People often ask who the Shelby Historic Preservation Commission is and what do we do.

Our Mission Statement –

The Shelby Historic Preservation Commission exists to preserve the city’s distinctive character and heritage through education and guidance of appropriate rehabilitation and restoration of existing historic properties and through assistance in designating and registering potential historic properties.

We are a city commission, appointed by the mayor, confirmed by the city council, and exist because of Amended Ordinance 20-2014 enacting Chapter 1488 (Historic Landmarks and Buildings) of the codified Ordinances of the City of Shelby. In other words, we serve at the pleasure of the mayor and city council and are bound by a city ordinance created by city council.

Five commission members serve five-year terms and have been meeting since 2016. Since that time, we have applied for and received on behalf of the city Certified Local Government status by the State Historic Preservation Office and completed a Historic Preservation Plan.

Currently, we are verifying and creating an inventory for historic properties that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Ohio Historic Inventory. Twenty-eight remaining historic structures make up the Shelby Center Historic District downtown and were included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Most Pure Heart of Mary Church and Marvin Memorial Library are also on the National Register. There are 79 structures included on the Ohio Historic Inventory, including those on the National Register and some family farms outside of Shelby. Many on the OHI are private homes placed on the inventory in the late 1970s. We are in the process of contacting those owners as ownership pay have changed over the years and they may not know they are living in a historic house.

According to the ordinance, we have started a Shelby locally designated historic landmarks program. The program allows us to recognized landmarks that are unique to Shelby, based on our history and architecture.   It also allows us to provide more protection at a local level for our treasured landmarks.

In the coming weeks we will spotlight some of these landmarks in this blog. Subscribe to get the latest information.