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Monmouth Historic Commission secures $7,700 grant, advances Ross Theater restoration and neighborhood research
Summary
The Historic Commission told Monmouth City Council it received a $7,700 certified local government grant to fund preservation projects, including consultant-led research in the West–Southwest neighborhood and support for the Ross Theater restoration.
The Monmouth Historic Commission reported to the council that all seven commission seats are filled and the group won a certified local government grant of $7,700 to support local preservation work.
"We were awarded a new certified local government grant in the amount of $7,700," Suzanne Jeffner, Community Economic Development Director, told the council, saying the two‑year funds will be stretched across priority projects, including hiring a historic consultant for research in the West–Southwest neighborhood around Cherry Lane Park.
Vice Chair Ron Woodruff described ongoing work at the Ross Theater restoration. "Those cast iron columns were part of the original design…so we're exposing that and the transom windows high above were always there," Woodruff said, describing efforts to uncover and restore existing architectural features rather than remanufacture them.
Commissioner Amy Lemko outlined outreach and program activity, including the "Listen to a Legacy" project that paired youth journalists with senior residents to capture oral histories. She said some youth-produced nonfiction pieces will be submitted to the program's contest and that the commission is producing a commemorative book of new stories, distributed to the Monmouth and WOU libraries and to the senior center.
Jeffner said the commission also issued one historic‑alteration permit recently for the Monmouth Cultural Center (the Ross Theater project) and that the State Historic Preservation Office reviewed the commission with no deficiencies, while suggesting minor ordinance clarifications that could prompt future code changes.
Next steps include consultant-led historic‑context research, continued support for the Ross Theater restoration review, and broader event and booklet distribution to make local history accessible to residents.
The commission asked the council for continued support as the research and restoration work progress; no formal council action was required at the meeting.
