Historic Commission

Minutes of the City of Wheaton Historic Commission FINAL September 15, 2015 Meeting Held at City Hall, Wheaton, Illinois Attendance Present: Emelie Engling, Nancy Flannery (Chair), Maureen Fogerty, Tom Kay, Steph McGrath (Secretary), Greg Morrison, Frank Principe and Bob Shuster. Absent: Barbara Dutton Public Comment None The meeting was called to order by Nancy at 7:00 p.m. Minutes of the July 21, 2015 meeting were unanimously approved following a motion made by Bob Shuster, seconded by Tom Kay. Minutes of the August 18, 2015 were unanimously approved following a motion made by Tom Kay, seconded by Bob Shuster. Old Business -Bollards Nancy created a listing of all bollards in town, including some similar to, but not erected by the Historic Commission. A review was made of the data and there was some confusion regarding the dates as far as landmarking vs sign installation. Steph explained that some of the sites had been landmarked previously by WHPC and some members of the commission at the time felt it politic to include this info, despite the fact that the bollards were entirely a Historic Commission project as far as selection, research, writing and cost. In fact, the bollard project was conceived of in response to the WHPC organization morphing into the Center for History and expanding their vision beyond Wheaton. It was felt at the time that Wheaton local history was being neglected and so the commission stepped up. Steph will check the draft proofs and Nancy will check her photos. A list was also compiled of potential future bollards as discussed over the years since 2000. As for future bollards Longfellow school is mostly done as far as research and writing. Emelie says there is a different older historic sign somewhere at Longfellow that used to be set into a ground level mount, but this was not the Historic Commission bollard. Other bollards in process and on the potential list were discussed, particularly the railroads and depots, as well as the status of finding images. -Theme Concept Presentation Maureen and Barbara have been exploring the idea of developing a program of some kind, possibly with a fund raising element, focusing on historic gardens and/or parks in Wheaton. They plan to meet with someone from the Park district soon, and think they will select 4 to 6 sites to feature. Nancy reviewed the city’s policy on boards and commissions and fundraising. -2016 Preservation Week Lecture Bob has been conducting research on Marcellus Jones and expressed his willingness to make a presentation about Jones, similar to past presentations we have sponsored at the library. He would forgo any honorarium. It would cover not only his celebrated actions during the Civil War, but also his activities in Wheaton, including as a house mover. Maureen moved we accept Bob’s offer and Tom seconded. It passed unanimously, with Bob abstaining. -Wheaton Register of Historic Places Nancy passed around a draft of a proposed new application form. Discussion ensued regarding what information to require and what was needed for different criteria. Steph referenced finding some recent examples that we might consider reviewing for useful components. All specify requiring a written narrative. Steph proposed calling it a Summary Statement of Significance (SSofS), requiring applicants to summarize their key points of proof supporting their specific criteria category. There was further discussion about requiring footnoting or otherwise referencing the documentation for the SSofS and helping applicants separate their submitted research files into primary support documentation vs that of secondary interest. It was agreed a narrative SSofS should be defined as no longer than one page in length. The new application for 1023 E Jefferson was reviewed. There was some confusion regarding what the various materials were meant to convey, and where the 1903 building date was derived. The documentation was extensive on the property but not specifically about the structure. It was decided to table the application until clarification is provided; Steph so moved and Tom seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Nancy will contact the applicants and see if they’d like to meet at the library for a research review and assistance session. -FOIA Response Per the City, the FOIA request of the Center for History has been complied with and is completed. However it was agreed that there still needs to be a reply made to some of the commentary about the Commission and a reminder that not all the storage places, only two, had been searched, when press reports, court documents and information from individuals who helped move items out of the Front Street facility all indicate there are more locations materials were moved to for storage. A draft text of a letter and an added closing were reviewed and Greg moved to accept the text, upon combining and review, and to send the reply. The motion was seconded by Bob and passed unanimously. -Commission Mission Nancy led into the discussion by posing: Where is our energy to be spent? What do you think our goals should be? Bob, as an archivist, expressed his concerns over records at the Center for History not being as available to the public as they could be, despite the archival donations made by the City and even himself, and worried about the records going forward. If the Center for History makes good on its threat to leave town should there be a new group formed such as a historical society? The DuPage County Historical Museum has an extensive Wheaton archival collection having been heir to the Adams Memorial Library collection begun in 1891 and collected until the 1960s with the establishment of the Wheaton Public Library; the Museum has continued to collect Wheaton materials to the present day. The possibility of the library being the repository of Wheaton archival records in the future was discussed. Overall the commissioners felt continuing Pride in Preservation activities, home history research, landmarking and bollard programs were key mission activities. New things may come up with new members and their interests, ideas, skill sets and talents. Bob suggested hosting a Wheaton History Roadshow to copy, collect and/or identify historic items related to Wheaton held by the public, leading to an enthusiastic review of possibilities related to the concept. -2016 25th Anniversary of Historic Commission Nancy passed out a roster of all past and present commissioners and their terms. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the commission was discussed with the idea of hosting a reception inviting back all past members, probably during Preservation Week. - Wheaton Downtown Design Review Board Steph said that the Board was planning to meet again soon and reviewed the August 5th meeting she attended as the Historic Commission liaison. The request is to paint the original, never painted, brick façade and limestone trim of 111-113 N Main Street, whereas the Downtown Design Guidelines provide for brick to be left unpainted. Staff recommended the request to paint the façade be denied. She had asked questions about the stated attempts to clean the brick and limestone trim, and spoke against painting the brick and trim. The applicant mentioned they might not want to paint the limestone trim, but absolutely wanted to paint over all the brick with the color “sailcloth white.” Steph had suggested they instead embrace the historic character by rebranding it “patina.” A motion was made to allow the brick façade to be painted, but as there was no second, the motion did not go to a vote. Even though the Board had a quorum with four present, two members were absent, so the owner’s representative asked if it would be possible to meet again and the Board agreed to reconvene at a later date. She passed around photos of the existing building façade, two proposed designs using paint, and three other downtown painted facades, explaining why the latter had been allowed. Bob moved that the Commission go on record as feeling the design guidelines should be upheld and the brick and limestone trim be left unpainted; Greg seconded and the motion passed unanimously. New Business -Financial Report Nancy reported she had spent $56.29 to purchase replacement Pride in Preservation sign holders. A brief discussion ensued regarding budget planning between the City’s fiscal year and Preservation Week dates, and the next planned bollards. Commissioner Comments -Bob shared copies of an 1897 Wheaton Illinoian newspaper article he had found doing research about a baseball game in which there were accusations of drunkenness. -Frank shared a flyer he had picked up at the Wheaton World Tour Celebrates Diversity held Sept. 13 on the West Plaza of Adams Park. It was on a historical sports theme and handed out by the Center for History. He suggested we look into participating at similar events to get our messages and activities out in front of the public. Others brought up getting our activities into local publications including by the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce. Bob moved to adjourn, Emelie seconded, the motion passed unanimously, and the meeting concluded at 9:09 p.m. Next Meeting: October 20, 2015