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State preservation officials describe proposed East Main Street National Register nomination
Summary
Ohio’s Historic Preservation Office presented the East Main Street nomination as mitigation for demolition of a historic funeral home and outlined next steps: owner notifications in July 2026, a public meeting March 10 (virtual), review by the state advisory board in mid-September and National Park Service consideration after that review.
Ohio Historic Preservation Office staff outlined the background and timeline for a proposed East Main Street Historic District during a Feb. 24 presentation to Bexley City Council.
Mary Rode, inventory and registration department manager at the Ohio Historic Preservation Office (part of the Ohio History Connection), said the district nomination was developed as mitigation tied to the demolition of the O.R. Woodyard Company funeral and cremation services facility under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Rode said staff counted roughly 68 buildings within the proposed boundary, with 11 described as "noncontributing" to the district’s historic character.
Rode described the National Register of Historic Places as the nation’s official list of properties judged worthy of preservation and emphasized that listing is primarily honorary: National Register status does not bar a private owner from altering or demolishing property, but it does trigger Section 106 review when federal funds, permits or licenses are involved. She also noted that listing can open access to historic rehabilitation tax credits for income-producing properties.
Key dates and process steps Rode gave to council: staff expects to receive the first draft nomination in mid-April 2026; owner notifications will be mailed within 60 days of that (targeted for July 2026); there will be a public meeting in August 2026 (in addition to the March 10 virtual meeting signaled on the project web page); the Ohio Historic Preservation Advisory Board will review the nomination in mid-September, and if it finds the district eligible the nomination will be forwarded to the National Park Service for a roughly 45-day review and public-comment period.
Council members asked procedural questions about whether council will be asked to vote on any part of the nomination (staff said this is an informational process and that property owners will be notified directly), and whether a school on Main Street would be treated differently; Rode explained public entities may comment but that the objection process differs for publicly owned properties.
Rode encouraged residents and property owners to attend the March 10 virtual session and said more materials would be posted to the state’s and city’s websites. Council thanked the presenter and said staff would post meeting links and documents for the public.
