Hudson school, Copley hardware store join Ohio list of endangered historic sites

Two Summit County landmarks have landed on Preservation Ohio’s List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Sites for 2022, but for one of them, it’s too late.

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The nonprofit group, which bills itself as the state’s oldest statewide historic preservation organization, made the announcement Wednesday.

Preservation Ohio accepts nominations from citizens and advocates hoping to raise awareness about at-risk sites. According to the group, the properties include one or more of these factors: demolition threat, abandonment, neglectful owner, deterioration, obsolete use, and lack of funding for repairs, location or development.

The group, which has compiled the list for 29 years, selected 11 properties representing all areas of Ohio, including two in Summit County: The 1927 Hudson High School, a repeat from last year’s list, and Gamauf Hardware in Copley Township.

The Hudson building stands at 77 N. Oviatt St. on the eastern edge of Hudson’s Historic District. It served as a high school until the new building was constructed in 1992 and then became a middle school.

The Hudson Heritage Association has led the effort to preserve the 1927 building, whose fate has been debated for years.

Hudson school to be razed

The state interest is too late to save the building. On May 31, the Hudson Board of Education voted to demolish the structure and negotiate a donation agreement with the Quagliata Foundation. The board agreed to work with the Hudson Heritage Association to remove artifacts from the building to be used for a 1927 memorial.

According to the listing in Preservation Ohio: “The 1927 school building is located adjacent to Hudson’s National Register Historic District and is bounded by it on three sides. The site has been a nucleus of activity since its construction, as well as a source of community pride. Sited within two blocks of Hudson’s Village Green and business district, its location contributes to the vibrancy of the historic town.

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“The building served as Hudson’s first high school building after the Bing Act of 1921 was passed that mandated compulsory attendance for children age 7 to 18 in Ohio. The school was designed by Miller & Son Architects from Youngstown, which constructed a wide variety of schools, churches, businesses and homes that survive today. Originally designated as ‘Memorial School,’ it honored and commemorated Hudson’s sons and daughters who served in World War I.”

After the building is demolished this fall, the property will be retained for school purposes.

The Quagliata Foundation has offered to donate $710,000 to create an outdoor learning space for the school district to use.

Gamauf Hardware on state list

Also on the list is Gamauf Hardware & Supply at 1395 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road in Copley. Adam “Addie” Gamauf started in the hardware business at Minor Hardware in 1932, and in 1948 opened Gamauf Hardware north of Copley Circle.

According to the listing in Preservation Ohio: “Built in 1932, it is one of, if not the oldest business in Copley Township and is a site where people used to gather and still go to for the hard to find or unique items, such as oval washers for an outside sillcock, or just the right part to anchor a metal rooster to a tree stump, or a part to an old sweeper or canning supplies that last. It has also become a place for inexpensive whimsy that adds to the antique store atmosphere that is a block away from Copley Circle. Loss of this historic structure is imminent.”

Other endangered properties

The Ohio endangered list also includes the Hopewell Furnace (circa 1804) in Struthers, the Historic Resources of Park Avenue West, an eight-block section of 19th century buildings in Mansfield, the Crist Tavern and Millworkers Boarding House (1833) in Delaware, the IOOF Building/Old Miami County Courthouse (1840) in Troy, Farnsworth House (1888) and St. Nicholas Belarusian Church (1950) in Cleveland, Horseshoe Lake (1852) in Shaker Heights, the wood-paved Hessler Court and Hessler Road Historic District (1890s) at University Park in Cleveland, the Louis Traxler Residence (1912) in Dayton, the Santa Clara Business District, a two-block area of 1920s buildings on North Main Street in Dayton, the Manchester Inn (1922) in Middletown and the Armco Research Building (1937) in Middletown.

For more information about Preservation Ohio, visit https://preserveohio.com/.

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hudson school, Copley hardware store join Ohio endangered list