The Ottumwa Historic Preservation Commission will be holding neighborhood meetings in each of city’s historic districts beginning with the Vogel Place Historic District on October 9, 2019. The push to hold neighborhood meetings came from a desire by members of the Commission to share information with the residents of Ottumwa’s historic districts and to get residents involved in the work of historic preservation. “These neighborhoods help to define our community,” said Commission Chair Dennis Willhoit. “Preserving them will require not just commitment from the City but support from the residents themselves.” Willhoit lives in the Fifth Street Bluff Historic District and took over as chair of the Commission in July, 2019.
The Vogel Place Historic District neighborhood meeting will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1524 N Court on October 9, 2019 at 7 pm. Members of the Commission as well as City Planning staff will be available provide information about what a historic district is, the benefits of living in an historic district and the history of the Vogel Place Historic District. The Commission will also update residents on an ongoing project to install signs marking the boundaries of Ottumwa’s historic districts. Draft artwork for the Vogel Place District sign will be available. Residents of the district have been encouraged to bring photographs and memorabilia celebrating the neighborhood and will have an opportunity share memories and stories.
The Ottumwa Historic Preservation Commission was established in 1990 to advise local elected officials on matters related to historic preservations and to undertake special projects in the community. Ottumwa now has seven Historic Districts on the National Register of Historic Places and a number of individual sites as well.
The Vogel Place Historic District was added to the Registry in 1995 as a significant example of early 20th century architecture and design. Vogel Place was an early streetcar- and automobile-oriented suburban neighborhood. The 91 homes in the district include fantastic examples of Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Romantic Revival, Craftsman style and Bungalow style architecture. Picturesque brick streets further contribute to the neighborhood’s historic character. The district includes Vanness Ave., Vogel, Ave. and portions of E. Alta Vista Ave., N. Court St., Jefferson St., and N. Ash St.
