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RECOMMENDATION Based on HPC Local Landmark Criteria [7], it is the staff recommendation that the Historic Preservation Commission recommend the Wertz-Bestle farm •at 51387 Portage Road to the County Council of St. Joseph County for designation by ordinance as a Local Historic Landmark. The property meets the criteria in at least four areas: 1. "Its ... value as part of the development, heritage, or culture of ... St. Joseph County ...;" 2. "its embodiment of elements of architectural design, details, materials, or craftsmanship which represents an architectural characteristic ...;" 3. "its educational value," and; 4. "its suitability for preservation." This farmstead fulfills criteria #1 as an significant example of the county's agricultural heritage --the barn especially is an unaltered artifact of nineteenth-century Midwestern material culture representing a way of life no longer extant. Historic barns are no longer put to their original uses and are deteriorating, burning down or being demolished in favor of pole barns or other buildings suitable to modern agriculture. Every effort should be made to protect these structures that played an primary role in the everyday life of American farmers, and that became a widely -recognized symbol on the landscape of rural America. The buildings fulfill criteria #2 as examples of the craftsmanship of the time. Both the materials and types of structural systems employed in their isconstruction --hewn wood beams connected with pegged joints (barn), load-bearing brick walls and rough -cut stone foundation (house) --and the forms of the structures --the Gabled ell house and German -influenced basement barn --are representative examples of historic architecture that are disappearing or being altered beyond recognition. The buildings' educational value (criteria #3) lies in their embodiment of the above; these forms and styles represent the culture and lifeways of past_ residents of the county. They are artifacts with which to study the past; their retention and preservation contribute to a fuller understanding of Midwestern American history and culture. That this farmstead is suitable for preservation (criteria #4) is evidenced by the care and attention that have already been paid to maintaining the structures. It is in the interest of the community as a whole to contribute to the present owner's concern for this historic farmstead and ensure that their hard work is not squandered in the future. F. Holycross March, 1993 014119961 1. . Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory: Survey Manual for • Architectural and Historical Resources (Indianapolis: Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, 1988): G-5. This form has also 3