During the historic home tour back in September, we strolled past an old building facing Jay Street. Mrs. Confidential asked me about it. I confessed ignorance (a rare occurrence, she errantly maintains), and vowed to look it up.Finally I did. Just today, in fact. It turns out that the structure once housed a business, and is part of a property that includes a home on East Elm that recently sold. Here's the skinny from the Historic New Albany web site, including photos borrowed from the site.
Long-Graf House and Crupper factory
The structure at the rear of the property is also significant: it housed the Jacob Graf Crupper Company, which operated from about 1905 until at least the early 1960s. The business manufactured cruppers, which are a component of a horse harness. Later the company produced leather luggage and trunk handles.
The house was sold, and the historic factory building comes as part of the deal. Let's hope that the buyer is imaginative.
11 comments:
Thanks for this! I used to live in a house which was near this and always wondered what it was.
I've heard the owner is considering demolishing it, though it would have to come to the Historic Preservation commission first, at least that's what I've been told.
I wonder how they'd handle this one in Atlanta?
I got ya. Dang hypocrite! :)
It is not located in one of the historic districts. All they need is a demolition permit.
I thought it was on the register or something. I don't know for sure, I'm not an expert on this topic. I just heard it was being considered for razing.
The Historic Preservation Commission has a duty to advance its purpose which, as stated in the ordinance, is:
.. to promote the educational, cultural and general welfare of the citizens of New Albany and to ensure the harmonious and orderly growth and development of the municipality; to maintain established residential neighborhoods in danger of having their distinctiveness destroyed; to enhance property values and attract new residents and businesses; to ensure the viability of the downtown and other historic commercial districts and to enhance tourism within the City of New Albany; it is deemed essential by the City of New Albany that qualities relating to its history and outward appearance of its structures be preserved. This purpose is advanced through the restoration and preservation of historic areas and buildings, the construction of compatible new buildings where appropriate, and the maintenance and insurance of compatibility in regards to style, form, proportion, texture and material between historic buildings and those of contemporary design. It is the intention of the City of New Albany, through this chapter, to preserve and protect historic and architecturally-worthy buildings, structures, sites, monuments, streetscapes and neighborhoods, which impart a distinct aesthetic quality to the city and serve as visible reminders of New Albany's historic heritage and building traditions.
Ordinance Section 151.06(A) states:
A certificate of appropriateness must be issued by the Preservation Commission before a permit is issued for, or work is begun on, any of the following:
(1) (a) Within all areas of a historic district:
1. The demolition of any building or structure; ...
If a COA is denied, the applicant may appeal.
Ordinance Section 151.10 states:
§ 151.10 APPEAL PROVISIONS.
(A) The purpose of this section is to preserve historic buildings that are important to the education, culture, traditions and economic values of the City of New Albany and to afford the city, historical organizations and other interested persons the opportunity to acquire or to arrange for preservation of these buildings.
(B) If a property owner shows that a historic building is incapable of earning an economic return on its values, as appraised by a qualified real estate appraiser, and the Commission fails to approve the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness, the building may be demolished. However, before a demolition permit is issued or demolition proceeds, notice of the proposed demolition must be given for a period fixed by the Commission, based on the Commission's classification on the approved map, but not less than 60 days nor more than one year. Notice must be posted on the premises of the building proposed for demolition in a location clearly visible from the street. In addition, notice must be published in a newspaper of general local circulation at least three times before the demolition, with the first publication not more than 15 days after the application for a permit to demolish is filed, and the final publication at least 15 days before the date of the permit.
(C) The Historic Preservation Commission may approve a certificate of appropriateness at any time during the notice period hereunder. If the certificate of appropriateness is issued by the Preservation Commission, a demolition permit shall be issued without further delay.
If demolition occurs without a COA, the ordinance contains penalties:
§ 151.15 ENFORCEMENT, PENALTIES AND JUDICIAL REVIEW.
(A) Any person, whether as principal, agent, owner, lessee, tenant, contractor, builder, architect, engineer, or otherwise, who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a fine as follows, for each offense:
(1) Not less than $10, nor more than $2,500, for demolition; and
(2) Not less than $10, nor more than $300, for all other offenses.
(B) Each day of existence of any violation of this ordinance shall be a separate offense.
(C) The erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, demolition, color change, moving or maintenance of any building, structure or appurtenance that is begun, continued or maintained contrary to any provisions of this chapter is hereby declared to be a nuisance and in violation of this chapter and unlawful. The City of New Albany may institute a suit for injunction in the Circuit Court or Superior Court of Floyd County, Indiana, to restrain any person or government unit from violating any provision of this chapter and to cause the violation to be prevented, abated or removed. The action may also be instituted by any property owner who is adversely affected by the violation of any provision of this chapter.
(D) The remedies provided for in this section shall be cumulative and not exclusive and shall be in addition to any other remedies provided by law.
Note that any property owner in a district and any neighborhood association has standing to enforce the ordinance. Also note that contractors who assist with demolition are equally liable for money damage of up to $3000 per day
Furthermore, the demolition permits state that for the permit to be valid, the owner must comply with all other ordinances and statutes with regard to the property. Therefore, if no COA is issued, the property owner (and any contractor who assists) is in violation of not only the historic preservation ordinance but also the building code.
Obtaining a COA is not difficult. There is a $10 application fee and a two-page form to complete. The applicant then comes before the commission at the next meeting, makes his or her case, and a commission votes.
I heard someone say that the commission “has prevented” the demolition of this structure. That is not true. The commission has not been asked by the property owner to approve a COA allowing demolition. As such, the law prevents its demolition.
The HPC has issued COAs for past demolitions. The HPC allowed for the demolition of several historic properties for make room for the new YMCA. The HPC recently allowed Dick Bliss to demolish a structurally deficient building next to Calumet Club. Several months ago, the HPC allowed the demolition of a building on E. Main Street after the owner convinced the commission that an environmental remediation involving the removal of old underground gasoline storage tanks made preserving the adjacent structures impractical.
In each of those cases, first step of the owner was applying for a COA.
I would like to remind everyone that the Preservation Commission is NOT an enforcement body. The ordinance intentionally does not give the commission enforcement powers.
COA violations may be enforced by many parties: neighbors, neighborhood association, the mayor, the council, the state architect, and HLFI. Many people have authority to bring suit to enforce violations. The HPC is designed to stay out of that.
The HPC merely grants immunity from such lawsuits by issuing COAs. If a property owner alters his or her historic property and a neighbor subsequently sues, the property owner has nothing to worry about if the alterations were consistent with those described in the COA.
If the city government is the worst violator of the historic preservation ordinance you copied, does that leave enforcement to the neighbors?
NA Girl - it is in a single-site district created either earlier this year or last year that just encompasses the property with the house and the factory.
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