Message from the Co-Presidents |
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While September officially begins our 2021/22 program year, our board has been quite busy over the summer. In July, we introduced a newly designed website that improves functionality, provides expanded content and ADA accessibility. HHA is also working on several advocacy initiatives, welcoming new board members, wrapping up our annual membership drive, and finalizing our fall and winter programs.
1927 Building Update
Of most significance, HHA has been closely working with the Hudson City School District to determine an adaptive reuse for the 1927 High School Building. Our August 4th E-News Update provided the status of discussions with Hudson City School District and an overview of the Community Arts Center Feasibility Study (Part I) that HHA underwrote with help from both individuals and the generosity of ICF Foundation. The future of the 1927 Building is still unclear, but we continue to press for preservation that respects not only the historic integrity of the building and grounds, but also the aesthetics of the neighborhood. |
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Short-Term Rental Ordinance
More recently, we have been monitoring the City of Hudson's review of Ordinance 20-160 that regulates short-term rentals in the city. Our August 9th E-News Update provides more details about this matter and urges residents to voice their opinions and concerns. Like the fate of the 1927 Building, decisions about the operation of short-term rentals - especially in the city's Historic District - could have a significant impact on the future of Hudson's character.
Baldwin-Buss House Foundation and Peg's Foundation Update
We want to extend our sincere congratulations to the Baldwin-Buss House Foundation (BBHF) and Peg's Foundation for their recent announcement describing plans to transform the historic Baldwin-Buss House (1825) and adjacent land located in the heart of downtown Hudson. When it became clear several years ago that the Baldwin-Buss House and the surrounding property were in jeopardy, Hudson Heritage was one of the first groups in Hudson to mobilize support for their preservation. This resulting project promotes the use of public and private space for the Hudson community, Peg's Foundation's headquarters and the Baldwin-Buss House Foundation while reducing density and permanently protecting the historic home with a preservation easement. Visit Park Lane Project for more information.
Please send us your thoughts about how Hudson Heritage can better serve you, our members. We are interested in your ideas for future speakers and programs as well as other issues and/or concerns regarding HHA's mission. Contact us at info@hudsonheritage.org.
Finally, we are very pleased to announce that HHA will return to in-person monthly programs that are open to the public beginning with our September 9th meeting at the Barlow Community Center. We look forward to seeing you there.
Chris Bach & Kathy Russell
Co-Presidents
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September Program
Tumultuous but Triumphant Childhood as a Military Prisoner
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It is almost impossible to put into context a childhood marked by such polarizing feelings and experiences, from freedom to captivity, hopelessness to optimism, protection to vulnerability. At the first program event of the season presented by the Hudson Heritage Association (HHA), Joseph Huber, Jr. will share his story, one marked by seismic swings, remarkable conditions and ultimately, great triumph. The HHA event takes place on Thursday, September 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Barlow Community Center, 41 South Oviatt Street, Hudson.
Huber, now 86, grew up in the southern Philippines on a remote plantation owned by Goodyear. Huber’s father was the manager of an estate that produced rubber tree seedlings for plantations in Central and South America. Though originally insulated from WWII, Japanese troops arrived in the Philippines in 1942 and the Huber family was sent to a prison camp in Manila, alongside almost 4,000 prisoners of war of Japan.
Life was marked by hunger and harsh living conditions, but Huber credits his parents for a Life is Beautiful-style logic, never showing fear or hatred toward captors or conditions. This resilience was a product of the whole family’s lifestyle, cultivated over years on the plantation.
“My parents made us a farm family where all the kids worked, had responsibilities and matured,” Huber says. “We were never afraid, and we never hated. When you are a child, you think, ‘OK, we’re doing this and if your parents aren’t worried, why should you be?’ Now I know that my parents were worried, but they never showed it. My resolve is a memoriam to my parents and their wonderful efforts in their lives.”
On February 3, 1945, the 1st Cavalry Division raided the prison camp where the family was held to liberate its inhabitants. Huber narrowly escaped death. Thirty-one months after their ordeal began, the Huber family was free, and returned to their original plantation where work for Goodyear resumed.
Huber left the plantation in the fall of 1948 and lived with his maternal grandparents in Summit County while attending Tallmadge High School. He graduated with electrical engineering degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and worked for Goodyear’s aircraft division, ultimately retiring from Lockheed Martin in 1999. Huber has traveled to or lived in over 45 countries and carries with him a universal spirit of connection with others. Huber is the author of several books including Such a Life and Rescue Raids of Luzon.
At the September 9 event, Huber will recount his fascinating life and share memories, milestones and a very special brand of mettle. All are welcome to attend the free event.
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Welcome New HHA Board Members |
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We are excited to introduce five new members to the HHA board this year: Meg Colafella, Rebecca Leiter, Betsy Lockwood, Susan Newman and Alice Sloan. Profiles of these talented and enthusiastic individuals appear below. We look forward to learning more about their creative ideas, interests, and perspectives. |
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- Director of Communications and Marketing at Western Reserve Academy.
- Former Associate Director of Corporate and Government Affairs at Kraft-Heinz and before that the Communications Director for the Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
- While in Pittsburgh, Meg worked with the Riverlife Task Force to revitalize the region's waterfronts and with Astorino, the first American architectural firm to design a building - a chapel - at the Vatican.
- In a writing-intensive role for WRA, among Meg’s favorite articles to author was a spotlight on 37 Baldwin Street in Hudson. Meg's current role includes stewardship of WRA's strategic planning process.
- Meg deeply values Hudson's history and hopes to one day write a small book about a diminutive set of its homes, its carriage houses.
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- Grew up in Hudson and has lived here most of her life.
- Employed by FirstEnergy Corp. for the past 20 years working in Business Strategy, Risk Management and Finance.
- Currently works in Rates and Regulatory Affairs, interfacing with such issues as Smart Grid, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Rebecca has attended training on these topics at MIT, Cornell, and Temple University.
- Rebecca holds a BA in Economics from Kent State University and an MBA from Cleveland State. She has also taught classes in Risk Management at Akron University.
- Rebecca has a love for history and historic places that she learned from her mother, who was a professor at CSU, specialized in historic preservation, and currently serves as a lifetime trustee of the Cleveland Restoration Society.
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- Social Media Coordinator for Otis Foods LLC.
- Previously Director of Corporate, Foundation and Governments Relations at the Peggy Norbert Nature Museum in Chicago. She also served as first Associate Director and then Director of Development at North Shore Country Day School in Chicago, where she successfully oversaw a successful $11.5 million capital campaign.
- A Hudson native and graduate of WRA, Betsy earned her undergraduate degree in English Literature and History at Kenyon College, where she was also a two-sport captain (field hockey and lacrosse). She was an inductee to the Kenyon Athletic Hall of fame in 2000.
- Betsy’s volunteer work includes being a Parents’ Association Executive Board Member at Old Trail School and a board member and chair of the Stewardship Committee at Hudson’s First Congregational Church.
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- Director of Enrollment Management at Old Trail School in Bath, Ohio.
- Previously admissions officer at both Hawken and Western Reserve Academy. Before turning her full attentions to the world of independent school admissions, Susan did an early stint as a middle school history teacher at the King School in Stamford, Connecticut.
- Susan is a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and Gettysburg College (where she met her husband, Jim, a native of Hudson and currently Dean of Students at Hawken).
- For the past eight years Susan and Jim have helped train five dogs (5 labs and 1 German shepherd) for the organization Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a non-profit agency that raises and pairs guide dogs with the visually impaired. They start work with their sixth dog later this month.
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- Associate AIA | Historic Architecture at Perspectus Architecture.
- Professional work has included:
- Cleveland Warehouse Historic District National Register Nomination.
- Masonry restoration of the Philadelphia Public Safety Services Campus building.
- Preservation plan for the Perry World House on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
- Co-created Design Guidelines for the Cities of Zanesville, Massillon, and Cuyahoga Falls.
- Co-authored the National Register Nominations for the B.F. Goodrich Company Historic District and Kenmore Boulevard Historic District.
- Alice is a graduate of Wooster College (B.A. in Art History and Music, 2004) and holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. She and her husband, John, moved to Hudson in 2015.
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HHA Membership Drive Reminder
Don't forget to join HHA as a member for the 2021/22 year! Thank you to all who have already renewed their memberships or joined for the first time. If you have supported HHA in the past but have not yet sent in your dues, we encourage you to do it today. There is still time!
Annual dues are critical to our mission. They fund not only general operating expenses that bring monthly programs and newsletters to the community, but also the research of historic homes, ongoing community advocacy, and other historic preservation initiatives. Annual dues are also an affirmation of the trust our members place in us to protect the unique architecture and streetscape of our special town.
More than ever, your membership and financial support are vital to the organization's preservation efforts. Whether you are renewing your membership or joining for the first time, HHA appreciates and values your support! Your participation stands as a tribute to the preservation of our historic city and to HHA's efforts to safeguard the architectural legacy of Hudson.
Please don't delay!
It's easy to renew online at www.hudsonheritage.org/membership/ via Shopify or PayPal OR download a membership form and send a check for membership at one of the following levels:
- $35 Individual
- $55 Couple
- $100 Historian
- $100 Business
- $250 Preservationist
- $500 David Hudson
Mail to: Hudson Heritage Association, Box 2218, Hudson, OH 44236
We hope to hear from you soon! Thank you in advance for your support!
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2022 HHA Preservation Awards |
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Nominations accepted until January 31, 2022 |
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The Hudson Heritage Association Preservation Awards recognize and honor historic structures in Hudson that have been well preserved or restored within the last five years in a manner that maintains the historic integrity of the property. No minimum or maximum number of awards will be given in any year.
We encourage our HHA members to nominate preservation/restoration projects for the 2022 HHA Preservation Awards. To be eligible, properties must be at least 75 years old, and may include private residences, commercial buildings, publicly owned buildings, nonprofit organizations and historic landscapes. You can find the information about application for the Preservation Awards Program by clicking here.
Criteria for nominations include:
- All nominated properties must be located within the City of Hudson.
- To be considered, restoration and preservation projects must have been completed on or after September 15, 2017.
- Properties may be nominated by their owners or by another individual or group. If another individual or group nominates a property, the owner must be notified.
- Consideration for awards will include appropriateness of the materials used on both the exterior and interior parts of the structure, including landscaping materials, and the historic accuracy of any preservation or restorations made.
Nominate a property before January 31, 2022, and help HHA celebrate preservation in Hudson.
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HHA is sorry to report the passing of Sheldon S. Schweikert on August 6, 2021 at the age of 89. Shel and Nancy, his wife of 63 years, moved to Hudson in 1966 when he became the Village Manager of Hudson. Shel was active in local organizations including Hudson Rotary, Hudson Library and Historical Society, and Hudson Heritage Association, where he served as president from 2004-2005. Donovan Husat, former HHA president stated, "Shel never lost his love for Hudson or his passion for protecting Hudson's historic ambiance. During my years in an HHA leadership position, he would call me whenever he felt that our "village" was being threatened, and implore HHA to protect it."
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, September 17th at 2:00 PM at Christ Church Episcopal, 21 Aurora Street, Hudson, OH 44236.
Shel's obituary can be viewed by clicking here. |
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2021-22 Program Dates
Plan to join us for our popular monthly programs. Unless otherwise noted, these meetings are open to the general public and are held in the Assembly Room of Barlow Community Center at 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments are provided. A schedule for the upcoming programming year follows:
October 14
Tom Vince (Topic to be determined)
November 11
Brad Lepper (Topic to be determined)
December
No meeting
January 13
"Lost Akron" with Mark Price
February 10
"The Women of the Tiffany Studios" with Renee Sentilles
March 10
Ohio and Erie Canal Program
April 14
"Tale of Two Cities" presented by Nicholas Kent and his students from WRA
May 12
HHA Annual Meeting - TBD
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PO Box 2218 - Hudson, OH 44236
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