Farrington’s  Grove IN THIS ISSUE: * Mission Statement * President's Letter * FGHD Annual Meeting and Election * Historical Society Happenings * FGHD Board News * On the Road to History * FGHD Website is Moving * Crawford Elementary Open House * 2nd Annual FGHD Garden Tour * Crawford School Battle Continues * Thank You to Our Newest Corporate Members * 2002 Board Members * Membership Application * We Thank Our Members

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

The last few months have been among the most exciting I have experienced since moving to Farrington’s Grove four years ago.
Our 2001 Holiday Home Tour was a big success thanks to your efforts and participation.  Approximately 175 people attended and walked through four historic homes in the Grove.  Many thanks to Dan and Kaylynn Sanders for opening their 1894 vintage Queen Anne home and to Tim and Nicole Murphy for opening their circa 1915 American Foursquare.  The Terre Haute Tribune-Star featured this event in a front page story the next day, December 10, with large full color photos of both homes.  We also thank Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana for opening the Talley House, and Vigo County Historical Society for opening the Sage-Robison-Nagel house (Historical Museum).
We are planning some interesting events in the near future.  On May 6, the annual meeting and election will be held at 7:00 p.m. at Crawford School.  On June 16, we plan to hold our 2nd annual Garden Tour.  Watch this newsletter for announcements.
By far the biggest news in the last four months has been the battle over the closing of Crawford School, the only school located within our historical district.  On January 14, 2002, the Vigo County School Board voted 5-2 to close Crawford.  FGHD board members, general members, and concerned residents of the neighborhood fought hard to stop this proposal.  We lost the vote, but if you have followed newspaper and television coverage of schools since January 14, you may have noticed that WE DID NOT QUIT! In fact, the number of citizens attending and speaking in favor of Crawford during public comment INCREASED during each of the February school board meetings.  We still believe this is a battle that can be won.  Please give us your support.
I would like to express my appreciation to Nan McEntire, Brian Isgrigg, and Jennifer Isgrigg, who resigned from the FGHD board in recent months.  Nan helped in a number of roles, including getting FGHD in contact with preservationists in Bloomington who helped us begin planning for a possible Terre Haute historic preservation ordinance.  Brian and Jennifer served as treasurer and secretary until the birth of their son, Thaddeus, in early January.  Thanks to all of them!
Thanks also to Harriet McNeal, a long-time board member who agreed to take on the treasurer’s position, and to Georgia Mell, our newest board member, who joined in February and agreed to serve as secretary. 
Thank you for your support of FGHD as we work to improve and promote our neighborhood.  If you have any ideas to make it even better in 2002, please let me know.
Hope to see you while walking around the Grove.

Thanks for caring,
Mike Misovich

Mark your calendars for the general membership meeting Monday, May 6, at Crawford School Gym. Please attend with your questions and concerns about the neighborhood.  After the general meeting, annual elections for FGHD Board members will be held, followed by a short organizational meeting of the board.  We look forward to your participation and input on ways we can continue to work to make Farrington’s Grove a great place to live.

The Historical Society would like to extend an invitation to all Farrington’s Grove residents to see the newly restored Paul Dresser Birthplace at the entrance to Fairbanks Park.  An Open House will be held Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Extensive work has been done during this past winter to give the Dresser House its original look.  The Vigo County Historical Society was given a grant of $55,000 by the Wabash River Corridor Commission, and administered by the Department of Natural Resources of the State of Indiana.  In order to receive this grant, a portion needed to be raised by the Society.  This was accomplished by generous contributions from our patrons.
There’s still time to see one of the Museum’s prettiest exhibits, “Here Comes the Bride.”  It opened on Friday, February 1st, with a glorious display of bridal fashions awaiting the attention of viewers.  Spanning nearly one hundred and fifty years of wedding fashions, the earliest gown displayed was worn in the 1870s.  All are truly beautiful and varied, an array of satin, lace, tulle, and even the finest knit.  Most of the wedding gowns shown were worn by Terre Haute brides, and some have photographs or newspaper announcements accompanying them.
Along with the gowns are bridesmaid dresses, elegant costumes worn by the mother of the bride and groom, traveling attire, wedding accessories and suggested gifts.  The groom has not been forgotten as several tuxedos are included.
This exhibit is sure to delight, so please make it a point to stop at the Historical Museum, where the exhibit will be on display until mid June.
On March 8th, the Historical Society hosted a party which was a fun evening for all.  To raise funds to restore the canopy from Madame Brown’s establishment, we turned the spotlight on Terre Haute’s bad boys and bad girls at a dinner party at the Rod and Gun Club, a restaurant which had its own place in local history.  Many of our town’s illustrious citizens from the past were represented.  Hope you took advantage of the opportunity to hear their version of Terre Haute as they remembered it. 
For more information on Historical Society activities, please call 235-9717.  The Vigo County Historical Society is open each afternoon, except Monday, from 1:00 to 4:00.

In the past four months, the FGHD Board of Directors has undertaken some major actions and changes.  Many of these were in response to the proposed Crawford Elementary School closing, which was approved by the Vigo County School Board on January 14, 2002, by a 5-2 vote.
At the November 5, 2001 board meeting, a resolution opposing the closing of Crawford School was passed unanimously.  When concerned Crawford parents began to contact us later that week, our organization was ready to take a stand in their support. 
We invited representatives of the parents’ group “Hands Around Crawford” to attend our December and January board meetings.  In January, the board voted unanimously to make a grant to the “Hands Around Crawford” organization to assist them in their effort to fight the school closing.
In January, the board also discussed a revision to our bylaws which would expand the group of people eligible to serve on the Board of Directors.  Although any person who pays membership dues is eligible to join FGHD, the bylaws restricted board membership to only those members who were permanent residents and deeded property owners within the historical district.
It is no secret that there have been a number of unfilled board vacancies in recent years.  On several occasions, the possibility has been discussed of loosening the restriction to allow any resident member or any member interested in preserving Farrington’s Grove to join the board of directors.  Prior to this year, it had always been the decision of the board to maintain the bylaws in their previous form.
At the January meeting, a proposal was made to revise Section 8 of the bylaws to allow a limited number of directors who were not permanent residents and deeded property owners.  Such directors were categorized as stakeholders in Farrington’s Grove Historical District.  In order for a member to be defined as a stakeholder, his or her interest in Farrington’s Grove Historical District must be verified by two board members who do meet the permanent resident and deeded property owner qualification.  Examples of possible stakeholders would be

• Residents of Farrington’s Grove Historical District who are not deeded property owners
• Owners of small businesses in Farrington’s Grove Historical District
• Persons associated with institutions in Farrington’s Grove Historical District such as Crawford School or St. Anthony’s Square
• Persons interested in historical preservation in areas closely related to Farrington’s Grove Historical District, such as downtown Terre Haute.

[Editor’s note: The author resided in the Lakeside neighborhood of Fort Wayne before returning to Terre Haute.]

 The historic Lakeside neighborhood in Fort Wayne Indiana is situated between the St. Joseph River and Lakeside Park.  It is adjacent to downtown on the northeast side and is recognized as Fort Wayne's first suburb. 
Development of the Lakeside community began in 1890 when a streetcar line was brought across the St. Joseph River placing it within 1/2 mile of the original fort, which is within walking distance from the Lakeside neighborhood. Bessie Keeran Roberts, a writer, could be counted among its many noteworthy residents at the time.
Lakeside features many architectural styles. Many of the larger homes on Lake Avenue and Columbia Avenue are clearly Queen Anne, but some of the district's more noteworthy homes built in that period have a distinctive Colonial Revival look. 1025 Columbia Avenue, built in 1901, is a perfect example of the blending of the two styles. The home has the complicated high pitched roof but lacks the intricate detail and varying textures that are indicative of Queen Anne architecture. 
Many of the homes on the smaller cross streets like Loree, are English Tudor style, which was extremely popular in the early 20s in Fort Wayne. It is commonplace to see arched doorways and interesting window groupings, which evokes a distinctive cozy cottage feeling. Lakeside’s eclectic combination of homes even on side streets is very inviting to pedestrians.
Forest Park Elementary School, which serves the Lakeside community, was designed by Fort Wayne architect Guy M. Mahurin (1877-1941). The building is located on Alabama St only a few blocks from Lakeside Park as well as Forest Park Blvd.
Lakeside Park, located at 1401 Lake Ave, is the centerpiece of the neighborhood.  At  23.8 acres, it's a rather sizable park considering its close proximity to the downtown area. In addition to the normal amenities like basketball courts, fishing, and picnicking facilities, the rose gardens are more than impressive. In the warmer months, the park is a very popular place for weddings and family functions.
To get there: Go east on I-70 to exit 73, north on I-465 to exit 37, then north on I-69.  Take exit 102 onto West Jefferson heading into the downtown area.  Turn left onto Clay St, which then turns into St. Joe Blvd., drive a couple of blocks, crossing the bridge over the St. Joseph river and turn right onto Columbia Ave. which takes you right into the heart of the neighborhood and will lead you to Lakeside Park. 
Reference: ARCH, brochure for Walking Candlelight Tour for Lakeside, http://www.ipfw.edu/ipfwhist/ftwayne/lakeside.htm.

The FGHD website is moving from its current location at http://home.earthlink.net/~ammisov/fghd.htm to a new location at www.farringtonsgrove.com
Don’t forget to update your bookmarks or favorites list with the new address.  If you have comments or ideas for the website, please contact Mike Misovich at 478-2314 or George Amies at 238-9190.

An  open house for the community is scheduled from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. , April 28, in Crawford Elementary School, 701 South Fifth St.  The theme “Honor the Past, Embrace the Future” is a time to honor the past of Crawford.  For information, contact the school at 462-4421.

After last year’s inaugural FGHD Garden Tour was successful, the committee began planning for the 2002 event, which promises to be bigger and better than ever.  Six gardens throughout the neighborhood will be featured.  In addition to experiencing the beauty of the gardens, you’ll be able to listen to live music and view sculptures, art work, and crafts, including some which will be available for sale.  Many activities for children are planned — face painting, bubbles, caricatures — so bring your entire family!
FGHD will have a tent at the Downtown Arts Fest on Saturday, April 27 to publicize the Garden Tour, so make sure to visit us at the Arts Fest also.
We are also fortunate to have the assistance of Martha Schrader, Master Gardener, who will be visiting all the garden sites prior to the Garden Tour and identifying plants.  FGHD appreciates her willingness to volunteer her time to improve the quality and enjoyment of our Garden Tour.
Watch the June newsletter for final Garden Tour details!  See you from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 16.

Even before November 8, 2001, when Vigo County School Superintendent Daniel Tanoos met with a group of concerned Crawford parents and informed them that the school district was considering closing the school, FGHD had already taken action.  At our November 5 meeting, the Board of Directors of FGHD had unanimously passed a resolution opposing the closing of Crawford School. 
During November, FGHD leaders began to lay the groundwork to fight the potential closing.  President Mike Misovich talked to concerned parents and began to meet with the Crawford School PTO and leaders of the parents’ group Hands Around Crawford on November 15 and 19.  FGHD also began to garner publicity for our efforts.  The November 28 Terre Haute Tribune-Star included an article, “Groups value school's history,” with a description of the reasons why FGHD and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana wanted to see the school remain open.  We received additional publicity for this cause on November 30, when WTWO-TV aired a story on the school featuring a live interview with Misovich discussing Crawford’s importance to the community.  Then in early December, WTHI-TV reporter Susan Dinkel interviewed him for a live segment broadcast on her “School Zone” report on December 10.
On December 6, Misovich met with VCSC Superintendent Tanoos, Deputy Superintendent Karen Goeller, and Director of Elementary Education Camilla Correll to discuss our reasons for keeping the school open.  Later that evening, Tanoos met with a group of Crawford parents to tell them he would be recommending the school be closed.  Although the recommendation would not be made until the January school board meeting, five Crawford supporters spoke during the public comment at the December 10 meeting.  Among them were Misovich and FGHD board member George Amies.
After the school corporation released its “Crawford School Study” on December 13, FGHD turned our efforts to discrediting the contents of the study.  We also began closely coordinating our efforts with those of the parents’ group Hands Around Crawford. Representatives of Hands Around Crawford were invited to attend FGHD board meetings in both December and January.  At our January 7, 2002 board meeting, FGHD voted to provide a financial grant of $2500 to Hands Around Crawford to support their efforts.  This allowed them to hire attorney Robert Hellmann.
As the school board meeting on January 14 drew closer, this issue received extensive coverage in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star and on both WTWO-TV and WTHI-TV.  Mike Misovich appeared in live interviews on both stations on January 13, and again on WTHI-TV on January 14.  He made the point that other people in the community besides Crawford parents wanted the school to remain open.  Also,  he pointed out that transferring a large number of students to Farrington Grove and Sugar Grove elementaries could detract from the educational environment at those schools, and he called for parents at those schools to speak out against the closing.
On January 14, despite the considerable efforts of Crawford supporters, including six FGHD board members and several other members and residents, the school board voted 5-2 to close the school.  Board members Joe Minnis and Mark May supported us by voting against the school closing. 
Who would believe what we have heard since then?  A group of Crawford parents began organizing to open a charter school to serve our neighborhood.  These efforts continue, although the school, if established, will not be able to open until Fall, 2003.  A second group consisting of George Amies, Amy Amies, and Mike Misovich from FGHD, along with Georgia Mell from Hands Around Crawford, continued working with Hands Around Crawford attorney Bob Hellmann to attempt to reverse the school board vote.
On Wednesday, January 23, an article in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star estimated the cost of building projects at three Vigo County elementary schools — Franklin, Consolidated, and Fayette — to be $35 million.  Using the current enrollment of 754 students at these three schools, the average cost per student works out to $46,500 per student.  This is significantly more expensive than the per student cost cited by the school corporation for renovating Crawford: $5.26 million divided by 154 students, or $34,200 per student. 
At the January 28 school board meeting, Misovich presented these figures as evidence for the cost-effectiveness of keeping Crawford open, and asked the board members to reconsider their vote.  Mell questioned why a committee including community participation was not involved in studying the Crawford closing, and asked for evidence that the closing of Warren Elementary in 2000, the most recent precedent for the Crawford closing, had improved student performance.  Amies presented the board members with an attractively bound document entitled “Vigo County Elementary School Profiles” and proceeded to contrast its factual content with the school corporation’s Crawford School Study, which he characterized as consisting mainly of opinion and innuendo.  These efforts received both newspaper and television coverage.
On February 11, five persons spoke to the school board in support of Crawford.  Misovich continued to question the precedent set by the Warren closing, both the educational outcomes of the students and their transition to their new schools.  He asked that the school board suspend its decision to close Crawford until a study of the former Warren students was done.  Mell questioned why the school corporation was not funding maintenance projects at Crawford, pointing out that the sale of Warren was delayed because of its poor condition due to deferred maintenance.  Amies mentioned that he was in the audience the previous week when the consultants Hyatt Palma gave their presentation on downtown revitalization.  When they began by pointing out the importance of keeping the Farrington’s Grove neighborhood strong, Amies said he felt like yelling,  “They just closed our school!”  Attorney Bob Hellmann followed up on Misovich’s comments on Warren by presenting some statistical data indicating student performance had declined at the three schools affected by transfers related to the Warren closing — Meadows, Lost Creek, and Sugar Grove.  Amy Amies, another FGHD board member, also spoke on behalf of Crawford.
The February 25 school board meeting produced an unparalleled scene as two private citizens (Misovich and Mell) presented the school board and administration with a detailed study of the Warren Elementary student transfers.  Their 47 page report contained 125 references and included a more detailed presentation of test score data than Hellmann had given at the previous meeting, indicating that average student performance at Meadows, Lost Creek, and Sugar Grove schools declined after the Warren closing — at the same time that average student performance at all other Vigo County elementary schools was increasing!
Misovich also pointed out in his statement to the board that the transfer of Crawford students to Farrington Grove and Sugar Grove elementaries conflicted with a Platform Position of the National Association of Elementary School Principals: “NAESP recognizes the research that indicates small schools are more likely to foster a sense of nurturing, belonging, and school community.  NAESP endorses elementary school populations of not more than 400.”  (Farrington Grove’s population will increase from 370 to 459, and Sugar Grove’s  from 397 to 442, according to the school corporation’s Crawford School Study.)
In addition to the five persons who had spoken before the board at the previous meeting, three additional speakers including FGHD board member Anne Lee asked the board to reverse the Crawford decision.
On March 11, Misovich, George Amies, and Amy Amies presented more information relevant to the Crawford situation, including data from the 2000 U.S. Census which contradicted the school corporation’s claim that enrollment at Crawford would continue to decrease.  George Amies also commented on the briefness of the discussion by the board before it approved spending $35 million on the Facilities Proposal for three other elementary schools, and both he and Misovich questioned the contents of a school corporation memo.  The memo included the following statement by Dave Danner, Vigo County School Corporation Director of Facilities, “The violations to guidelines and current code for facilities pose a compromising situation for this corporation to use the Crawford facility in any manner that might involve school children.”  Following their statements, school superintendent Tanoos criticized Amies for what Tanoos termed “an irresponsible comment.”
At the next School Board meeting on April 8,  Misovich and Amies again addressed the board during the citizen comment period.  Misovich asked the board to focus on the substance of the comments made by Amies at the previous meeting — that the board had authorized a $35 million Facilities Proposal equal to $46,500 per student after closing Crawford because it was supposedly not cost effective to spend $34,200 per student there.  Misovich pointed out that he could not see how it was irresponsible for Amies to question why the board did not discuss this apparent inconsistency. 
FGHD members plan to be there on April 22 when the School Board meets again, and continue to support efforts by Crawford parents to reverse this unfortunate decision, either by a School Board vote overturning its previous decision, or by legal action if the School Board does not act.

On page 2 of this newsletter, the article “FGHD Board News” described the amendment of Section 8 of the bylaws.  The amended Section 8 is printed in the next column.  The changes appear in bold print.

“Section 8.  Directors

The Board of Directors shall manage the affairs and properties of the corporation.  The function of the Board shall be to formulate policies and procedures and see to it that these policies and procedures are implemented that the objectives of the Corporation may be achieved to the end and its usefulness for the purposes set forth in the by-laws and Articles of Incorporation.

A director shall be defined as a person who is a deeded property owner and permanent resident of Farrington's Grove Historical District, or as a person who is a stakeholder in Farrington's Grove Historical District.  A stakeholder shall be defined as a person whose interest in Farrington's Grove Historical District is verified, either in person at a meeting of the members or Board of Directors of the Corporation or in writing, by two (2) directors who are deeded property owners and permanent residents of Farrington's Grove Historical District.  A director must be a member of the Farrington's Grove Historical District, Inc. as defined above.  

The number of directors of the corporation is presently fifteen (15), which is the maximum as prescribed by the Articles of Incorporation.  The number of directors may be decreased at any time to a minimum of seven (7) directors.  To effect any decrease or increase in the number of directors, these by-laws may be amended upon compliance with the amendment requirements of these by-laws.

A director shall be elected for a term of two (2) years.  The election of directors shall be staggered so that only one-half of the board shall be elected each year.  At no time shall a director be elected, either as replacement for a director whose term has expired or to fill a vacancy, if such election would result in fewer than four-fifths of the members of the Board of Directors being deeded property owners and permanent residents of Farrington's Grove Historical District.”

FGHD expresses its appreciation to the following individuals and businesses whose support helps make our activities possible.  Thank you for your support of historic preservation and for caring about our neighborhood.

• David & Doretta Bedwell, D&D Computer Services
• Mary & Ned Hannum, Stateline College Arts

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$   100.00	2001 Benefactor Membership — Includes FGHD and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana memberships and four (4) tickets for FGHD’s Holiday Home Tour
$    30.00	2001 Patron Membership — Includes FGHD and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana memberships and two (2) tickets for FGHD’s Holiday Home Tour
$    15.00	2001 Membership — Includes FGHD and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana memberships
$        .	Donation for Neighborhood Rehabilitation
$         .	Total

Thank you to all our members whose financial support supports our mission to guide and promote the preservation and restoration of the Farrington’s Grove Historical District.  

We would like to apologize to those members who sent in their 2002 membership applications but did not have their memberships updated.  During the transition to our new treasurer/membership director, the position was vacant for over two months.  This occurred right at the time when the majority of 2002 memberships were being processed, from December to February.  As a result, we regret that some of the membership applications and checks were misplaced or improperly recorded.  Most of the problems occurred with members who renewed early in December, just after receiving the last newsletter.

If your name does not appear below, we do not have a record of your current membership.  

• If you sent a membership application since October 1, 2001, but your check was never cashed, we ask that you send another application and check by mail, or renew at the general meeting on May 6 at Crawford School.  WE APOLOGIZE FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE.
• If you sent a membership application since October 1, 2001, and your check was cashed, but your name does not appear below, please contact Treasurer Harriet McNeal at 235-9362, so that we can correct your records.
• If you have not renewed or joined since October 1, 2001, your membership is not current.  Please join or renew by mailing the application on page 7 of this newsletter, or at the general meeting at Crawford School on May 6.