Wick Park Historic District

Introduction

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Wick Park Historic District is a historic neighborhood on the north side of Youngstown, Ohio, named after historic Wick Park at the district's center. The district is roughly bounded by Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue, Elm Street, and Broadway, and is a cohesive residential and institutional district displaying a variety of architectural characteristics.

Images

Wick Park entrance postcard by Harry H. Hamm of Erie, Pa

Backstory and Context

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Wick Park was donated to the city in 1889, designed with winding carriage paths and walkways and five entrances. Near the center of the park, a shelter was constructed in 1955, and tennis courts, playgrounds, and picnic facilities were added to the park over time.

The streets surrounding the park have a spacious width of 100 feet, compared to the typical 50 to 70 feet in surrounding neighborhoods (1).

The Wick Park Historic District is comprised of the 48-acre Wick Park and surrounding residential and religious buildings. The district nomination to the National Register of Historic Places includes one contributing site (Wick Park) and 49 contributing buildings (29 residences, 4 religious structures, 4 apartments, and 12 carriage houses/garages) (1). The four religious structures line Elm Street and include Richard Brown Memorial Chapel, First Unitarian Church, Congregation Rodef Sholom, and Anshe Emeth Congregation, constructed between 1905-1925. The majority of buildings in the district are single-family residences, built between 1896-1915, most remaining private residences while some have been converted to apartments or commercial buildings. A variety of nineteenth and twentieth century architectural styles are represented in the district, including Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Georgian Colonial Revival, Neo-Classical Revival, Craftsman, and English Tudor Revival (1). The earliest residence of the Wick Park district, built in 1896, is located at 263 Park Avenue. The framed building is a classic example of high style Queen Anne architecture with its octagonal corner tower, wrap-around porch, two-story bay with a balcony, and Palladian windows on both floors.

Eight buildings surrounding the historic district are non-contributing structures due to alterations and contemporary construction. While not located within the district's boundaries, Stambaugh Auditorium on Fifth and Park Avenues provides a significant park vista, listed to the National Register in 1984.

Sources

National Register Nomination.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikimedia Commons