The process begins with a preliminary questionnaire, which gives a general overview of the nominated area and requires the submitter to provide detailed information about the proposed district. This information generally covers four different criteria, which describe an area’s significance in terms of:
a) Historic significance in terms of key national or local historic events
b) Association with important people of national or local importance
c) Definitive characteristics, representing the work of a master, or distinctive features that make it representative of a type, period or method of design/construction
d) Association or potential for archaeological discovery
While many historic districts have been deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places using just one of these criteria, Goodyear Heights can claim to have significance using three of these criteria; a, b, and c. That provides a distinct advantage in pursuing our application.
Our preliminary paperwork also included a number of photographs, including houses, streetscapes, parks and other images which will provide our SHPO evaluation team with an image of the neighborhood’s current condition. Also important were maps of the proposed district and historic maps of the original phases of the allotment.
It’s a long evaluation process; once the materials are reviewed, a site visit to Goodyear Heights will be made by the SHPO to further research the neighborhood and, providing the submission is approved, they will provide recommendations and guidance for preparing the final application for the National Register of Historic Places. This will be submitted to the National Parks Service.
So – our work has just begun! If you have questions, or would like to offer help if it is needed, we would certainly like to hear from you. In the meantime, be sure to sign our online petition, which will help us as we pursue obtaining assistance from the city of Akron on this project.
The annual event takes place in neighborhoods all over Akron, but the biggest party of all happens right here in Goodyear Heights, in front of the Linda Theater. Local businesses, community groups, entertainers and residents all shared in the fun, with hundreds of people congregating on Goodyear Boulevard. Much of the credit for the even goes to R.I.G.H.T. president Sharon Connor, who helps organize the event and bring it all together.
To read more about it, check out this article in The Akronist.
There was a meeting on July 11, but you can still participate in a community garden survey initiated by Summit Metro Parks. This survey is intended for any resident of the Goodyear Heights, Ellet and City of Akron interested in gardening, socializing, volunteering or coordinating garden-related activities.
A community garden provides a source of inexpensive, high quality food, an opportunity for activities and socializing, and a source of community pride! Please take 5 minutes to help Summit Metro Parks look at your community’s needs and desires. Your responses are welcomed and protected. Please share this link: http://bit.ly/SMPgardensurvey with other neighbors of the Goodyear Heights Lodge which is located at 2077 Newton Street, Akron 44305.
You might be surprised to know that community gardens are not a new thing in Goodyear Heights; during the First World War, many residents worked together to grow vegetables on the allotment's vacant lots. During WWII, a portion of the metropolitan park was also used to grow vegetables in support of the war effort!
Thank you in advance for your assistance in gathering community information regarding community gardens.
Over the past few years, Goodyear Heights has had one of the best turnouts in the city, with hundreds of neighbors coming together to celebrate in a big street party on Goodyear Boulevard, in front of the Linda Theater. Residents are encouraged to come by for games, music, refreshments, community information and a number of other activities designed for all ages.
The following article is from a 1916 Edition of the company newspaper, The Wingfoot Clan. It provides a lot of interesting details on the progress, and news of a naming contest:
“Sixteen streets of the new allotment, Goodyear Heights No. 2, are as yet un-named. A part of them are continuations of streets and roads already existing and a few have been christened with appropriate names, but sixteen remain to be named. This must be done at once so they can be recorded, and to do this the Goodyear Heights Realty Company is offering a prize of $5.00 in cash to the Goodyearite or member of a Goodyear family who submits the best list of sixteen names before Saturday noon, July 22nd. A blank appears at the bottom of this page which should be filled out and sent in to Mr. Apel. A map of the new sub-division appears on the insert to give you an idea of the lay of the land.
The work on this allotment has progressed more rapidly than the average man appreciates, and is being pushed faster because Goodyear Heights is practically sold out, but a few lots are left. Though it is yet virgin farm land, it has been carefully surveyed and plotted, and the contracts for all grading have been let. The plans for the sewer and water systems are now being made and the contracts call for the completion of all this work by January 1st, 1917. Paving of the streets will then be started early next spring.
The work of designing the sub-division is being done by the same artists who designed Goodyear Heights, and the layout preserves all the natural beauties, the woods, hills and orchards and the little creek valley, converting some of them into parks, others into beautiful residence sections. Prizes will be offered later on for the naming of these places. Goodyear Heights No. 2 is destined to become in a few years one of Akron’s show spots, a residence section ideal for the working man of moderate income.”
RESERVOIR PARK SUMMER CAMP
June 19 – July 28 / 9am – 2pm
Designed for children ages 5-10 years old, 25 spaces are available. Last day for registration is June 15. Organized by City of Akron – Summer Fun Camp fee is $100.00.
Call the Community Center at the park – 330-375-2802.
SAFETY TOWN
Coming to Seiberling CLC / July 10-14
Sign up ends June 30. Open to children living in City of Akron who will be entering Kindergarten or 1st Grade in Fall of 2017. Safety Town is a FREE, hands-on safety program designed to teach children about bicycle, bus, fire, playground, gun, dog, poison, stranger-danger, crossing the street, calling 9-1-1 and other safety-related issues. Runs for 1 week – 9am – 12 noon. Each cild receives a Safety Town T-Shirt and bike helmet.
Register at www.akroncops.org or www.akronfiredept.org
While push-reel mowers were not new at the time, not everyone had one—and they were only of practical use if one had a yard planted with well-tended grass. For more troublesome spots, the vacant lot next door, or other areas where a mower could not be used, something more substantial was called for. In this case, it was the Community Scythe.
Today, just about every household owns their own personal weedeater—but this old time solution seems pretty reasonable and entirely neighborly. Pretty cost-effective, too.
(The accompanying article is from the Wingfoot Clan)
On the inside, the home still features most of its original woodwork, though it has been painted to fit contemporary tastes. A small foyer and a rustic craftsman-style brick fireplace lend an air of charm and dignity. The kitchen and baths have all been updated. At 1310 square feet and only $55,000 – this historic home represents a great value, and being in near-original exterior condition, adds significantly to the historic character of the neighborhood.
Notes: 1744 Hampton Rd. Akron, OH 44305 / 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, and a two car garage, also offers a large deck patio in the backyard. Appliances included: Dishwasher, Dryer, Microwave, Range / Oven, Refrigerator, Washer. Detached garage has electricity.
For More information - go HERE.
So, when it came to getting those workers back-and-forth to the job, the company quickly realized that establishing a Goodyear Heights bus line was the sensible way to go. Of course, you couldn’t expect a company like Goodyear to use just any bus to serve the route, at least not for long. Soon enough, they came up with a novel way not only to move people, but also to demonstrate their technological prowess and demonstrate the performance and longevity of their most advanced pneumatic truck tires.
The company had demonstrated the tires’ heavy payload capabilities through cross-country demonstrations, and they were looking for new ways to show off the product via the heavy demands of day-in, day-out 365-days-a-year transit usage. To do this, they created a Frankenstein of a vehicle that passengers would surely never forget.
"His conviction that the ultimate motor vehicle would be multiple-wheeled, taking the same evolution as the freight car, led to P.W. Litchfield’s working out plans for the first six-wheeled vehicles ever put into practical use in America several years ago.”Since the six-wheel version was deemed a success, Goodyear decided to go one better in 1922, by building an eight-wheel version, with full four-wheel steering at the front. At the time, it was considered a marvel of modern engineering, though we are not so sure about how the vehicle’s looks were received by the people of Akron. Perhaps the best gauge of that is the fact that there were no successors to the eight-wheeled leviathan, and that later service routes were handled by more conventional forms of bus transport.
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| A line up of Goodyear delivery trucks joins the 6-wheel version of the bus on Seiberling Field. |
We understand that residents have questions, too—and we want to be open about the process, what it means for home and business owners, and how this project can have a positive impact on Goodyear Heights over the long term. We also want to hear about your overall vision for the neighborhood; we want to know how you see it today and what you would like to see in the future. We’ll explain the benefits that historic designation and a National Register listing can offer, and explain how the process works.
The benefits include:
Recognition of neighborhood’s historic significance at city, state and federal government levels
A prestigious and honorific designation that will promote housing investment, stabilize and preserve property values
No restrictions or requirements for residents in terms of home repairs, maintenance or improvement
Improves neighborhood’s ability to attract investment and funding from public and private resources, including grants for improvement projects
IN ORDER TO BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT, WE ARE HAVING A SERIES OF NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS TO EXPLAIN THE PROJECT, THE PROCESS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP.
TUESDAY, APRIL 25 – 6PM at Reservoir Park Community Room
SATURDAY MAY 6 – 10AM at Goodyear Heights Presbyterian Church
MONDAY MAY 8 – 10AM at Reservoir Park Community Room
WEDNESDAY MAY 10 – 6PM at Seiberling CLC
Join us to find out more!
Questions? Contact the R.I.G.H.T. Committee – 330-784-6623 or sconnor427@gmail.com
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