Clark County HPC approves Kaufman House nomination, conditioned on photos and evidence

The Clark County Historic Preservation Commission voted to add the William Frederick Kaufman House, a circa-1912 residence in the Orchards area, to the Clark County Heritage Register on Dec. 3, 2025, conditioning approval on additional exterior photographs and confirmation of a labeled interior feature.

County staff summarized the nomination and recommended approval, saying the application met the county’s eligibility thresholds — more than 50 years old and historically significant — and met multiple categories of significance. "Based on the information available ... these criteria appear to be met," county staff said in their presentation, recommending the commission approve the nomination.

Brad Richardson of the Clark County Historical Museum, who presented research supporting the nomination, said the house helps fill gaps in local architectural history and is tied to Kaufman’s work downtown. "The William Friedrich Kaufman House ... merits to be on the register because of its deep story and connection to obviously our local history and then Kaufman himself," Richardson said, describing links between the property and other local commissions and buildings attributed to Kaufman.

Several commissioners supported the nomination’s historical case but pressed for stronger architectural documentation. One commissioner said, "I am just really struggling with the lack of the architectural description," urging more photos and detail to aid future reviews of certificates of appropriateness. Museum staff acknowledged limits of time and resources but agreed to provide more robust exterior photos (one camera view of each elevation and close-ups of distinctive features) and to note the newly reported interior item that bears Kaufman’s name.

Staff also explained how registry status interacts with permitting: if a property is on the county register, "it has a flag in our permitting system" and certain building-permit triggers (additions, significant footprint or roof-line changes) would route through planning review.

Chair Elaine Thatcher moved to approve the nomination "conditional upon reception of additional photos of the historic architectural features preserved in the exterior of the house" and adding a note about the reported interior labeled feature pending confirmation of its existence. The commission approved the motion by roll call: Jan Bader — approved; Morgan Frazier — approved; Andy Gregg — approved; Rob Thomas — approved; Elaine Thatcher — approved. Two members were absent (Madison Gabig and John Zingali).

The commission’s conditional approval requires the museum or applicant to deliver the additional exterior photographs and to confirm whether the interior item exists so staff can add that notation to the nomination packet. Staff said they will record the motion in a memo and update the nomination materials accordingly. The nomination will be entered into county records and will be recognized by the county’s permit-flagging system once the administrative steps are completed.