Overview
If you are not familiar with Historic Perrysburg, we are a volunteer non-profit group of individuals committed to the preservation and appreciation of our local history and architecture. While there are other organizations dedicated to our area’s history such as the Perrysburg Area Historic Museum and Wood County Historical Society as well as the City of Perrysburg’s Historic Landmarks Commission, Historic Perrysburg has been active in helping others learn about and appreciate Perrysburg’s history and architecture for over thirty years.
Perhaps you have:
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Read about or seen the signs we are erecting in Downtown Perrysburg detailing the rich history of many of those beautiful buildings;
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Gone on one of our self-guided architectural tours of our community;
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Visited our booth at Harrison Rally Day passing out free literature on architecture and history;
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Heard that we donated the funds to erect five bronze historical plaques in our community;
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Read some of the articles we have placed in local newspapers featuring selected homes, or businesses, or communities from bygone days;
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Noticed the brass plaques affixed to some of our grand homes indicating when they were built.
In addition to the cultural benefits of a well preserved historic community, we believe preservation provides an economic advantage to our community…that an attractive, preserved and well maintained built environment attracts proud residents and quality businesses to serve them. That in and of itself enhances the property values of everyone in the community. Our beautiful historical structures and rich local history are large parts of what makes Perrysburg such a desirable place to live. Go ahead and delve into our new site—you may be surprised at what you find!
Please consider showing your support of local history and preservation by becoming a member. We have taken the liberty of including a membership application on the bottom of this letter – just detach, fill out, and mail back to us. We also welcome donations to help us with our ongoing projects such as our walking tours, historical research, sponsoring speakers, and other activities. Since Historic Perrysburg is a registered 501c3 Non-Profit organization all dues or donations are tax deductible. As your memberships and donations are our sole sources of funding, thank you for making what we do possible.
Learn about Preservation
Fine old buildings, built with unique details by craftsman skills no longer available or affordable, are works of art. Works of art are the property of mankind, and ownership of them carries with it the obligation to preserve them for future generations.
This is the idealistic basis for preservation. But from the more practical and broader standpoint, it is more than simply freezing an old thing in time. Consider that preservation deals intimately with each of us, whether or not we live or work in a historic or architecturally significant structure.
What makes Perrysburg a desirable place to live?
Most certainly among the reasons are the friendly people, an excellent school system, and an unhurried small-town atmosphere. But what about our well-kept homes and business places, our unusually wide tree-lined streets, the nearby farm lands, scenic views of the historic Maumee River, our recreation areas, the country estates up and down the river-- even our interesting local history that played a prominent role in the development of the United States?
We should be thankful for the foresight of those dedicated citizens who, over long periods of time, created and left for us this physical and cultural heritage, and we should do no less for the forthcoming generations.
That is what preservation is all about. And still there remain people who ask "Why?" They think that preservation is simply "saving" an old building -- normally the project or passing fancy of a handful of social do-gooders. However, preservation has an great economic advantage -- that an attractive, historically-preserved and well-maintained community attracts quality residents and quality business to serve them. That in and by itself enhances the property values of everyone in the community.
For more on historic preservation, check out the Preservation Primer here: