HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPCC-CityCouncilPresentationThis commission is appointed
by the mayor and is comprised
of professionals working in
fields relevant to historic
preservation such as real estate,
design, art, history & archives,
and construction.
Cheryl Empey, Chair
Lisa Jones, Vice Chair
Jamie Patten, Secretary
Kricket Mounts,
Communications
David Jones, Treasurer
The purpose of the HPCC is to
promote the educational, cultural,
economic and general welfare of
the public of the City of Rexburg
through identification, evaluation,
designation, and protection of
those buildings, sites, districts,
areas, structures, and objects that
reflect significant elements of the
City’s, the State’s, and the
Nation’s historic, architectural,
archeological and cultural
heritage.
From the City Website:In support of the Flood 50
Commemoration this icon was
created by a commission member
Kricket Mounts to identify
buildings that survived the 1976
flood.
The purpose of the HPCC is to
promote the educational, cultural,
economic and general welfare of
the public of the City of Rexburg
through identification, evaluation,
designation, and protection of
those buildings, sites, districts,
areas, structures, and objects that
reflect significant elements of the
City’s, the State’s, and the Nation’s
historic, architectural, archeological
and cultural heritage.
Concerning the Old Seminary Building….
In fulfillment of our duties as a commission, we strongly
recommend the preservation or the Historic Seminary Building and
suggest it be restored to once again become an important
community landmark.
The land the seminary
building sits on was first
owned by Sarah Holman in
1885. Sarah was the mother of
12, the last surviving member
of the Martin Handcart
Company, and sister-in-law to
Thomas E. Ricks who owned
the adjacent lot. The school
district purchased the land in
1903. There aren’t any records
that tell us what type of
structure was on the site, only
that there was demolition of
an existing structure prior to
the start of construction on
the current building in 1937.
A brief history…
4
●1885–1903: Pioneer settlement
and development
●1903: Lot 3 acquired by
School District
●1937: Seminary building
constructed
●1938: Seminary opens
●1950s–1990s: School &
seminary hub
●2010s: Preservation efforts
Land Use Timeline of
Block 32, Lot 3
1937 Seminary Timeline:
●May 1937: Construction contract approved -
Contractor was Charles Zollinger
●Aug 1937: Commissioner Franklin L. West
inspects
●Dec 1937: Construction completed
●Jan 1938: Open house and opening events
The Completed Seminary Building in early 1938
Photos taken in 1960
Historical Significance:
Section 9
●Represents Rexburg’s Educational
Heritage
●Survived the Teton Flood
●Served as an important community
gathering place for decades and we
believe it can be revived to be a
prominent community landmark
again
●60% of the cost of construction was
covered by the church and the other
40% was covered by donations labor
and money by the ward members in
the Rexburg Stake
●Example of early 2oth Century
Architecture unusual to this area
Architectural Significance:
• Popular in the early 1900s
and rare in eastern Idaho
• Inspired by historic Spanish
and Mediterranean designs
• Known for stucco walls, red
tile roofs, and arched details
• Represents craftsmanship
and artistic character not
common in modern buildings
• Preserving this style protects
architectural diversity and
community identity
Spanish Revival Style
Examples of preserved
Spanish
Colonial buildings in other
cities in Idaho as featured on
the Idaho State Historic
Preservation Office
Facebook page.
It matters
Section
Seminary Preservation
Happening in Other Cities
12
Springville, UT
Provo, UT
Community Value Residents previously organized to
oppose demolition and at the recent Founder’s Day event, we heard
from many people expressing the hope that the seminary building
(and others) would be preserved.
This Photo of the DUP was published in the Post Register July 2, 2014 along with an
article recognizing their efforts to save the building from demolition
Recommendations:
•Make the purchase of that parcel optional by separating it from the larger parcel.
•When considering development proposals, choose proposals that include
preservation of the building.
• Use funds already earmarked for demolition to incentivize a new buyer interested in
preservation.
Opportunities of Preservation
•We have so few historic buildings left in Rexburg and preservation of
the Historic Seminary Building honors the desire of residents to
preserve what remains of our history and honor the hard work and
dedication of our founders.
•Rather than viewing the ownership as a liability, we view it as an
opportunity to direct the future of the building and within a larger
scope the identity and future development of the historical downtown
corridor.
•As the current stewards of this historic building we recommend you
take this opportunity to advocate for preservation as an avenue for
development.
More than just a parcel of land, it’s a cultural
commodity that has the potential to build goodwill
and trust with voters and donors who are eager to
see preservation happen in our community.
Economic Benefits of Preservation
●Heritage tourism boosts local
businesses
●Renovation creates local jobs
●Property values often increase
●Revitalizes downtown areas
●Reuse saves materials and energy
●Destination site for travelers to the
Parks & Vacation Lands