Columbia Awarded Certified Local Government Status

The City of Columbia has become the newest Certified Local Government in Illinois. In a recent email, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency informed City staff that state designation has been awarded, with certification by the National Parks Service expected to follow in 4-6 weeks.

Members of Columbia's Heritage & Preservation Commission have worked several years to bring the City's historic preservation program to the level required for designation. The Certified Local Government Program, which was established by the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments of 1980, gives cities the opportunity to participate as partners in state and federal preservation activities.

To become certified, a local government must have a historic preservation ordinance, establish a preservation review commission, have an active local survey program to identify historic resources, and provide for public participation. As a certified local government, Columbia may participate in state and federal incentive programs and is now also eligible for matching grant funds to assist in the implementation of its local preservation program through surveys, preservation plans, staff support, and public education.

Columbia's Past May Have a Future

Last week's forum regarding location of Piggot's Fort drew a robust crowd of people and sparked community interest in pursuing what is arguably one of the most significant historic locations in early Illinois.

With strong support from the Illinois War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the event surfaced new resources and new people that will help local groups move forward on four proposed projects that will help Piggot's Fort achieve the widespread and lasting recognition it deserves:

1. Completing transfer of a proposed park site along Bluff Rd. from the Columbia Historical Society to the City of Columbia, a process begun in 2007 but not yet completed;
2. Convening an expert panel to identify the true site of Piggot's Fort, if such identification is still possible;
3. Developing the above mentioned park site as a location commemorating Piggot's Fort and interpreting its contribution to the European settlement of Illinois;
4. Working with the appropriate groups and agencies to identify and commemorate genealogies and other historic records, gravesites and building sites for the Piggots, Whitesides and other pioneer settlers.

Each of these efforts received a boost from the turnout at last week's event, but more help will be needed.  Interested individuals should contact the Heritage & Preservation Commission about opportunities to get involved. 

Where Was Piggott's Fort?

In 1783, James Piggot erected a fort at the foot of the bluff, a mile and a half west of Columbia where a small creek, called by the French the Grand Ruisseau, emerged from the bluff. This fort was home to 14 families--the largest settlement at that time along the entire Cahokia-Kaskaskia Trail--creating the nucleus for the earliest American settlement of the Illinois territory.  It was a celebrated place in those early times, known as Piggot's Fort.

While many believe the stone foundation across from Sackman Field at 11832 Bluff Rd. to be a remnant of Piggot’s Fort, the exact location is open for discussion. Members of the Illinois War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, Columbia Historical Society, Columbia Heritage & Preservation Commission, and the Sand Bank School Historical Society have joined forces to try and settle the question during this coming year. As a first step, a forum will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on November 30th at Sand Bank School, located just north of the currently designated Piggot's Fort site.

Anyone interested in the history of the area should plan to stop by and share information with early Illinois settlement historian Bill Wilson, Monroe County historian and author Gene Haller, and other experts.

Sounds Like a Plan (2011)

Each year, the City of Columbia's Community & Economic Development Department presents a strategic plan with goals & objectives for the coming year for approval by the City Council.

This year's plan, which was approved December 20th, presented the following goals & objectives:

Encourage new businesses to form and grow in Columbia
Work with the Monroe County Economic Development Council (MCEDC) to develop program(s) that will encourage and support local entrepreneurs

Retain businesses in the City of Columbia by supporting their long-term success
Encourage Columbia’s citizens to support local businesses

• Continue to support MCEDC’s “Think Monroe County First!” campaign

Provide direct services to current businesses
Continue business retention/expansion visits through MCEDC

• Use a team approach to address identified needs of local firms
• Continue to administer the Admiral Parkway Redevelopment Area

Support expansion of current businesses through loans and incentives, where appropriate

• Maintain/expand city & county revolving loan programs
• Identify possible new incentives for business expansion

Recruit new businesses to the community
Market available sites and buildings for businesses looking to expand and/or relocate

• Initiate a marketing campaign to promote Columbia with office & retail users throughout Greater St. Louis
• Engage local & regional partners (i.e., Columbia Chamber, MCEDC, Leadership Council, Regional Chamber & Growth Ass’n.) in this effort
• Upgrade the City’s website in support of this effort
• Maintain building & site listings using Location One Information System (LOIS) as the primary platform

Maintain and distribute timely information on Columbia’s demographics, business mix, and economic potential

• Update community profile with the Illinois Department of Community & Economic Opportunity (DCEO)

Stimulate more commercial activity on Main Street
Enhance design consistency and the historic character of this corridor

• Develop a comprehensive Main Street redevelopment strategy that includes market analysis, targeted street/building improvements and planning for adequate parking/transit service

Increase private investment in Main St. properties

• Work with the new Main St. Business Association (MSBA) to support business expansion and recruit new businesses into the corridor

Develop and market local sites & facilities that will entice visitors and locals to learn more about Columbia’s history and heritage

Market Columbia and Monroe County as tourist destinations

• Secure attraction signage from I-255 and IL-3 to Columbia destinations
• Finalize Intergovernmental Agreement & staffing for the Monroe County Welcome Center
• Continue the strategic marketing campaign to increase use of Columbia’s lodging and conference facilities

Develop community signage that blends aesthetics and commercial promotion in the highest & best manner

Assist MSBA in securing signage on I-255 for “Historic Main St. Columbia” and installing banners along Main St.
Review community entrance signage and informational banner use to reduce clutter and improve aesthetics

Enhance Columbia’s reputation as one of the most desirable communities in the region through adoption of updated planning

Review and update the City’s Master Plan (recommended every five years)

• Incorporate the new Main St. redevelopment strategy into the Master Plan
• Incorporate Plan Commission recommendations from the Senior Services Assessment into planning

Expand resources for parks & recreational uses to make Columbia “a great place to play”

Develop a comprehensive plan for use and development of grounds and facilities

• Complete a parks & recreation plan that will be incorporated into the City’s Master Plan
• Continue to pursue grants from the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources and other sources
• Develop a program of grants, planned giving and other mechanisms to fund long-term improvements

Enhance parks & recreation services and expand public access to facilities

• Continue to review facility use and special event practices to improve service
• Incorporate maintenance & scheduling of American Legion Fields into day-to-day operations

Support community activities, celebrate milestones and add to the local quality of life

Employ strategic analysis and community partnership for all events to reduce costs, build traffic and increase economic returns to the community
Initiate an ambassadors program to increase volunteer support for events

Implementation of these initiatives begins today.

Columbians Tour the Past in Jerseyville

Members of Columbia's Heritage & Preservation Commission (CHPC) made a trek last Saturday to Jerseyville to see how another community in Southwestern Illinois is preserving its heritage.

Hosted by members of the Jersey County Historical Society, the Columbia contingent spent several hours in Jerseyville exploring one place which conveniently brings together several historic properties: the Cheney Mansion, a museum & research center, a pioneer log cabin, and the Lone Star School.  The one room school, which was moved to the Historical Society site and restored to the original condition, was of particular interest to Columbia's visitors since they are currently involved in restoration of three historic school buildings. 

CHPC Chair Dennis Patton took particular interest in the brick courtyard surrounding the Lone Star School, which shows locations for every one room school located in Jersey County at the beginning of the 20th Century.  Jersey County Historical Society members sold engraved bricks and benches for the courtyard to raise more than $37,000 to help defray costs of moving the school to the site.  Patton is exploring a similar idea to commemorate one room schools across Monroe County--this brick courtyard will surround the new Monroe County Welcome Center in Columbia's Stone Arch Park.

The members of the CHPC enjoyed many other aspects of the Jerseyville historical complex, as well.  Among other things, Jerseyville was a staging point in the clandestine, grassroots movement known as the Underground Railroad--the route of slaves escaping captivity in the antebellum South. One highlight of the museum is an Underground Railroad Quilt accompanied by posted explanation of its code. Secret messages in the form of quilt patterns are believed by many students of the era to have aided slaves escaping the bonds of captivity in the Southern states before and during the American Civil War.


Pictured above, right:  CHPC Chair Dennis Patton discusses the brick courtyard around Lone Star School in Jerseyville with Patsy Halemeyer, a volunteer with the Jersey County Historical Society, while CHPC Vice Chair Linda Roider looks on.

City to Move Forward on Schoolhouse Restoration

A timely donation of $25,000 from local philanthropist Charles Todd has allowed the City of Columbia to move forward on pursuing a grant to fund restoration of the Shoemaker Schoolhouse as a new Monroe County Welcome Center. The Columbia City Council will vote Monday evening whether or not to authorize the submission of an application to the State of Illinois to provide roughly half of the funds needed to complete the nearly $59,000 project. Todd's donation--along with "in kind" contributions from the City and volunteers--will provide the matching funds needed for the grant.

The project will renovate a one-room schoolhouse built around 1850 for use as a facility to serve visitors. The schoolhouse is located on Illinois Route 3, the Great River Road Scenic Byway and—much earlier--the Kaskaskia Trace, in Columbia, three miles southeast of I-255.

Since Illinois 3 is the first exit for travelers crossing the Jefferson Barracks Bridge into the state, visitor use of the facility, when open, is expected to be high. The Tourism Bureau Southwest Illinois estimates that the Welcome Center could, conservatively, generate $50,460 per month in economic impact or $605,520 annually.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Todd

Charles Todd has a long and distinguished history in Columbia. Among other things, he founded the laundry cleaning company which today is Crown Linen Service and established Toddhall Retreat & Conference Center.

For the past two years, Todd has been an active member of Columbia's Heritage & Preservation Commission. He helped that group erect a columbarium in historic Warderman Cemetery and provide for burial of indigents with both his personal time and money. This week, it will be announced that Todd has donated $20,000 to the City of Columbia to spur renovation of the historic Miller-Fiege Home.

Members of the Heritage & Preservation Commission are now asking the Columbia City Council to name Charles Todd the first ever Commissioner Emeritas, in recognition of his long and sustained service.

Miller Fiege Home Open This Wednesday

The Columbia Heritage and Preservation Commission (CHPC) welcomes the public to an open house at the Miller-Fiege Home this Wednesday from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The open house is being held partly to inform the public of the City of Columbia’s intent to designate this home as a local historic landmark, which has been recommended by CHPC. Comments about this proposed action may be shared during the open house or submited in writing at City Hall no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26th. CHPC has also planned this event as a celebration of the building, the families who have lived here, and Columbia’s heritage in general.

This home was built in 1850 adjacent to a blacksmith shop run by P.W. Miller (the shop was located approximately where The Medicine Shoppe stands today). The shutters on the home, iron fence surrounding it, and the pump out back all date from this period. Miller purchased the house in 1857, and it remained in his family’s hands until the death of his descendent, Winnifred Fiege, last year; subsequently, the City of Columbia purchased the home and its many antiques, and the home is now being prepared as a historical museum for the whole community to enjoy.

Not Just Another Brick in the Wall

A federal judge last week ruled that mandating brick use in home construction in a Texas city doesn’t discriminate against minorities. This ruling supports Columbia's adoption in 2006 of an ordinance requiring significant amounts of brick to be used on new homes.

Columbia has been followed by Ellisville, Town & Country, and several Metro East communities that have subsequently adopted ordinances requiring new home construction to have certain percentages of brick or stone masonry facades. The Brick Industry Association, a national trade organization, lists numerous such ordinances across the country on its website.

Researchers from the University of Michigan studied four Chicago suburban communities to identify the impacts that the adoption of a masonry ordinance had on housing price and the fiscal health of each community. Their comparison of two communities with masonry ordinances (Orland Park and Tinley Park) with two otherwise similar communities without such ordinances, found that adoption of a masonry ordinance not only enhanced the durability and aesthetic value of local properties but it also increased property values, tax base, and overall fiscal health of each community. In addition, the research indicates that the adoption of a masonry ordinance supports population growth and does not significantly impact affordability of housing or rental costs.

The National Association of Home Builders, the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin sued the City of Kyle, an Austin suburb, over a municipal brick ordinance that they say prices minorities out of the single-family housing market. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel issued the ruling on Monday, saying he could find no discriminatory effect against minorities.

The Song That Started It All (Maybe)

The first settlers of Monroe County, Illinois were pioneers from the territories of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware who arrived about 1783, but their settlements were scattered following bloody skirmishes with the natives. The settlers who came into this area between 1793 and1795 probably reasoned that this area was a favorable place to settle as the nearly 700-feet high rise between the Bottoms and the bluffs made the plateau safe from floods, protected from storms by a rise of hills on the north and east, and abundant with clear spring water.

The origin of the name "Columbia" for this place has been the subject of much discussion and conjecture among local residents. The name Columbia came into popularity at the close of the American Revolution with the sentiment that Columbus, the discoverer of America, should be memorialized. The first time the name Columbia appeared in legislation was the legislature act of the State of New York, giving the name to the Columbia University on May 1st, 1784.

During the American Revolution, a military chaplain named Timothy Dwight composed a song entitled "Columbia, Columbia to Glory Arise" which idealized the new republic as the symbol of liberty and patriotism:

Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise,

The queen of the world, and the child of the skies,

Thy genius commands thee, with raptures behold,

While ages on ages thy splendors unfold:

Thy reign is the last and the noblest of time, Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime;

Let crimes of the east ne'er encrimson thy name,

Be freedom, and science, and virtue thy fame.

Columbia subsequently became a popular name. Since the early settlers of this area had fought in the Revolution, it is possible they heard the song and decided it was a patriotic and appropriate name for the town they founded: Columbia, Illinois.

Can Landmark Status Be Preserved?

Last evening, the Columbia City Council approved seventeen historic buildings for landmark status--action which they believe will help maintain this city's rich heritage. Recent court action elsewhere in Illinois, however, may be setting the stage for a significant challenge to historic preservation.

An Illinois appellate court has struck down the city of Chicago’s landmarks ordinance, saying it is unconstitutionally vague, putting in jeopardy that city’s protection of more than 250 buildings and 50 historic districts. The ordinance, which was enacted in 1968, prohibits any demolition or alteration of properties that are designated landmarks by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, an eight-member body appointed by the mayor.

The commission, whose decisions can be overturned by the Chicago City Council, makes landmark designations based on seven standards that the court found violated the Illinois Constitution because they were too vague. The three-judge panel found terms such as "value," "important," "significant," and "unique" to be "vague, ambiguous, and overly broad," according to the ruling.

While the ruling technically involves only two of the city’s landmark districts, the decision could be applied to all of the city’s landmark areas, leaving them vulnerable to legal challenge and, by extension, open the door to challenges to similar ordinances in other jurisdictions.

Council to Approve Designation of 17 Landmarks Next Monday

Members of the Columbia City Council will be able to give a big boost to historic preservation efforts next Monday evening if they approve landmark designation for seventeen buildings across the city.

The proposed landmark buildings are the following:

1. Fort Piggott - 11562 Bluff Rd.
2. Stone Arch Bridge - Gall Rd. & Illinois 3
3. Old St. Paul's Lutheran Church – 118 W. Liberty
4. Gundlach-Grosse Home - 625 N. Main St.
5. Wagner-Gundlach Home - 404 N. Main St.
6. William G. Rose Home - 105 N. Metter Ave.
7. First National Bank Building (now Estes Financial) - 102 S. Main St.
8. Charles Breidecker Home - 217 S. Main St.
9. Nicholas & Anna Ferkel Home - 501 S. Rapp
10. Turner Dance Pavilion - Metter Park
11. Nolan-Schneider Home - 508 S. Main St.
12. Theodore & Mary Schaefer Home - 305 S. Main St.
13. Alfred Henckler Home - 124 S. Metter Ave.
14. Immaculate Conception Cemetery - Bluffside Road
15. John Weist Home - 304 N. Main St.
16. Conrad Wenkel Old Mill Saloon & Inn (now Our House Coffee & Crafts) - 125 N. Rapp Ave.
17. Henry N. Kunz Home - 404 E. Centerville Rd.

One building was held out from the list pending consultation with the current property owner:

• R.P. Briegel Home - 620 N. Metter Ave.

Two buildings were held out pending preparation of a landmark application:

• Miller-Fiege Home – 140 S. Main St.
• Shoemaker Schoolhouse – Gall Rd. & Illinois 3

Midnight Fireworks to Mark Columbia's Sesquicentennial

Columbia’s 150th anniversary will start, literally, with a blast when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. A fireworks display will be ignited from the top of Cherry Street overlooking the city, emergency sirens will be sounded and church bells will ring to mark the beginning of the sesquicentennial year. Residents are encouraged to join in the celebration by making their own noise with car horns, bells and noisemakers.

A number of events are being planned throughout the year in celebration of Columbia's milestone year as a city.

Miller-Fiege Home Sold to City

The historic Miller-Fiege home--a landmark at 140 S. Main St.--was transferred yesterday into the City's ownership.

This home, built in 1852, was purchased with proceeds from the City's bond issue approved earlier this year. It contains numerous antiques from the period. Columbia's Heritage & Preservation Commission will now take on the task of organizing the building for eventual use as a museum and tourist attraction.

More Signs May Not Mean More Visibility

With business signs, more is not necessarily better. Oversized signs and signage "clutter" can have a negative impact on how Main Street and its businesses are perceived.

"It also becomes very expensive and cost-prohibitive for...start-up business to have to pay $10,000 or $15,000 on a sign, just to get minimal recognition on the street," says Scott Day of Urban Development Services in an article in the latest edition of Downtown Promotion Reporter. Other common business signage problems are signs not properly positioned for the public to see them, and store windows that are jam-packed with signage.

"Too many signs say too many things," Day says. "It becomes visual white noise. People don't want to take the time to sort through it all. A lot of main street retail corridors suffer from information overload."

Meeting: New Sign Code Hangs in the Balance

Recent discussion in the City Council's Ordinance, Planning & Zoning Committee about grants for façade renovations has centered on the need to build a more consistent look, enhance buildings’ historic character, and still support business traffic on Main Street. The catalyst for this discussion has been the provision within the Main St. Façade Program that grants (up to $3000) can be used for signage--and the fact that the types of signage eligible for awards are not defined.

Tonight, the City Council is considering the following actions:

1. For now, withdraw grant eligibility for signage through the Main St. Façade Program except for where the signage is part of an awning;
2. Develop a new sign graphics ordinance strictly for Main St. with assistance from the Civic Progress Committee and the Heritage & Preservation Commission—in the meantime, strict adherence should be maintained to the existing sign ordinance regarding physical characteristics (e.g., height, width, mounting technique);
3. Where the new ordinance requires different types of signage at an additional cost, make the new expense eligible for grants through the Main St. Façade Program.

How would this work? The City could set aside $3000 from the current grant allocation to fund ten (10) grants of $300 each for signage.

Signs of the Times on Main Street?

Downtown signage is once again a focus for discussion by the City Council--this time, in connection with the Main Street Facade Program.

Members of the Civic Progress Committee have recommended that signage be included as one of the eligible uses for matching grants. Aldermen, building upon an earlier discussion about bringing more consistency and greater historic appeal to Main Street, want to exclude signage until a new graphics code can be adopted.

City economic development staff has begun researching models how other communities address signage in their business districts. Barracks Row Main Street in Washington, D.C. requires Historic Preservation review of signage but also provides pro bono design assistance, information on signage grants and low interest loans; the district also provides design guidelines that include "dos and don'ts" illustrated with photographs of examples. Ripon Main Street in Wisconsin also provides an extensive list of examples of appropriate signage illustrated with photographs; along with design guidelines and other preservation resources, this information is part of a renovation assistance program.

The Algoma Main Street program goes one step further--it awards grants for signage that is "appropriate and effective for the respective business, while at the same time adding to the character of the downtown as a whole."

Aldermen Seek More Consistency in Facade Improvements

Monday evening, Columbia's City Council asked the Civic Progress Committee to re-examine their proposed new guidelines for the Main Street Facade Program to better incorporate historic preservation.

The program provides matching funds--dollar-for-dollar up to $3,000 as funds are available--to encourage Main Street property owners to enhance their buildings' "curb appeal" with improvements such as painting, awnings, shutters, plaques, window boxes, step/sidewalk work, landscaping, planters and benches. Committee members had recently streamlined the guidelines and application, as well as reflecting recent changes in state regulations that impact such programs, and were offering the updated document for approval.

Aldermen Candace Hejna and Jim Agne asked for more--they requested that the final guidelines also address design standards that will assure historic preservation of buildings along Main Street and bring greater consistency to the built environment. While the facade program has been growing in popularity with Main Street property owners, some community members have questioned whether the point of the grants is just to promote any improvement or, rather, to enhance the consistent character of the historic central district.

Mayor Kevin Hutchinson referred their request on to the Ordinances, Planning & Zoning (OPZ) Committee for review next Monday evening.

Historic Trolley Tour: See What Your Grandparents Saw

This Saturday is the date scheduled for the annual historic trolley tour of historic landmarks in Columbia, part of the Columbia Daze festivities:

Saturday, August 16th

9:00, 10:00, and 11:00 p.m., 1:00 and 2:00 p.m.

Board in parking lot at Columbia City Hall – 200 S. block of Main St.

$8.00 per person

Sponsored by the Columbia Heritage & Preservation Commission - “Keeping Columbia’s History Alive”

This tour is a great way to learn Columbia's history through a guided tour of landmark historic buildings. Each tour is conducted on a historic replica trolley with members of the Monroe Actors Stage Company in period costume serving as guides.