The Fountain City Council approved Resolution 25-037 on Aug. 26 designating the 1905 Woodman Hall as a local historic site — the city’s first property to receive local historic designation under the new city process.

City staff described the building’s history, its Italianate architectural features and a record of commercial and civic uses dating to about 1905. The Fountain Urban Renewal Authority (FURA) applied for the designation, citing the property’s social and cultural heritage as a multi-use civic and commercial site over many decades; the authority said local designation would allow the property to qualify for competitive state historic-fund grants in 2025.

The planning commission reviewed FURA’s application on Aug. 6 and recommended approval by a 5–1 vote. At council the application drew questions from attendees about the effect of local designation on ownership and use; staff clarified designation does not prevent sale of the building and that local designation provides local control over permitted changes and can be used to support grant applications.

Council member Herzberg moved to approve the resolution; Council member Hinton seconded. The resolution carried 6–0 with one recusal. Council noted the building’s long history, including uses as a post office, theater and, at one time, a roller rink, and said local designation will support downtown revitalization efforts.

No new regulatory restrictions beyond local designation were imposed at this meeting; future uses and any preservation conditions would be matters for the owner and council to define if and when specific change requests or grants are pursued.