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HRAB 11-15-94 Meeting AgendaCOUNTY of FREDERICK Department of Planning and Development 703/665-5651 Fax 703/678-0682 MEMORANDUM TO: Historic Resources Advisory Board Members FROM: Eric Lawrence, Planner V SUBJECT: Historical Plaque Program DATE: November 9, 1994 There will be a meeting of the Historic Resources Advisory Board at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, 1994, in the Conference Room of the Old Frederick County Courthouse, 9 Court Square, Winchester, Virginia. Numerous items concerning the Historical plaque Program will be discussed. They include: 1Fina'.ize the choice of plaque design. 2. Determine which sites should participate in the initial plaque presentation. 3. Determine how many plaques should be pre -ordered. 4. Where should the inaugural presentation occur. Who should be involved. 5. Finalize historical plaque application. Each item is discussed in more detail on the following pages. 1. Finalize the choice of plaque design. The historical plaque design which was discussed at the June 21, 1994, meeting of this Board appears to have met everyone's approval. A minor problem with the visibility/readability of the date on the Old Court House will be corrected when production of the plaques begins. The issue concerning the plaque's registration numbers continue to be debated. The options are: a. Consecutive numbering, beginning at 1. b. Consecutive numbering that involves the year the plaque was issued. Example: 01-94, 02-94, or 94-01, 94-02. C. Numbers which relate to the index number from the Rural Landmark Survey Report for Frederick County. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. Option "a" allows for ordering many plaques prior to their distribution, but the number forged on the plaque has no direct meaning. Option "b" is similar to "a", but the number of plaques ordered must be distributed during the year on said plaque to maintain the integrity of the program and registration numbers. Option "c" establishes an easily referenced plaque, but the plaque must be personalized for each property. The cost of each option is a constant; one price covers all the options. The plaque company which we are presently working with, Equestrian Forge, maintains that each plaque option is feasible. An allowance of 2-3 weeks for plaque production is recommended. 2. Determine which sites should participate in the initial plaque presentation. Presently, there are nine properties located in Frederick County which are on the State and National Registries. These properties would be excellent candidates to participate in the plaque program, and should be considered for the inaugural presentation. Because the plaque program is voluntary, it would be important for the County to initiate contact with these sites, and encourage their participation. These nine sites are (in no particular order): Sunrise, Belle Grove, Hopewell Friends Meeting House, Monte Vista, Springdale House, Springdale Mill Complex, Willa Cather's Birthplace, Willow Shade, and St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The owners of the Branson House have recently expressed a strong interest in the plaque program. With the approval of their historical plaque application, they could participate in the inaugural plaque presentation. 3. Determine how many plaques should be pre -ordered? The inaugural plaque presentation could possibly involve 10 sites, assuming that the sites listed on the State and National Register wish to participate in the program. This would require an initial order of 10 plaques. It has been recommended that we always have plaques available for distribution to qualified sites. In the event that a qualified site has an interest in the plaque program, we could issue it to them shortly after reviewing their historic plaque application. There may be instances that a site does not wish to wait 2-3 weeks for the plaque to be produced. If additional plaques are maintained by this office, we could promptly issue the plaques following application review. 4. Where should the inaugural presentation occur? Who should be involved? The location of the inaugural presentation is very important for the success of the plaque program. An excellent opportunity to launch the program is at a Wednesday evening County Board of Supervisors meeting. This would enable many officials of the County government to participate in the presentation. This location would also be endowed with numerous representatives from the local Press. The Press and the exposure associated with it can be essential for the program's success. 5. Finalize historical plaque application. The plaque application has been reviewed by this Board at a previous meeting. Minor changes have been endured and we would like to get your approval on this final application format.