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Ashland�s downtown makes history Jim Craven photo Ashland�s unique Plaza is included in the district that recently was named to the National Register of Historic Places. The Railroad District was named in 1999; town officials hope to add two more districts in the coming years. Registry listing means prestige, financial benefits for owners By SARA MURPHY ASHLAND � The city�s picturesque and well-preserved downtown has made a place for itself this month on the National Register of Historic Places. Listed officially on May 5, the downtown district includes the Carnegie Library, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival campus and the plaza known for its Lithia water fountain. Ashland officials, who say the city has long been known for its quaint character, are excited about the financial benefits available to business owners who fix up buildings listed on the register. "There�s a far-reaching multitude of benefits available to us, let alone the little sign on the freeway," says Mark Knox, associate planner and project manager of the push to place four Ashland districts on the National Register. The city�s Railroad District, which runs from the railroad to Lithia Way and from Oak Street to Eighth, was placed on the national list in 1999. The city hopes to have two more districts, Skidmore Academy and Siskiyou-Hargadine, listed in 2001 and 2002. "Those three areas, together with downtown, that was Ashland through World War II," says George Kramer, the city�s historic preservation consultant. "Each of them have a very specific set of forces that created them and that reflect how they�ve developed." The downtown district is roughly defined by Lithia Way, Gresham, Hargadine and Church streets. It comprises 100 buildings, including 11 already on the National Register that date as far as 1879. Knox says placement on the register paves the way for owners interested in renovating their properties to apply for state and federal tax incentives. "(Being listed on the National Register) makes great business sense," Knox says. "Ashland is known for its unique buildings, its unique houses. This is a way to protect those resources and a way to give property owners � the people who are footing the bill � an opportunity to help pay for improvements." While the benefits aren�t automatic, property owners in the district are eligible to receive a 15-year freeze on their properties� taxable value and federal tax credits on qualifying commercial buildings. To qualify, Knox says, property owners must make substantial renovations, such as handicap access, seismic retrofits and structural repairs. "We�re looking for the buildings to last another 100 years," Knox says. Ashland�s downtown and railroad district are two of 66 nationally recognized districts in Oregon, including the downtowns of Jacksonville, Medford and Grants Pass. Medford also has two historic residential districts on the register. Kramer, who wrote the nominations for the districts� status, says he was particularly intrigued by the plaza�s history. "Ashland�s plaza is an unusual urban design feature," Kramer says. "There�s no other downtown in Southern Oregon that has a plaza like that." Kramer says he had for years been curious about the origin of the plaza, which dates to the city�s earliest days. In 1854, Abel Helman built a flour mill along Ashland Creek near the entrance to what is now Lithia Park. The wagon road (East Main Street) made a loop by Helman�s mill because "it�s really hard to back up a wagon," Kramer says. "Over time, the path became fairly defined and people built their buildings facing that path," Kramer says. Eventually the path was paved and the plaza was born. East Main wasn�t straightened until after World War II. "Prior to 1947, if you were driving through Ashland, you had to loop around the plaza just like Abel Helman�s wagons," Kramer says. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA