Titusville sweeps Oil Region Alliance preservation awards

From press release

​The Oil Region Alliance celebrates May as National Historic Preservation Month by honoring projects and people preserving the character and history of our area annually with the Historic Preservation Awards. The public is invited to enjoy this free event, which includes refreshments and the awards ceremony where entities will be recognized for their recent great work in preserving Oil Region history. 

The Winners are:

• Baby Bee Ultrasound and Boutique for Enhancement

Nominated by the Greater Titusville Development Foundation, this project at 108 S. Franklin St., included painting the entire four-story façade of this three-storefront property, repairing brick, replacing windows, and adding awnings. The building owner received a Downtown Façade Improvement Grant from the Greater Titusville Development Foundation.

• Kathleen Barnhart for Residence

Nominated by the Titusville Historical Society the residence at 209 E. Main St., was built in 1871 for David and Susan Emery, who purchased the land that comprised Edwin Drake’s first oil well and was later donated to become Drake Well Museum & Park. The Barnhart family purchased the house in 1985 and have focused on maintaining historic architectural elements. In 2023, Kathleen undertook repainting the home and restoring an appropriate paint scheme for the Italianate style house with work completed by Experienced Painter, LLC. of Pittsfield.

• Missy’s Arcade Restaurant and Hoppy’s for Enhancement

Nominated by the Greater Titusville Development Foundation, the dual storefronts at 116 and 118 Diamond St., underwent repairs to the windows, decorative cast iron, entrances, awnings, cornices, and most notably a new façade color scheme. Work was partially funded through a Downtown Façade Improvement Grant from the Greater Titusville Development Foundation.

• Titusville City Hall Building for Preservation Stewardship

Titusville Renaissance, Inc. nominated Titusville City Hall, 107 N. Franklin St., which underwent repainting of all siding, window frames, fascia, and handrails in addition to repairs to the wood, brick, and windows. Funds from the PNC Charitable Trust and American Rescue Plan were used to hire Keystone Painting Services for the work. The building was constructed around 1865, has served as the headquarters of City government since 1872, and is listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places.

• The Parkside Building for Adaptive Reuse

Titusville Historical Society nominated the former YMCA at 201 W. Spring St., which has become home to two dining establishments, several small craft vendors, the Titusville Historical Society, and a multi-purpose room for meetings, concerts, exhibits, and other events. Heating and electricity were updated, new historically accurate windows were selected, an ADA-accessible ramp was added, and other updates were made to make spaces more attractive and usable since the building was purchased by Nathaniel Licht in August 2020. Future plans include developing artist studios on the second floor and creating apartments in the basement.
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RSVPs are appreciated. Please contact Jessica at [email protected] or 814.677.3152.