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BIRMINGHAM HISTORIC DISTRICT
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 1900 Block of Bakewell |
RECOMMENDATIONS
After the data was analyzed, a "working" historic district was established. In considering the proposed boundaries of the new local historic district, the blocks that contained high degrees of integrity, high numbers of significant properties, and relatively low rates of demolition were strived for. The goal also was to establish district that was small enough to be managable, with as little gerrymandering and potentially confusing cuts and jogs as possible.
A prelimanary district was established using the data and color-coded maps which aided immensely in locating the concentrations of significant properties. Follow-up site visits were then performed in hopes of "smoothing-out" some of the rough edges to establish the most managable and straightforward district as possible.
Based on the analyzed data, it is recommended that two different historic districts be established: 1) A large district, comprising about 2/3 of the National Register District, but excluding most of the marginal areas in the north. 2). A smaller, as yet unnamed district, isolated from Birmingham proper by the Birmingham Terrace housing project.
 335 Milford The first, located in the southern two-thirds of Birmigham proper, contains 497 properties and is roughly bounded by Front, Genesee, Craig, Valentine and Consaul Streets. This district includes the blocks containing highest degree of integrity and number of significant structures. They also historically contained the highest concentrations of Hungarians. | |
The boundaries were drawn to include important gateways into the neighborhood, such as Consaul, Paine and Whittemore Streets. Additionally, for purposes of establising a manaegable district, avoiding "gerrymandering", or having to deal with confusing boundary descriptions, lines were "smoothed" in some cases. Consequently, some marginal blocks, such as the 2100 block of Genesee, were recommended to be included in this historic district. See Appendix A for a detailed boundary description.
| RECOMMENDED BLOCKS TO BE INCLUDED IN LOCAL BIRMINGHAM H. D. | |
| Street/Block
| Properties | Contributing
Non-contributing Ratio
| Front (1900)
1172.7%
1800 - 2200 Genesee
(to railroad tracks)*
9493.6%
1800 - 2200 Genesee
(to railroad tracks)*
5598.2%
2000-2200 Valentine
(to railroad tracks)
5092.0%
2000-22 Caledonia (to railroad tracks)
5993.2%
116-145 Paine
4593.3%
115-525
Whittemore
4995.9%
Bogar
Whittemore
475.0%
1900-2000 Consaul (both)
+ 2100-2225 Consaul (odd)
Whittemore
24| 83.3%
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Alternative Boundaries:
For purposes of design review, as an alternative to making the west boundary line run behind properties behind Esther and Burr Street south of Consaul, the line could be extended all the way to Front Street. This part of Front Street (1800 block), although a part of the National Register district was excluded from the proposed local district due to loss of contrubuting structures and large numbers of intrustions. However, as part of the prominent Front-Consaul gateway to Birmingham, it could be included so that any future construction on this block will be subject to input by residents and review by the City Historic District Commission in hopes that a more attractive, historically compatable structures could be built there.
Lots along the west side of the 2100 block of Genesee, owned by Mack Truck, and currently drawn out of the proposed local district, could be included so that design review standards could be levied on any new construction or landscaping that takes place in the future on those sites. This would only to apply to the legal lots with frontage on Genesee Street and exclude those facing Front Street.
The 2100 block of Consaul - north side - a marginal block due to the presence of three non-contributing properties as well as vacant lots, was included in the district for design review purposes of Consaul Street. It could be excluded from the district and the line extended north to the alley behind those propeties on Consaul if residents and commission agree that this section of Consual has suffered too much a loss of integrity.
Instead of having two districts, both could be tied together as one. However, the Birmingham Terrace housing project would be more of an issue as it would now border the district on three sides. If this is to take place, Alternative #3 would not apply.
The second recommended district, containing 74 properties, is a smaller contiguous area along the south side of Consaul Street and including Burger and Milford Street and generally seperated from the rest of Birmingham by a large housing project known as Birmingham Terrace. | In the opinion of the surveyors, this area shoud be established as a separate district because it avoids the issue of having a historic district gerry-mandered around a large sprawling, historically non-contributing, housing project. In the original nomiation, both areas were included as one district, gerrymandered around the housing project which was excluded from the district, but surrouned on three sides by it. |  2115 Genesee | |
Additionally, because of the notable Czechoslavakian influence in this section, the smaller district may lend credence to itself as containing the largest concentration of these groups in the Toledo area, except perhaps Rossford.
A name for this district has yet to be determined. Possibilities include
Burger Street Historic District
Burger-Milford Historic District
South Birmingham Historic District
Street/Block(s) Prop-erties Contributing/Non-Contrib Ratio
265 - 364 Burger 45 93.2
317-359 Milford 17 94.1
2120-2216 Consaul (even) 13 100.0
TOTAL 75 94.6
Alterternatives. The boundary could possibly be extended beyond the railroad tracks all the way to Minerva Street, for puposes of including the heavily Slavakian 200 block of Milford. However, this area was excluded from the original nomination, whose southern boundary was the railroad tracks. Presently, it is against city oridinance to include and area in a local district that is not already on the National Register District.
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