Finding aid for the John D. Cimperman collection of Cleveland Landmarks Commission records

History of Cleveland Landmarks Commission

The idea of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission was conceived by Cleveland City Councilman John D. Cimperman, who wrote and presented legislation entitled "Proposed Landmark Preservation Ordinance for the City of Cleveland, Ohio" on 5-19-1971. City Council passed the legislation and the Cleveland Landmarks Ordinance was the first of its type in Ohio, in the U.S. New York and Chicago had landmarks commissions which were in their infancy. The first meeting of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission was held December 7, 1971. The first building to be designated a landmark was Cleveland City Hall on Mayor Perk's first day on the job.

The Landmarks Commission continues to be responsible for determining whether buildings, sites or historic districts are eligible for designation as landmarks. The Commission follows established criteria listed in the Landmarks Ordinance and uses the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation to review proposed changes. Through the issuance of Certificates of Appropriateness the Commission reviews building and demolition permits for Designated Cleveland Landmarks and Districts. Local Design Review Committees act as advisory committees to the Landmarks Commission within designated historic districts.

The Commission conducts a continuing survey of historic properties within the City for the purposes of designation as a Cleveland Landmark and/or listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Commission also informs citizens about the architectural and historical heritage of Cleveland. The Commission acts as a Certified Local Government in coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office in cases involving Section 106/Environmental Reviews and National Register of Historic Places designations.

The Landmarks Commission is an eleven-member board of preservation-minded individuals consisting of architects, historians, property owners, attorneys, Cleveland City Council representatives, the Director of City Planning, and the Commissioner of Architecture.

Source: Cimperman, John D. "The Birth of the Landmarks Commission." Facade: A Publication of the Cleveland Restoration Society, 71, pp. 16-18.

Source: Cleveland City Planning Commission website, http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/cpc.html, retrieved December 17, 2009.

Scope and Content

The collection contains Annual Reports of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission (1973-1988), other publications of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, correspondence with John D. Cimperman regarding his work with the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, a copy of the legislation, "Proposed Landmark Preservation Ordinance for the City of Cleveland Ohio," National Register of Historic Places Registration forms, records related to the Ohio Association of Historic Preservation Commissions, and various collected works on historic preservation, urban renewal, and development.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Please refer to our acknowledgement and statement on copyright
http://clevelandmemory.org/copyright/

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open to researchers.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection.

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Preferred Citation

[File Name, Box Number]. John D. Cimperman collection of Cleveland Landmarks Commission records. Cleveland State University.

Detailed Description of The Collection

This collection includes the papers of John Cimperman, related to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, including paperwork, correspondence, annual reports, and historical preservation information . For more details about the collection, please contact Special Collections at Michael Schwartz Library.