Getty grant to help with preservation of historic buildings on, near campus

A self-guided walking tour of cultural sites will be developed.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Historic buildings on and near Youngstown State University's campus will receive recognition and, perhaps, new use with help from a $100,000 grant.
YSU officials said Monday they have been awarded the money from the Getty, a prominent cultural and philanthropic institution.
Among the tasks YSU will undertake will be to list historically significant properties on and near the campus.
An effort then will be made to get those sites placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The structures include three churches on Wick Avenue: First Christian Church, Pilgrim Church and St. John's Episcopal Church.
Money also will be used to examine two YSU-owned historic buildings and find a way to get them back into service.
The structures are the Eugene and George Peck House on Wick Avenue and the Rufus Thompson/Sacherman House on Lincoln Avenue.
Constructed in 1888, the Peck House was bought by YSU in 1995. YSU is considering using the house for one or more academic centers.
The Thompson/Sacherman House was built in 1882 and was most recently used as a dentist's office. The university bought it in 1998 and is weighing using it for university or commercial purposes.
The Getty money also will be used to develop a self-guided walking tour of cultural sites along Wick Avenue, which runs north and south along YSU's East Side; establish historic conservation training for the community and YSU staff; and create a public lecture series featuring urban planners and designers.
About the grant
The Getty grant to YSU is among 25 such awards presented this year to colleges and universities nationwide as part of Getty's Campus Heritage Initiative. The program was started two years ago to aid schools in managing and preserving historic campus buildings, sites and landscapes.
YSU President David Sweet noted that this is the first time YSU has received a Getty grant. The award is an example of the university's growing prominence, Sweet said through a news release.
YSU is only the second public university in Ohio to be awarded a Campus Heritage Grant, YSU officials said. Ohio State University also has received one.
YSU's Center for Urban and Regional Studies led the effort to get the grant, which will be implemented in partnership with Wick Neighbors Inc. Wick is a community group that's redeveloping the Smoky Hollow neighborhood near campus.