Springfield, OH Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Springfield Codified Ordinances § 1321.07 lets the Landmarks Commission designate any area, place, building, structure, or work of art in the City as a listed property or Historic District if it meets one or more of eleven criteria: its heritage or cultural value, its role as the site of a significant historic event, its identification with an important person, its architectural style or type, its identification with a notable architect, its architectural innovation, its relationship to other distinctive preservation areas, its unique or familiar visual character, its likelihood of yielding historic information, or its eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places.

If the owner consents in writing, the Landmarks Commission lists the property on favorable recommendation to City Commission, which must approve at a regular or special session. If the owner refuses consent, the Commission must schedule a public hearing with at least two weeks' published notice, then transmit findings to the Clerk of City Commission within 15 days of the hearing. City Commission must act on the designation within 45 days of receiving those findings; if it fails to act, the designation is automatically considered approved.

The code maintains a Local Register of Historic Districts and Structures at § 1321.07(d), naming the South Fountain Preservation Area, the East High Street District, and individually listed landmarks including the Bushnell Building and Old City Hall.