The Downtown Wadsworth Historic District is among Ohio’s latest entries in the National Register of Historic Places. This prestigious designation highlights the rich historical and cultural significance of Wadsworth’s downtown area, marking a significant milestone for the community.
Downtown Wadsworth’s journey to join the National Register began nearly 6 years ago. Starting in 2018, the Main Street Wadsworth organization established the nomination as an aspiring goal. In 2019, Main Street Wadsworth successfully completed the required “Preliminary Questionnaire” that documented properties in the downtown district. In 2021, Main Street Wadsworth launched a fundraising campaign to raise the funds for this initiative and ended the campaign early due to the Wadsworth community fully funding the project ahead of schedule.
Architect and former Main Street Wadsworth Board Member Emily Little led the Main Street Wadsworth Design Team’s effort to apply for the National Register nomination starting in 2018. Little received Heritage Ohio’s Young Preservationist of the Year Award in 2020 and currently serves on the City of Wadsworth’s Architectural Design Committee (ADC) that reviews changes to downtown buildings.
“It is an honor for Downtown Wadsworth to be added to the National Register of Historic Places! Although the National Register of Historic Places is often misunderstood, this label simply indicates that the historic structures in the downtown district have significantly contributed to our shared history. The designation as a historic district means that Downtown Wadsworth is important not because of an individual building here or there, but because of how the collection of structures behave as pieces of a whole. This recognition on the National Register of Historic Places will allow building owners to apply for grants and other government funding that can help care for our aging structures. These financial incentives provide opportunities to preserve the legacy of our past while also fostering growth and development in a way that is successful and long-lasting.”
The community and stakeholders learned of downtown Wadsworth’s history and the National Register of Historic Places nomination during a public meeting held at Wadsworth City Hall in 2023. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) then sent Wadsworth’s consultant, Perspectus Architecture, written comments summarizing the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board (OHSPAB) comments. Perspectus Architecture followed this by making the required corrections, and then SHPO finalized the draft and sent it to the National Park Service (NPS) for review and formal listing.
Local Historians, Roger Havens and the late Dr. Caesar Carrino were invaluable to the process.
In correspondences prior to his passing, Dr. Carrino exclaimed, “As one of the longest lived life-long residents of Wadsworth, I feel a very special relationship with this beautiful town. When Wadsworth is honored with the National Register of Historic Places designation, my own sense of pride will swell. Congratulations to my always and forever hometown of Wadsworth, Ohio!”
During the week of August 19 through August 23, 2024, the District was formally listed as a resubmission. The scope of the District is roughly bounded by 101 – 161 and 102 – 146 High, 117 – 129 Broad, 111 – 273, 102 – 156 and 246 – 258 Main, 188 South Lyman, 105 Garfield, and 107 – 155 and 112 – 116 College Sts., and 110 – 122 Watrusa Ave.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for our community,” said Megan Harvey, Executive Director of Main Street Wadsworth. “Being listed on the National Register of Historic Places is a testament to the hard work and dedication of those who have preserved our historic sites to ensure that future generations can appreciate and enjoy the beauty of downtown Wadsworth’s past and build upon its future.”
Tom Morris, Director of Economic Development for the City of Wadsworth included, “I appreciate the National Park Service recognizing something formally that we have known for years, that Wadsworth’s downtown is not only a driver of economic growth for the future, but is also a historical treasure that needs to be preserved. While often the concepts of growth and historical conservation are at odds, programs made available under the City’s downtowns classification as a historic district allow business to continue to invest in our downtown without detracting from its’ historical significance. There really is no downside for the city.”
Now that Wadsworth has its Downtown Historic District designation, Main Street Wadsworth staff and committee members will work with the City of Wadsworth to produce and place appropriate signage that welcomes visitors to the district. An official ribbon cutting of the signage will be announced at a later date.
The City of Wadsworth has launched a website dedicated to providing resources for downtown business and building owners with historic buildings. This page will be regularly updated as new information becomes available. The website can be found at:
https://www.wadsworthcity.com/1005/Downtown-Wadsworth-Historic-District
Main Street Wadsworth in collaboration with Perspectus Architecture will also host an informational meeting for business owners and community members to make them aware of tax incentives and other potential funding for their buildings in terms of preservation. The meeting will take place on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. at Wadsworth City Hall – 120 Maple Street.
