Brooke Beam, PhD
Ohio State University Extension, Highland County
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
History is a vital part of our present. Without our forefathers’ efforts we would not have the historic landmarks of our communities in rural America. Last week, I attended a seminar on the National Register of Historic Places and Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit programs. Through this seminar, I learned about several opportunities that may assist individuals in Highland County to rehabilitate historic properties for future generations to enjoy.
Currently, there are over 25 places listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Highland County, including Bell’s Opera House, Highland County Court House, and the Hillsboro Historic Business District (roughly bounded by Beech, Walnut, East, and West Streets in Hillsboro). The National Register of Historic Places is a program of the National Park Service, but is administered by each individual state.
Hillsboro Historic Business District highlighted in red, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Properties that are eligible to apply for the register need to be at least 50 years old and have retained the property’s basic historic integrity. The place should have “significance for its association with broad patterns of history, have association with the lives of person significant in our past, have architectural merit, or have the potential to yield information important in history or prehistory (archaeology),” according to the Ohio History Connection.
In order to take advantage of the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit properties must either be listed on the National Register or Historic Places or contribute to the historical significance of a registered historic district. The Federal Historic Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit is eligible for 20 percent of rehabilitation costs of income producing properties. The Federal Historic Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit is not competitive, meaning that if a property meets the qualifications, the owner would receive the tax credit. The State program, however, is competitive.
There are myths associated with the tax credit programs that no changes may be made to the building; however, this is not the case. “Rehabilitation is defined in the Federal regulations as the process of returning a property to a state of utility through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions or features of the property which are significant to its historic, architectural and cultural values,” according to the Ohio History Connection. Upgrades of functional kitchens, plumbing and lighting have been parts of previous rehabilitation projects.
There are dozens of projects throughout the state that have utilized these programs to reinvigorate their communities. Buildings in downtown Chillicothe and Wilmington have utilized the National Register of Historic Places and the historic tax credit programs to rehabilitate buildings of a variety of sizes. In Wilmington, an unused second floor of a downtown building was converted to a modern apartment, and in Chillicothe a larger building was rehabilitated into office spaces. Other projects in the state have included hotels and theatres.
For more information about the National Register of Historic Places or the Historic Tax Credit programs, contact the Ohio History Connection, State Historic Preservation Office at 614-298-2000 or visit ohiohistory.org/shpo. For other Community Development related support, call the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.
Extension Television Now Showing on the Hillsboro Local Access Channel
The Hillsboro Local Access Channel has begun to show Ohio State University Extension television programs on weekdays at 6:00 pm. Each of the programs are a half hour in length. The first program will be Agri-News with John Grimes and Duane Rigsby. Agri-News contains information about beef production. Additional programs will be added over the next few weeks. Other upcoming programs include Forage Focus with Christine Gelley, which covers forage and pasture related topics, and Marketing Matters with host Christie Welch, which discusses a variety of small business marketing strategies that are appropriate for any small business.
The majority of the television programs are filmed at the OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio, and feature Ohio State University Extension Educators and researchers. All of the shows contain research-based content that can benefit Highland County agricultural producers and businesses. If you do not receive the Local Access Channel, the videos will also be available on the Highland County Extension blog, https://u.osu.edu/osuextensionhighlandcounty/, and on YouTube at the OSU South Centers page, https://www.youtube.com/user/southcenters.
Upcoming Events:
The next Highland County Monthly Extension Program will be held on December 10, 2018, at 10:00 A.M. at the Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro, Ohio. More details will be coming soon, please save the date and plan to attend.
Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications:
February 19, 2019
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
March 4, 2018
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.