Preservation is the goal for unique suburb

By DEBRA GASKILL

Associated Press

AKWOOD, Ohio _ With over half of all homes in this exclusive Dayton suburb built before 1940, preservation has become both a pet project of home owners and a political rallying cry for a group of area citizens.

Located south of Dayton, Oakwood is the favored residence of many of the area's movers and shakers and has been for nearly 100 years.

Native son Orville Wright's majestic home, Hawthorne Hill, with its two-story classic revival columns and winding drive, sits in the heart of Oakwood, surrounded by examples of Georgian, Tudor, mission and arts-and-crafts styles of architecture.

There are so many pristine examples _ 3,900 by one count _ that Oakwood is one of "only a handful of communities in the country where the whole town is eligible for historic registration," according to Glenn Harper, field service coordinator for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.

In August, 1999, a Georgian revival estate known as the Walther Estate was purchased and then demolished to make room for a more modern structure. A group of residents saw this as a potential threat to Oakwood's other historic homes and decided to do something about it.

Forming the Oakwood Preservation Trust, this group began the arduous and some might say uphill task of protecting Oakwood's historic homes and educating residents.

Oakwood is known for its tough property maintenance code but has no historic preservation legislation, unlike surrounding communities such as Dayton and Centerville, according to Loren Gannon, professor of architecture and history at the University of Dayton and an Oakwood resident.

OPT members recall an incident when a resident had to tear down a newly constructed fence because it was an inch over the city's required height limit.

"I'm some ways, we're over-regulated," said Marlene Maimon, a founding member of the group. "It's harder to put up a new fence than it is to tear down an old home."

"There has long been a `natural' preservation movement _ people restoring their own homes, new homes being designed to fit into the surrounding neighborhoods, " said OPT member Mark Risley. "When we first started out, I thought we were the voice of a small group of concerned citizens. I now realize we've been expressing the concerns of many Oakwood residents, perhaps a majority."

The group's first two years were spent addressing demolitions in the community, with minimal success, Risley said.

Another architecturally significant home, the Trace Home, built in the Queen Anne style, reportedly by National Cash Register founder John Patterson, was purchased by NCR early in 2000 and fell to the wrecking ball on Nov. 13, 2000, despite OPT efforts.

NCR also owns Hawthorne Hill. A third home's demolition also was deemed a "travesty" by OPT member Nick Gough.

When plans surfaced to demolish the 1930s-era Tudor-style city building, the OPT found itself with another fight on its hands. A public meeting was held in December, 2000; more than 50 residents showed up, despite a raging winter storm, to express their concern that the building not be demolished.

"We even had yard signs that said "Save our City Building," said Debra Edwards. It was something that showed how deeply the normally reticent residents felt about the building.

"City council worked with OPT on successfully saving the city building," said Risley. "They were very receptive to our concerns, which seemed to be the concerns of much of the community."

As a result, plans for the city building will include many of OPT's and the community's suggestions to preserve its unique character.

And Oakwood politics have changed, too.

"In the last election, virtually all of the city council candidates mentioned preservation in their campaigns, and some did very well as a result," Risley said.

For Andy Pruitt, an unsuccessful candidate, restoration and preservation is a way of life. Pruitt is restoring his Spanish-style arts-and-crafts home to its former glory.

Built in 1915 by Charles and Anne Schaeffer, founders of what would become Dayton Building Supply, the home remained in the family until the mid-1970s, when it was sold.

When Pruitt and his wife Mary bought the house three years ago, "it hadn't been touched in 20 years," he said. Walls and woodwork had been painted white and a modern kitchen installed.

Restoration has been a full-time job for Pruitt since purchasing the house. He often finds himself working with a respirator because of the fumes. He scours the Internet and other sources for authentic replacements, such as the Steuben chandelier and light fixtures in the dining room.

"All this work is so meticulous," he said.

The showpiece of the home is the center atrium, which boasts a Tiffany-style lamp in the middle of a working Rookwood tile fountain with a stained glass ceiling skylight.

Pruitt enclosed the front porch and added leaded glass to match the atrium. He installed bronze weather-stripping in the doors and windows.

The couple are also zealously searching for mission and arts and crafts antiques to furnish the home.

Although the renovation is a long way from complete, much of the home's dark mahogany woods and tiger oak parquet floors have been lovingly restored, using old-style linseed oil-based stains and varnishes.

"The good thing about these stains is that one coat covers it all and they never peel," Pruitt said. "Instead, they age very gracefully."

"These original components were designed to last for generations," he said. "Modern replacements would last at most a couple of decades and would detract immeasurably from the beauty of the house."

Modern replacement items, particularly windows, are a sore subject for Gannon as well. "You wouldn't believe the number of bad window replacements I've seen and the increased use of aluminum siding on some of these homes," Gannon said. "A double-hung sash window is energy efficient if properly maintained and used with a storm window."

Homeowners who are considering restoration should look at the originals when at all possible, say both Gannon and Pruitt.

And just because a home may look awful doesn't mean it should meet the wrecking ball, Gannon said. "There may be cosmetic problems, but it may not look awful to a trained evaluator."

Still, there are those who feel that the OPT is treading on the feet of private property owners or trying to extend Oakwood's perceived elitism, something trust members deny.

"This is not an elitist organization. We gain nothing from this," said OPT member Anna Gough. "It's just an attempt to get people to maintain their homes."

"You have a certain responsibility to your neighbors," said Nick Gough. "And with the number of architecturally significant homes, you should have an obligation to maintain them."

Although OPT members would like to see legislation changed to include historic preservation, education looks to be the biggest weapon in their arsenal. The group has held a walking tour of homes and will continue to speak on preservation issues whenever possible.

Gannon has University of Dayton student volunteers walking through Oakwood, doing an inventory of "whole streets of homes" which are architecturally significant.

While the group says they do not oppose all demolitions, OPT still hopes to avoid the "McMansions" that are cropping up after a home is demolished.

"Look at Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga., and even Marietta, Ohio," said Maimon. "What makes them of value? Because they've maintained their identity _ they've maintained their soul."