FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The City of Fort Wayne is celebrating National Historic Preservation Month throughout the month of May.
The Historic Preservation staff has produced a number of walking tour brochures of historic districts throughout the city, including brochures for The Landing and historic buildings in the downtown area.
These brochures are available at Visit Fort Wayne, the Community Development office, and may be downloaded from the City’s Historic Preservation website.
The City released the following:
“Historic Preservation is for everyone,” said Creager Smith, Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Fort Wayne. “We all have places that personally matter to us for many reasons. It could be for historic or design significance; or significant to your family or cultural heritage. A recent example is the historic designation of the Turner Chapel A.M.E Church, a culturally and architecturally significant site located at 836 E. Jefferson Boulevard.”
The City’s Historic Preservation staff and the Historic Preservation Commission work to strengthen the City’s historic resources through preservation and heritage development. The Historic Preservation program offers a range of assistance to help property owners and neighborhoods recognize historic properties. Technical assistance is also available to assist property owners in maintaining or recapturing the historic character of their properties.
To promote and commemorate the month, the City’s Community Development Division will share facts and photos about historic buildings, districts, and places across the City via social media posts on the Fort Wayne Neighborhoods Facebook page.
The division also encourages residents to share current photos of historic buildings or culturally significant places that are at least 50 years old. Share your photo, location, and a brief statement as to why the building or place is important to you on your social media accounts using the hashtag #HPFW23. The photo submission deadline is May 31. All participants will have their names submitted for a drawing to win a private tour of the Allen County Courthouse or four tickets to a 2023 Fort Wayne TinCaps game.
Historic Preservation Month partner ARCH will host a “Fun and Free” lecture led by Karen Richards on “Historic Downtown Hotels” on May 20 at 1:00 p.m. at the Cinema Center. Fort Wayne’s downtown has a rich history. Richards will tell stories and share historic images that show what life was like back then.
For more information call (260) 427-2160, or click here.
