Published: October 05, 2008 11:31 pm            

Districts may get historic status

Three Kokomo districts considered for Historic Register

None of Kokomo’s historic districts appear on the National Register of Historic Places, but a local effort is seeking to change that.

The Howard County Historical Society is working with the Indiana Historic Preservation Review Board to have the local districts included on the National Register.

Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of the Historical Society, said the application for the Railroad Depot District on Buckeye Street from Jefferson to Jackson streets was recently approved.

The two other districts are:

• The Old Silk Stocking District bounded by West Jackson Street on the north, Washington Street on the east, Wildcat Creek on the south and Phillips Street on the west.

• Courthouse Square Historic District, which covers Taylor Street on the north, Market Street on the east, Superior Street on the south and Washington Street on the west.

The Indiana Historic Preservation Review Board will consider approval of the two districts at a meeting at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Indiana Government Center.

“This is not a restrictive program, it is a recognition program only,” Karickhoff said. “It allows property owners to receive tax credits for improvements keeping with the integrity of their structure.”

Property owners in the districts who do not want to seek tax credits for improvements can make any changes to a structure.

“There is no local ordinance that would restrict what goes on in the community,” Karickhoff said. “It recognizes a period of time in history in the city of Kokomo.”

There are buildings in Kokomo on the National Register of Historic Places such as the Seiberling Mansion, the old Kokomo High School building, Howard County Courthouse and Elwood Haynes Museum.

Karickhoff said the Historical Society received a grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to write the application for the three districts.

“Kokomo was one of the few communities in the state without a historic district on the National Register,” she said. “An interim report done by the state indicated the three districts were eligible.”

Karickhoff said the designation could bring people into the districts to view the architectural styles used and walking tours could be used to explain the significance of the districts.

“It brings pride in the neighborhood,” she said. “There are benefits for investing in the area and taking care of these properties. There is a lot of value in the homes located in these neighborhoods, but it is expensive to maintain these properties.”

Karickhoff said property owners can receive up to a $5,000 tax credit for improvements that conform with the historical significance of the property.

“The designation is a recognition of the local history when these homes were built and what was taking place at the time in Kokomo,” she said.

Ken de la Bastide can be reached at (765) 454-8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com



Reasons for their considerations:

The significance of the districts being considered for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places:

• The Railroad Depot historic district is a reminder of the railroad age in Kokomo. The railroad first appeared in Kokomo in January 1853 and served as home to several railroads into the 1950s. A depot, the Norfolk & Western railroad station, several warehouses, a loading dock, four train cars and some historic tracks are included.

• The Courthouse Square historic district consists of approximately 55 properties. The Gas Boom of the 1880s led to the rapid growth of the city and most of the city’s historic buildings were constructed after 1886. Common styles in the district include Romanesque Revival, Neoclassical, Italianate, Queen Anne and Art Deco.

• The Old Silk Stocking district consists of approximately 190 historic buildings. Most are residential. The district encompasses historic residential buildings of the grandest scale, such as the Seiberling Mansion, to small craftsmen bungalows, architect designed homes to simple American Foursquares.

        

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