The workshop begins the evening of Thursday, May 1, with a free lecture at Middletown Historical Society’s Shartle House Museum, 120 N. Verity Parkway, Middletown, Ohio, beginning at 6:00pm. No RVSP is required, and the lecture is open to the public, but seating will be limited.

Mr. David Mertz, former director of Belmont College’s renowned Building Preservation/Restoration program, will speak on building pathology and common issues that plague old and historic buildings. From the basics of being a good steward and planning your maintenance routine, to spotting water infiltration and masonry issues, Mertz will instruct building owners on carefully evaluating little problems now before they have the chance to become big problems in the future.

Mertz will spend Friday, May 2 in downtown Middletown, conducting one-on-one building assessments with building owners pre-selected by the workshop sponsor, Downtown Middletown, Inc. He will evaluate current conditions of each owner’s building and provide advice to address maintenance issues, active deterioration, or future trouble spots. Heritage Ohio staff will follow up on any assessment recommendations or contacts provided during the assessment to insure building owners have clear next steps to address priority actions.

Heritage Ohio thanks Downtown Middletown, Inc, (and any additional partners?) for bringing the Preservation Assessment Workshop to their community. Heritage Ohio also thanks the State of Ohio for financial support of PAW, allowing communities to access professional assistance at cost-effective prices.

If you’re interested in bringing a Preservation Assessment Workshop to your downtown, contact Frank Quinn at 614.584.2441 or fquinn@heritageohio.org for more information.

Heritage Ohio promotes economic growth through the preservation and revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods across Ohio. Heritage Ohio is the coordinating agency for the Ohio Main Street Program and is the designated statewide Ohio preservation partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Through saving the places that matter we can all build a community and live better. Learn more about how to become involved by visiting www.heritageohio.org.

Downtown Middletown, Inc, does this because we passionately believe our historic downtown is important because it is the heart of Middletown – and having a healthy heart is essential to having a strong hometown community and a strong city. This event is one of many activities that will transform downtown Middletown into a Historic Arts and Entertainment District.