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Middleton commission reviews landmark plaque inventory, plans owner outreach
Summary
The Middleton Landmarks Commission reviewed its plaque inventory, identified missing or inaccessible markers (including Stricker, Tiedemann Pond and Lemke House), and agreed to compile a list and send letters to property owners proposing alternatives such as boulder mounts or fence mounting.
The Middleton Landmarks Commission spent much of its meeting reviewing an inventory of historical plaques and identifying locations where plaques are missing, inaccessible, or mounted in ways that prevent public viewing. Speaker 4, Unidentified Speaker, said she "have most of the pictures" but that several plaques remained unlocated or inaccessible, naming Stricker and Tiedemann Pond among those still outstanding.
Commissioners highlighted three recurring problems: older plaques lack the current landmarks web address and logo, some plaques are mounted where the public cannot read them, and wood backing on some mounts is rotted. Speaker 3, Unidentified Speaker, suggested mounting plaques to a fence or to a boulder so pedestrians can read them without trespassing: "perhaps mounting it right to the fence." Speaker 4 noted that AlphaGraphics, the vendor that handled recent plaque remounting, often declined to remove old plaques because removal risked damaging the structure or stone.
Members discussed individual properties. The Lemke House plaque appears not to exist on-site and may be set in a stone on Gammon or in a parkway; the Wolf House owner has expressed concern about foot traffic; the Little White Church backing is rotted and may need a freestanding stone; and the Pheasant Branch School plaque is new but mounted on decayed wood. Speaker 4 said some plaques may be inside buildings (Villa Dolce) or incorporated into larger signs, requiring direct contact with property managers.
Next steps are procedural and focused on outreach. Speaker 4 said she will compile a prioritized list — noting which plaques need letters, which need remounting, and which might require relocation — and circulate it to the commission. The group agreed to coordinate with the historical society and the city’s tourism office (which has offered to help with mapping or a Google map) and to send letters to affected property owners before taking physical action.
The commission did not vote on changes to specific plaques at this meeting; members agreed to review the compiled inventory and homeowner responses at the next meeting.
