization.” By 1820 the area was known as Brooklyn Township, which continued to grow as the economy of the city expanded, establishing Cleveland as a major port and transportation hub connecting the East Coast to points west. Emigrants of Irish, German, Italian, Romanian and other southern European descent, drawn by the progress of the day, founded churches, started businesses and settled into modest homes. The annexations of Ohio City, Brooklyn Township and the Village of West Cleveland into the City of Cleveland by 1894, established the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood that we know today. Construction of the Superior Viaduct, trolley lines connecting the neighborhood to downtown, and the growth of businesses along Detroit Avenue caused the Franklin Boulevard – West Clinton area to become one of the most respected residential addresses in Cleveland. The houses of the district, whose styles include Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Neo-Classical, were a testimony to the prosperity that gave rise to its popularity.
who operated a funeral home in the mansion for nearly two decades. The building was torn down in 1965 to make room for a Pick-N-Pay grocery store. A Rite Aid drug store today occupies the land upon which the George A. Tinnerman mansion once stood. In the late 1800’s, wholesale grocer and iron-ore dealer W.J. Gordon established his personal gardens surrounding West 65th Street, then known as Gordon Street. He is also the namesake of one of the neighborhood’s most enduring and notable buildings, the Gordon Square Arcade. The Arcade, built in 1921, included a seventy-five-room hotel, a seventy-five-stall market, a pool and billiard room, the Capitol Theatre, seventy offices, thirty-one stores, a barbershop, and a restaurant. Through the efforts of citizen groups and the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, the Gordon Square Arcade was saved from demolition and rehabilitated. In the process, the arcade once again became the centerpiece of Gordon Square and helped establish the intersection of West 65h Street and Detroit Avenue as the Gordon Square Arts District. The stories of the Tinnerman mansion and Gordon Square Arcade are but a couple examples of why a historic landmark district is important to this area. The
© Gregory Wilson
In 1890, as George Tinnerman, a German emigrant and founder of the Tinnerman Stove and Range Company, grew financially successful, he and his family moved from their house on Fulton, to a more fashionable address on the northwest corner of Franklin Boulevard and Gordon Street (now West 65th Street). The grand mansion served as the home for three generations of Tinnermans before being sold in 1946 to Carl Kaufman
decline of the area in the mid-20th century resulted in many once grand homes falling victim to deterioration and sometimes demolition. The Franklin Boulevard West Clinton Historic District was established in 2010 to help residents preserve and protect this important history of Cleveland, enriching the neighborhood’s bright future.
a publication of the
Franklin Boulevard - West Clinton
Design Review Advisory Committee made possible with support from:
Para obtener ayuda en español sobre esta información, póngase en contacto con: Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization 6516 Detroit Ave. (216) 961-4242 http://www.dscdo.org