2010 Oil Heritage Region

Historic Preservation Awards7:00 p.m. Monday - May 24, 2010 Perry Street Station 409 South Perry Street, Titusville

* Crawford * Titusville

Historic Preservation Awards are sponsored by: County Historical Society * Oil Region Alliance Historical Society * Titusville Renaissance, Inc. * Venango County Historical Society *

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217 Elm Street, Oil City, PA 16301 814-677-3152

And the Winners Are St. Michael the Archangel Church For Preservation Stewardship Msgr. Jan Olowin, Pastor Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast For Reconstruction Keith & Beth Bromley, owners Keith & Beth Bromley - Residence For Enhancement Keith & Beth Bromley, owners Vantage Health Care - Franklin Facility For Enhancement Thomas B. Surman, Vice President The Haskell Family for the W. H. Abbott House For Preservation Stewardship Charlotte Haskell-Bickford, owner/Jim Kuhn, caretaker

Masters of Ceremonies William B. Moore and Joshua Sherretts 7:00 p.m. - Social Time Welcome Joshua Sherretts Crawford County Historical Society

Oil Region National Heritage Area Historic House Plaque ProgramPresented by Kim Harris, ORA Project Manager Program

"The Oil Region Demi monde"By Annette Lynch, Crawford Co. Historical Society Presentation of Historic Preservation Awards

St. Michael the Archangel Church809 Chestnut Street, Emlenton Presented by Marilyn Black, Oil Region Alliance

Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast701 North Perry Street, Titusville Presented by Mike Henderson, Oil Region Alliance

About the Speaker Annette L. Lynch is a Meadville native and a resident of Crawford County. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Allegheny College, and a Master of Arts in American Literature from Edinboro University. She is a local historian, and a member of the Board of Director of the Crawford County Historical Society. She was a charter member of the Crawford County Genealogical Society and is a long-time editor of their magazine, Crawford County Genealogy. She abstracted the Crawford County Naturalization Applications, 1800-1906, which was published in 2003, and has specialized in tracing the French families of Crawford County.

Keith & Beth Bromley - Residence518 North Perry Street, Titusville Presented by Lois Parsons, Titusville Historical Society

Vantage Health Care - Franklin Facility1283 Liberty Street, Franklin Presented by Carolee Michener, Venango County Historical Society

The Haskell Family for the W. H. Abbott House215 West Main Street, Titusville Presented by William Moore, Crawford County Historical Society Closing Remarks Marilyn Black, Oil Region Alliance

St. Michael the Archangel Parish 809 Chestnut Street, Emlenton, PAThis Roman Catholic church was constructed in 1871 and contains a one-floor sanctuary, balcony ____ along the east wall, a central bell tower topped by a cross, and support offices at the western end. The first rectory was constructed in 1872. The bungalow that now serves as a rectory was constructed in 1933, using designs prepared by . Father Aloysius During. That same year, the View - "Before" front entrance and porch to the church building were replaced with Corinthian columns, steps leading up from a cement court, and doors of thick oak trimmed in hand wrought iron. A new cupola and cross were also installed. The sanctuary interior was remodeled in ,a baroque style, to match the stained glass windows. A mural painting by Isabel Hamilton (Bowden), a member of the congregation, was added over the sanctuary. It depicts the Nativity on the left of the altar and the Sermon on the Mount on the right. In 1941-42, a new confessional and baptistery were built and in 1949 a new organ was dedicated. Lighting in the sanctuary was updated periodically, from candles to oil lamps to gas lights to electrical service. Workers excavated beneath the church in 1957 to construct a social hall for parish activities and installed a complete kitchen and restroom facilities. In 1969 the church sanctuary was remodeled using solid oak altars, new oak paneling and carpeting. Stained glass windows were repaired in 1970 and in 1971 tiling was added to the Social Hall. The parish's bell was put back into active use for the church's 100th anniversary. The church building and rectory remained basically unchanged from 1971 through July, 2007, when a Building Committee was formed. The firm of Weber, Murphy & Fox was hired and David ThaI was named Architect with Kim Jeffreys as Project Manager.

St. Michael the Archangel Parish 809 Chestnut Street, Emlenton, PAMonsignor Jan Olowin was named pastor in August, 2008. The parish decided to implement most of the architect's recommendations, while using funds already in place. Construction began in September, 2009. The tower and cross on top were gilded and the exterior of the church was painted. A ramp that had been rough was replaced with one which is now fully ADA-compliant and Pastor Jan Olowin electric heating was installed beneath the cement for improved winter safety. Indoors, the unique mural archway was cleaned and restored, as were the stained glass windows. Oak wainscoting was installed on the outer walls. In the social hall, the classrooms and hall were repainted. New plumbing was installed in the kitchen and the restrooms were made ADA-accessible. Parishioners can once again see the glowing halos for the holy family and rich colors in the clothing of all the people in the church's mural. The restored balcony is now completely flat, even and safe for the choir and musicians. The new lighting is warmer and more natural, making the sanctuary more inviting overall. The newly gilded dome and cross are strikingly beautiful, especially at sunset. More families have scheduled weddings and baptisms at St. Michael's, and the parish is planning to install a meditation garden in the spring. The transformation of St. Michael's Church would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of the Building Committee which consisted of Nick Cirell, Matt King, ____ Ron and Donna Louise, Ken Maleski, -----~ Lowell Snyder and Jack Whitehill. They were assisted by the parish' informal historian - Mrs. Anne Weiss, along with George Zacher!, Connie Blauser, Amy and Ray ... ,s:r~'-'~ Kaufman, Lou Berteotti, Jerome Gressley .. and the late Colleen Gressley, along with a host of others.

Mural, before cleaning

Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast 701 North Perry Street, Titusville, PAHillhurst is the original name given to this home that was built in 1908 by John Emerson, one of three sons of E.O. Emerson, a financier. It features a grande staircase in the entry and a fireplace in . each room. Two of the fireplaces are exact replicas of fireplaces in Mount Vernon and Monticello. The house was a private residence until 1951, when it was purchased by the Erie Presbytery. They operated it as the Titusville Presbyterian Home until 2009, when it closed. Keith and Beth Bromley purchased the home in February, 2009, and took possession on June 4. Their immediate goal was to have the house ready as a fullyfunctioning bed and breakfast by mid-August, so that it could be open for guests during the Oil 150 celebration.

Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast 701 North Perry Street, Titusville, PAPhase II prepared adaptive of 2009. January, of the Hillhurst rehabilitation the third floor ballroom for reuse, and began in November It was completed by the first of 2010.

The third floor ballroom has cabinetry View from the 3rd floor designed to hold linens and lace. A large half-circle window in the ballroom provides much needed ventilation as well as a walk-out to the roof. Phase II work included: Remodeling and painting Complete ceiling replacement Installation of HVAC Floor repairs Electrical upgrades and rewiring as needed Installation of new lighting With the rehabilitation of the third floor complete, the ballroom has a new purpose, and a new tenant. The Hirts Training Center now occupies the space. It is owned by John Cornell, a Tank and Terminal Specialist. The center provides training relating to above ground storage tanks constructed of plastic, fiberglass and steel. Clients come from around the world and are encouraged to lodge at Hillhurst while attending the training. The Hillhurst property also includes servants quarters which now serve as a private apartment occupied by an on-site manager for Hillhurst Bed and Breakfast. Owners Keith and Beth Bromley are gracious hosts whose motto is "Arrive as guests, depart as friends."

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Pochet doors

A grand opening was held on August 19, 2009, to celebrate the completion of Phase I of the Hillhurst rehabilitation, including: Removal of six interior walls which were not part of the original floor plan, returning all of the rooms to their original size The discovery and restoration of four sets of pocket doors Installation of a replica copper ceiling in the butler's pantry Plaster repair throughout the house Repainting of several rooms Opening of the library fireplace, returning it to service Restoration of floors that were modified by non-original walls Repair and replacement of numerous plumbing fixtures, while maintaining a Victorian look and feel Electrical upgrades as needed

In the library, original bookcases line the walls and quarter-sawn oak, also original, is on the ceiling. A grand staircase features spindles that are unique in that every third one is different from the previous two.

Keith & Beth Bromley 518 North Perry Street, Titusville, PAThe house at 518 North Perry Street was built in 1870 by hardware merchant Delos O. Wickham. The architect of record was Hiram Smith (ca. 1814-after 1880), who was responsible for the design of some of Titus- ville's grandest houses, including the "Before" view of the home Bryan and Johnson mansions on East Main Street. In 1885 the Wickhams moved to Washington, D.C. and sold their home to Kate Nes Warner for $2,500. She and her husband nearly doubled the size of the house by adding a wing and raising the roof to include a third story. Keith & Beth Bromley purchased the home in 2007 to be their personal residence. They felt that the home was quite sound, considering that it was built in 1870. The porches were another matter. They were in desperate need of repair due to water damage through the years. Since both Keith and Beth feel that porches complete the home, the long process of rebuilding the porches on both the first and second levels was soon started. The Bromleys completely rebuilt the infrastructure from the ground up, which involved removing the fascia and replacing the support beams. The columns had to be rebuilt consolidating the dried-out parts as progress continued. This procedure petrifies the wood and makes it strong once again. When the first floor porch was finished, the same procedure was begun on the second level. The Yankee gutter system was then rebuilt so that it did not destroy their efforts. Once the first and second floor structure and drain systems were rebuilt, a rubber roof was installed. All of the fascia boards and dental moldings were replaced and painting completed the job.

Vantage Health Care - Franklin Facility 1283 Liberty Street, Franklin, PAThe Exchange Bank & Trust Co. was two years old when it built a 3-story brick building on the southeast corner of Liberty and Thirteenth Streets in Franklin in 1873. This site served the bank well until 1923, when it acquired the wooden structure next door on Liberty Street, a site referred to as the "Sugar Bowl." The bank tore down the wooden structure to make way for a stone structure at the same site. The brick building was then razed and a second, matching stone structure was added.

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The building was dedicated on April 1t1, 1925, as the new home of the Detailed view of Vantage I~xchangeBank and Trust Company. The bank was located there until 1979 when it moved to a new location on Thirteenth Street and the corner landmark was sold to the County of Venango. They occupied the building until 2008. A restaurant occupied the two-story brick building adjacent to the bank until the 1970's when it was purchased by the bank. Vantage Health Care purchased both buildings and extensively remodeled them to continue their work - to support and provide quality health care services. Work performed included: New roofing surfaces installed Replacement of all tin overhangs with copper Demolish & rebuilding of first floor of the adjoining building Built four sleep labs on the first floor of adjoining building Updated lobby and stairwells Installed new boiler serving both buildings

The Haskell Family - W.H. Abbott House 215 West Main Street, Titusville, PABuilt in 1870 by oil producer and refiner , William H. Abbott, the residence cost $40,000 to build. The original structure was two-story, and consisted of a wooden frame square box with a low-pitched roof and cupola. The architect was Abbott's son-in-law, Henry Wrigley. Abbott suffered a series of both personal and financial setbacks and the home was sold at Sheriffs Sale in 1874 for $10,600 to Nathaniel Wheeler, the brother ofW.H. Abbott's first wife. Wheeler allowed Abbott to remain in the home for the rest of his life. Mter Abbott's death, the Wheeler heirs sold the house in 1903 to Robert McKelvy. He extensively remodeled the home to a more classical style. The McKelvys relocated to New York City and in 1928, sold the property to Harry H. Haskell, who again updated the house. The house passed to Haskell's son, John - S. Haskell, and his wife, Charlotte McKinney, who occupied it the rest of their lives. ===== John passed away in 1983 and his wife in 1986. Their son H.H. "Jay" Haskell, a ~ state legislator, died in 1990, and their "" daughter Charlotte Bickford became the ld-'mg at roof af pore h owner of the family home, and its apprelnO . . ciatIve custodIan.

About the Awards ... Structures in the Oil Heritage Region are eligible. This includes all of Venango County, the City of Titusville, the Borough of Hydetown, and Oil Creek Township in Crawford Oounty. Eligible structures include commercial, residential, industrial, public, religious or other properties. Structures must be at least 50 years old. They need not qualify for "National Register" listing, but must be of recognized historical or architectural value. Interior work in public buildings and/or exterior work is eligible. Construction or enhancement projects must have been completed in the last five years to be eligible. Once a project has received a Historic Preservation Award, it is not eligible to receive another award for five years.

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The following persons represented the Sponsors and served as judges for this year's awards:William B. Moore and Joshua Sherretts Representing the Crawford County Historical Society Donna Gaston and Ron Gustafson Representing the Oil Region Alliance Lois Parsons Representing the Titusville Historical Society Susan Beates Representing Titusville Renaissance, Inc. Rainy Linn Representing the Venango County Historical Society

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Even though daughter Charlotte moved to Florida in the mid 1960's, she has maintained the historical integrity ofthe home with the help of local resident Jim Kuhn. Jim's father, George, had maintained the home from the time of his retirement as Titusville Chief of Police in 1983 until 2002. Many of the rooms have a fireplace and a buzzer to summon the servants. A servant's quarters are on the second floor and include three small bedrooms and a very small bathroom. The home's wood siding and moldings, curvedglass windows and steel roof have been preserved through the years, as has the original stone sidewalk. A brick wall encloses most of the back yard, providing privacy for the home's occupants. Side view-Abbott House

The Oil Heritage Region Historic Preservation Awards were created in 1997 to: Recognize projects that represent the appropriate standards of preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. Acknowledge individuals and groups for initiatives, services or commitment to preservation values. Create an advocacy for historic preservation through a greater public awareness of the built environment. Enhance a region-wide preservation ethic in both the public and private sectors.

Definitions

of Eligible Projects

Preservation: Maintaining an existing historic property through maintenance or repair of original materials and features, when possible, rather than replacement or new construction. Restoration: Returning a property to its original appearance at a particular period of time by repair, removal of inappropriate features, and reconstruction. Rehabilitation: Providing an appropriate use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions, while preserving features of historical value.

Nomination forms for 2011 Oil Heritage Region Historic Preservation Awards will be available in January, 2011.