Plans Being Made To Preserve 'Historic Ann Arbor'

(LAST OF A SERIES) Hopes for an historical museum or some planned program of historical preservation are alive and growing after four years of study, discussion and research by the Ann Arbor Historical Commission. "In the thick of it" surveying and evaluating buildings of either historical or architectural merit throughout the city are Herbert H. Bartlett, chairman of the Commission, Commissioners Eck Stanger, a News photographer, Robert M. Warner, Prof. Kingsbury Marzolf of the U-M College of Architecture and Design, and City Planning Director Raymond D. Martin. The Cor.imission's special committee is at the point of determining which old ings are worth preserving, deciding how to mark them and finding ways to preserve the best of them, Bartlett said. Designing a marker for local historical sites and buildings has been another project of the Commission, he added. Marking the buildings which were surveyed, many of which Lela Duff notes in her book, "Ann A r b o r Yester years," will help local residents and visitors find them more xeadily, Bartlett says. After this preliminary survey is "boiled down," the best will be listed under two classifications by sponsorship and type of location. Bartlett hopes that when the lists are published local realtors, rrchitects, builders and other businessmen, as well as the building owners, will see the value of restoring and serving the buildings. They do not have to be used for historical purposes, but could be utilized wisely and efficiently as office buildings or apartment houses, he suggests. With this survey the Historical Commission has taken the idea of an historical museum and expanded it to incorpórate preservation of select buildings. This could lead to an historical square or development of several historical areas. "That an historical museum will- in time and in some form - become a part of our much neded civic center, is practically a foregone conclusión," Bartlett says. "It may develop sooner, if a building should become available. Ampie material for stocking an historical museum is already available, only awaiting a safe place to display it." One of several ideas promoted is an historical square on Ann Arbor near City Hall down to División St. Tentative sketches d r a w n by Donald Ensign illustrate the idea which calis for preserving and restoring some of the houses in the área and building a museum. The museum would be the focal point of the historical square, while "Oíd Ann Arbor Town" could be brought to life. A second idea calis for an historical área or district. The idea incorporates some of the features of the historical square concept, but adapts to Ann Arbor's special treasure of pre-1880's architecture, Bartlett explains. In this, the historical square becomes "a special case of área preserva ticn" while the Oommission's "over-all plan [ o r preserv;ations" encompasses more área of the city. The next fe# steps toward the Commissi on's goal are historical res.earch, photography and des cribing the noteworthy buildings collected in the survey. Part of the work will be to d. etermine ownership of the b uildings, their individual va'luation, tax and structural data, he said. "We also collecting model laws, ordinances and standards pertaining to historie pres ervation" for the City Coun dl. It is o'o vious that the Historical Commission, like the Washtena w Historical Society, is devotei i to fostering the development of historical awareness in 'chis community of its heritage . lts long-rong ects are creating some concern on the part of Bartlett, however. "We are badly in need of a museum of some kind," he stated. "We need help from people with children in school, who can see the importance of explaining local history in context with state and national history," he said. Bartlett does not think the museum will become a reality soon enough unless certain improvements are made in the composition of the Commission. In his annual report to the city, Bartlett called for members who are "mature and experienced enough to have the necessary judgment, but also young enough to have the necessary vigor and initiative to select and carry through projects to their conclusión. Along this vein he emphasized more recently "a need for younger people on the Commission," because "originally, the Commissioners were apparently chosen with the advisory function principally in mind. Five of the nine members have ranged in age from 76 to 88 years." The need for young people "with time at their disposal to attend meetings and to devote some interim time to historical matters" and knowledge in at least one of the following áreas: law, real estáte, finance, architecture, education, is especially great since the State Historical Society has moved its headquarters from Lansing to Ann Arbor, he said. The local Commission wants to become "a working commission," he noted. Sparking interest ia other projects such as a pioneer village and an historical display in the proposed nature center could be one of the functions of "young blood" on the Commission. "It is definitely important that the whole town try to preserve what is worth preserving and what is practical to preserve," Miss Duff commented. "M a n y people wail about every change that is made; but some things have to change," she added. "We've got to have some change to grow, but people who do own an old residence or building should make every effort to see if it could in anyway be used and in this way could be preserved," she said.