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Committee wants to save YSU buildings
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
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The Thompson/Sacherman House on Lincoln Avenue on the Youngstown State University campus was slated for demolition but has been given a stay to allow a committee comprised of university and community members to research possible alternatives.
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Those involved in an effort to save three Youngstown State University buildings from demolition hope to suggest alternatives soon.
YSU trustees voted in December to demolish the Thompson-Sacherman House on Lincoln Avenue, citing its deteriorated condition, the cost to repair/renovate it and a lack of an identified educational use.
The Peck House on Wick Avenue also had been recommended for demolition by the university administration, but trustees took no action on that proposal.
Those plans prompted members of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society and Youngstown CityScape and others to write a letter to YSU President Cynthia E. Anderson and trustees, voicing their concerns. That led to the formation of a committee to study the issues and to see if there’s a better alternative that would save the two houses and Pilgrim Collegiate Church on Wick Avenue.
“We had a meeting Jan. 20 with the initial working group and walked through all three buildings,” said William Lawson, executive director of the historical society. “There were no really big surprises in terms of the conditions, but based on what we saw, the one architect wants to see the evaluations and studies that have been done on the buildings.”
Committee members are to deliver their thoughts on what they saw to Shannon Tirone, who is Anderson’s assistant.
Another meeting is planned to review that feedback and to begin talking about the strengths and weaknesses of each building as well as possible uses for them.
The next round of meetings is set for March, and Lawson said committee members hope the process moves quickly.
“What struck me was how beautiful the Peck House is,” said Sharon Letson, executive director of Youngstown CityScape.
It still has its original windows and is the only one of the three buildings that’s being heated.
The house overall is in good condition, Lawson said. There are no structural problems although there are some exterior issues.
“It’s still a solid building,” Lawson said.
Pilgrim Collegiate Church was built in 1922 with an addition in 1969. There are problems with the addition pulling away from the original building, the MVHS executive director said.
“But the original building with the sanctuary is in very good condition,” he said.
The Thompson-Sacherman House poses the biggest problem, damaged by a recent raccoon infestation, Lawson said. The animals pulled down plaster and pulled out carpet fibers.
The university eradicated the raccoons, making alterations to prevent their return.
Lawson and Letson are hopeful about the committee’s outcomes.
“I think just the fact that we’ve met and we all went into the building and all saw the same thing. We all have different perspectives of what can possibly happen,” Lawson said. “It was a positive meeting.”
Letson agreed.
“I think that what is promising is, first of all, that we have this group that is meeting,” she said. “The university has a real sense of wanting to reach out and work beyond their walls so to speak, which I think is a win-win for everyone.”