Wick Park Historic District

Infobox_nrhp | name =Wick Park Historic District
nrhp_type =hd


caption =
location= Youngstown, Ohio
locmapin = Ohio
area =
built =1889
architect= Multiple
architecture= Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian
added = April 05, 1990 (original) September 24, 2001 (increase)
governing_body = Local
refnum=90000601 (original) 01001041 (increase)cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Wick Park Historic District is a historic neighborhood on the north side of Youngstown, Ohio, with Wick Park as its centerpiece. During the first half of the 20th century, the residential district surrounding Wick Park included some of the city's most affluent neighborhoods.cite news
first = Mary Ellen
last = Pellegrini
title = Wick Park historic district – three groups will work together to ensure that striking neighborhoods will be preserved
work = The Vindicator
date = January 22, 2007
accessdate = 2007-03-03] The district is "roughly bounded by 5th and Elm Aves., Elm St. and Broadway".

History

In the era of industrialization, Youngstown's wealthiest business leaders and professionals migrated away from the downtown to the wooded areas near the city's northern border. These semi-suburban neighborhoods were secluded from the noisy activity of the city's steel mill and retail businesses. Wick Avenue is sometimes described as Youngstown's version of Euclid Avenue (Cleveland's Millionaire's Row), or Fifth Avenue in New York City. It was home to the community's most established families. Although some of these mansions have survived, few are currently used for residential purposes. Youngstown State University, whose campus is located to the south of Wick Park, purchased several of these homes and renovated them for administrative use. One campus-area mansion serves as the site of a museum, The Arms Museum of Local History. [ [http://www.mahoninghistory.org/armhome.stm Arms Family Museum of Local History] Accessed 2007-03-07]

Surrounding features

Running through the western portion of the historic district is Fifth Avenue, which is lined with stately homes that were built by members of the area's elite. The most well-preserved of these homes are located along the upper reaches of the boulevard, near Gypsy Lane, in the North Heights neighborhood. On the western edge of Wick Park, on Fifth Avenue, stands the neo-classical landmark of Stambaugh Auditorium.

Both Wick Park and Stambaugh Auditorium are within walking distance of the Youngstown State University campus and St. Elizabeth's Hospital, one of the city's largest medical centers. Also located in the area are several churches, a synagogue, the Northside Medical Center, and the Jewish Community Center.

The most prominent landmark located south of the Wick Park Historic District is the former Pollock estate, which sits along the main artery of Wick Avenue. Restored and expanded in the 1980s, the mansion was turned into an upscale hotel known as the Wick-Pollock Inn. Since the hotel's closure in the late 1990s, the university has allowed the renovated structure to sit vacant. YSU students have led recent efforts to restore the historic sunken garden located behind the structure.cite news
first = Katie
last = Libecco
title = Student Government plans to help restore the abandoned garden
work = The Vindicator
date = October 10, 2006
accessdate = 2007-03-07]

The George J. Renner, Jr. House, a house listed individually on the National Register, is included in the district.

Revitalization

Wick Park, itself, is named for donor James Wick, a Youngstown-area industrialist. The park occupies a central portion of the historic district and, maintained by the Youngstown Department of Parks and Recreation, is well tended. While it remains an important site of recreation, Wick Park draws fewer residents than does the Metroparks' Mill Creek Park, which is the second largest metropolitan park in the United States, behind New York City's Central Park. A recent effort to revitalize the park is being led by a coalition of local organizations, including Leadership Mahoning Valley, Treez Please, First Unitarian Church, and Wick Neighbors.cite news
first = Angie
last = Schmitt
title = Groups strive to revitalize historic park
work = The Vindicator
page = 1
date = November 8, 2007] The project was spearheaded by local activist Phil Kidd.

References