Potential West Main historic districts identified by survey

Submitted map
A historic preservation consultant identified area bordered by West Main Street, Hub Street, East Circle Drive, North Circle Drive and West Circle Drive as potential historic resources.
Submitted map A historic preservation consultant identified area bordered by West Main Street, Hub Street, East Circle Drive, North Circle Drive and West Circle Drive as potential historic resources.

Results from a historic resources survey found potential in West Main Street homes for placement on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places.

Jefferson City hired Rosin Preservation, of Kansas City, to conduct a historic resources survey on 145 properties, a park and a vacant lot.

Survey information was gathered to help identify if the three areas - bordered by West Main Street, Hub Street, East Circle Drive, North Circle Drive and West Circle Drive - are historic districts or could be placed on the National Register.

About 20 residents attended the informational meeting Tuesday where consultant Emily Lenhausen went over the survey results.

The survey results recommended two properties in the 1700 block of West Main Street that merit potential individual listings on the National Register.

Property owners Tim and Leah Smith said they are honored their Folk Victorian home could be recognized. The couple plans to continue researching the listing process.

Walinko Place, including Lavina Park, and 12 acres from 1600 West Main Street were also identified as potential historic districts.

Beginning in February, each property was photographed and noted for materials and alterations. The areas are majority residential with early 20th century American, historical revival styles and mid-century forms. Homes were rated based on architectural diversity, diversity of function, dates of construction and architectural integrity.

"Both the quantity of changes and the reversibility of changes affected the ranking each building received," Lenhausen said.

More than 60 percent of structures are in good integrity, meaning the scale of alterations to the individual buildings were not drastically changed, Lenhausen said.

"When we talk about integrity, what we mean is the historic integrity of the building," she said. "It's very important to note integrity does not equal condition. A resource may be in excellent physical condition but it has poor integrity because it has replacement materials like vinyl siding."

Eighteen homes received an excellent rating, followed by 99 good ratings, 16 fair, nine poor and three properties that were less than 50 years old.

Missouri State Historic Preservation Office considers a building to have potential historic value if it's 50 years or older.

The next step is for the city or the individual property owners to determine whether to move forward in the listing process, Lenhausen said.

"The purpose of the survey was to provide a baseline," she said. "If we want to move forward, we'll have to dive a little bit deeper and get more information that is very specific to those particular properties."

Identifying items like the specific architect, details on former residents and what their lives were like at that time provides a stronger story for listings, Lenhausen said.

Listings must be significant based on history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture.

Being placed on the National Register is an honorary designation and would not place restrictions on the properties, Lenhausen said.

She recommended a future survey could determine other homes in the area.

District nominations require more than 50 percent of owner support.