2010 Oil Heritage Region

Historic Preservation Awards

7:00 p.m.
Monday - May 24, 2010
Perry Street Station
409 South Perry Street, Titusville

Historic Preservation Awards are sponsored by:

* Crawford County Historical Society * Oil Region Alliance *
* TitusvilleHistorical Society * Titusville Renaissance, Inc. *
* Venango County Historical Society *

217 Elm Street, Oil City, PA 16301

814-677-3152
 And the Winners Are - Masters of Ceremonies
William B. Moore and Joshua Sherretts
St. Michael the Archangel Church
7:00 p.m. - Social Time
For Preservation Stewardship
Msgr. Jan Olowin, Pastor Welcome
Joshua Sherretts
Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast Crawford County Historical Society
For Reconstruction
Keith & Beth Bromley, owners Oil Region National Heritage Area Historic
House Plaque Program
Keith & Beth Bromley - Residence Presented by Kim Harris, ORA Project Manager
For Enhancement Program
Keith & Beth Bromley, owners "The Oil Region Demi monde"
By Annette Lynch, Crawford Co. Historical Society
Vantage Health Care - Franklin Facility
For Enhancement Presentation of Historic Preservation Awards
Thomas B. Surman, Vice President St. Michael the Archangel Church
809 Chestnut Street, Emlenton
The Haskell Family for the W. H. Abbott House Presented by Marilyn Black, Oil Region Alliance
For Preservation Stewardship
Charlotte Haskell-Bickford, owner/Jim Kuhn, caretaker Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast
701 North Perry Street, Titusville
Presented by Mike Henderson, Oil Region Alliance
About the Speaker - Keith & Beth Bromley - Residence
Annette L. Lynch is a Meadville native and a 518 North Perry Street, Titusville
resident of Crawford County. She received a Presented by Lois Parsons, Titusville Historical Society
Bachelor of Arts in English from Allegheny College, Vantage Health Care - Franklin Facility
and a Master of Arts in American Literature from 1283 Liberty Street, Franklin
Edinboro University. She is a local historian, and Presented by Carolee Michener, Venango County
a member of the Board of Director of the Crawford Historical Society
County Historical Society. She was a charter
The Haskell Family for the W. H. Abbott House
member of the Crawford County Genealogical Society
215 West Main Street, Titusville
and is a long-time editor of their magazine, Crawford
Presented by William Moore, Crawford County
County Genealogy. She abstracted the Crawford
Historical Society
County Naturalization Applications, 1800-1906,
which was published in 2003, and has specialized in Closing Remarks
tracing the French families of Crawford County. Marilyn Black, Oil Region Alliance
St. Michael the Archangel Parish St. Michael the Archangel Parish
809 Chestnut Street, Emlenton, PA 809 Chestnut Street, Emlenton, PA
This Roman Catholic church was constructed in Monsignor Jan Olowin was named pastor in
1871 and contains a one-floor sanctuary, balcony August, 2008. The parish decided to imple-
____along the east wall, a central bell tower topped ment most of the architect's recommenda-
by a cross, and support offices at the western tions, while using funds already in place.
end. The first rectory was constructed in 1872. Construction began in September, 2009.
The bungalow that now serves as a rectory was The tower and cross on top were gilded and
constructed in 1933, using designs prepared by the exterior of the church was painted. A
. Father Aloysius During. That same year, the ramp that had been rough was replaced with
View - "Before" front entrance and porch to the church building one which is now fully ADA-compliant and
were replaced with Corinthian columns, steps Pastor Jan Olowin electric heating was installed beneath the
leading up from a cement court, and doors of thick oak trimmed cement for improved winter safety.
in hand wrought iron. A new cupola and cross were also in- Indoors, the unique mural archway
stalled. The sanctuary interior was remodeled in ,a baroque was cleaned and restored, as were the
style, to match the stained glass windows. A mural painting by stained glass windows. Oak wainscot-
Isabel Hamilton (Bowden), a member of the congregation, was ing was installed on the outer walls. In
added over the sanctuary. It depicts the Nativity on the left of the social hall, the classrooms and hall
the altar and the Sermon on the Mount on the right. were repainted. New plumbing was
In 1941-42, a new confessional and installed in the kitchen and the rest-
baptistery were built and in 1949 a rooms were made ADA-accessible.
new organ was dedicated. Lighting in Parishioners can once again see the
the sanctuary was updated periodi- glowing halos for the holy family and rich colors in the clothing
cally, from candles to oil lamps to gas of all the people in the church's mural. The restored balcony is
lights to electrical service. now completely flat, even and safe for the choir and musicians.
Workers excavated beneath the The new lighting is warmer and more natural, making the sanc-
church in 1957 to construct a social tuary more inviting overall. The newly gilded dome and cross
hall for parish activities and installed a complete kitchen and are strikingly beautiful, especially at sunset. More families
restroom facilities. have scheduled weddings and baptisms at St. Michael's, and the
parish is planning to install a meditation garden in the spring.
In 1969 the church sanctuary was remodeled using solid oak
altars, new oak paneling and carpeting. Stained glass windows The transformation of St. Michael's Church
were repaired in 1970 and in 1971 tiling was added to the Social would not have been possible without the
Hall. The parish's bell was put back into active use for the tireless efforts of the Building Committee
church's 100th anniversary. which consisted of Nick Cirell, Matt King,
____
-----~
Ron and Donna Louise, Ken Maleski,
The church building and rectory re- - Lowell Snyder and Jack Whitehill. They
mained basically unchanged from 1971 were assisted by the parish' informal histo-
through July, 2007, when a Building rian - Mrs. Anne Weiss, along with George
Committee was formed. The firm of Zacher!, Connie Blauser, Amy and Ray
Weber, Murphy & Fox was hired and ... ,s:r~'-'~ Kaufman, Lou Berteotti, Jerome Gressley
David ThaI was named Architect with .. and the late Colleen Gressley, along with a
Kim Jeffreys as Project Manager. host of others.
Mural, before cleaning
Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast Bromley's Hillhurst Bed & Breakfast
701 North Perry Street, Titusville, PA 701 North Perry Street, Titusville, PA
Hillhurst is the original name given to Phase II of the Hillhurst rehabilitation
this home that was built in 1908 by John prepared the third floor ballroom for
Emerson, one of three sons of E.O. Emer- adaptive reuse, and began in November
son, a financier. It features a grande of 2009. It was completed by the first of
staircase in the entry and a fireplace in January, 2010.
. each room. Two of the fireplaces are exact
The third floor ballroom has cabinetry
replicas of fireplaces in Mount Vernon and
View from the 3rd floor designed to hold linens and lace.
Monticello.
A large half-circle window in the ballroom provides much needed
The house was a private residence until 1951,
ventilation as well as a walk-out to the roof.
when it was purchased by the Erie Presbytery.
They operated it as the Titusville Presbyterian Phase II work included:
Home until 2009, when it closed. • Remodeling and painting
• Complete ceiling replacement
Keith and Beth Bromley
• Installation of HVAC
purchased the home in Feb-
• Floor repairs
ruary, 2009, and took pos-
• Electrical upgrades and rewiring as
session on June 4. Their
needed
immediate goal was to have
• Installation of new lighting
the house ready as a fully-
0;. functioning bed and breakfast by mid-August, With the rehabilitation of the third floor complete, the ballroom
so that it could be open for guests during the has a new purpose, and a new tenant. The Hirts Training Center
Oil 150 celebration. now occupies the space. It is owned by John Cornell, a Tank and
Terminal Specialist. The center provides training relating to
A grand opening was held on August 19, 2009,
Pochet doors to celebrate the completion of Phase I of the above ground storage tanks constructed of plastic, fiberglass and
steel. Clients come from around the world and are encouraged to
Hillhurst rehabilitation, including:
lodge at Hillhurst while attending the training.
• Removal of six interior walls which were not part of the origi-
nal floor plan, returning all of the rooms to their original size The Hillhurst property also includes servants quarters which
• The discovery and restoration of four sets of pocket doors now serve as a private apartment occupied by an on-site manager
• Installation of a replica copper ceiling in the butler's pantry for Hillhurst Bed and Breakfast.
• Plaster repair throughout the house Owners Keith and Beth Bromley are gracious hosts whose motto
• Repainting of several rooms is "Arrive as guests, depart as friends."
• 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 Vantage Health Care - Franklin Facility
518 North Perry Street, Titusville, PA 1283 Liberty Street, Franklin, PA
The house at 518 North Perry Street The Exchange Bank & Trust Co. was
was built in 1870 by hardware mer- two years old when it built a 3-story
chant Delos O. Wickham. The archi- brick building on the southeast corner
tect of record was Hiram Smith (ca. of Liberty and Thirteenth Streets in
1814-after 1880), who was responsi- Franklin in 1873. This site served the
ble for the design of some of Titus- bank well until 1923, when it acquired
- ville's grandest houses, including the the wooden structure next door on
"Before" view of the home Bryan and Johnson mansions on Liberty Street, a site referred to as the
East Main Street. In 1885 the Wick- "Sugar Bowl."
hams 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.
The bank tore down the wooden struc-
ture to make way for a stone structure
at the same site. The brick building
I
was then razed and a second, matching
Keith & Beth Bromley purchased the home in 2007 to be their stone structure was added.
personal residence. They felt that the home was quite sound,
The building was dedicated on April
considering that it was built in 1870. The porches were another
matter. They were in desperate need of repair due to water 1t1, 1925, as the new home of the Detailed view of Vantage
I~xchangeBank and Trust Company.
damage through the years. Since both Keith and Beth feel that
The bank was located there until 1979 when it moved to a new
porches complete the home, the long process of rebuilding the
location on Thirteenth Street and the corner landmark was sold
porches on both the first and second levels was soon started.
to the County of Venango. They occupied the building until 2008.
The Bromleys completely rebuilt the infrastructure from the
A restaurant occupied the two-story brick building adjacent to
ground up, which involved removing the fascia and replacing
the support beams. The columns had to be rebuilt consolidating the bank until the 1970's when it was purchased by the bank.
Vantage Health Care purchased both buildings and extensively
the dried-out parts as progress continued. This procedure petri-
remodeled them to continue their work - to support and provide
fies the wood and makes it strong once again.
quality health care services. Work performed included:
When the first floor porch was finished, the same procedure was • New roofing surfaces installed
begun on the second level. The Yankee gutter system was then • Replacement of all tin overhangs with copper
rebuilt so that it did not destroy their efforts. Once the first and • Demolish & rebuilding of first floor of the adjoining building
second floor structure and drain systems were rebuilt, a rubber • Built four sleep labs on the first floor of adjoining building
roof was installed. All of the fascia boards and dental moldings • Updated lobby and stairwells
were replaced and painting completed the job. • Installed new boiler serving both buildings
The Haskell Family - W.H. Abbott House
About the Awards ...
215 West Main Street, Titusville, PA
• Structures in the Oil Heritage Region are eligible.
Built in 1870 by oil producer and refiner
This includes all of Venango County, the City of
, William H. Abbott, the residence cost
$40,000 to build. The original structure Titusville, the Borough of Hydetown, and Oil Creek
was two-story, and consisted of a wooden Township in Crawford Oounty.
frame square box with a low-pitched roof
and cupola. The architect was Abbott's • Eligible structures include commercial, residential,
son-in-law, Henry Wrigley. industrial, public, religious or other properties.
Abbott suffered a series of both personal • Structures must be at least 50 years old. They need
and financial setbacks and the home was
not qualify for "National Register" listing, but must
sold at Sheriffs Sale in 1874 for $10,600 to Nathaniel Wheeler,
the brother ofW.H. Abbott's first wife. Wheeler allowed Abbott be of recognized historical or architectural value.
to remain in the home for the rest of his life.
• Interior work in public buildings and/or exterior
Mter Abbott's death, the Wheeler heirs sold the house in 1903 work is eligible.
to Robert McKelvy. He extensively remodeled the home to a
more classical style. The McKelvys relocated to New York City • Construction or enhancement projects must have
and in 1928, sold the property to Harry H. Haskell, who again
been completed in the last five years to be eligible.
updated the house.
The house passed to Haskell's son, John • Once a project has received a Historic Preservation
91' ~ - S. Haskell, and his wife, Charlotte McKin-
ney, who occupied it the rest of their lives.
===== John passed away in 1983 and his wife in
Award, it is not eligible to receive another award for
five years.
. === ~ -
1986. Their son H.H. "Jay" Haskell, a
state legislator, died in 1990, and their The following persons represented the Sponsors
"" daughter Charlotte Bickford became the
and served as judges for this year's awards:
Ad
lnO
ld-' f f
mg at roo a pore h owner. of the family
. home, and its appre-
ciatIve custodIan. William B. Moore and Joshua Sherretts
Even though daughter Charlotte moved to Florida in the mid Representing the Crawford County Historical Society
1960's, she has maintained the historical integrity ofthe home
with the help of local resident Jim Kuhn. Jim's father, George, Donna Gaston and Ron Gustafson
had maintained the home from the time of his retirement as Representing the Oil Region Alliance
Titusville Chief of Police in 1983 until 2002.
Many of the rooms have a fireplace and a buzzer to summon the Lois Parsons
servants. A servant's quarters are on the Representing the Titusville Historical Society
second floor and include three small bed-
rooms and a very small bathroom. The Susan Beates
home's wood siding and moldings, curved-
Representing Titusville Renaissance, Inc.
glass windows and steel roof have been
preserved through the years, as has the
Rainy Linn
original stone sidewalk. A brick wall en-
closes most of the back yard, providing Representing the Venango County Historical Society
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.