COA APPLICATION #2020-0302: NORTHERN INDIANA HISTORIC SOCIETY INC. V. SOUTH BEND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

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COA 2013-0519 approved "Install a climber and merry-go-round at Leeper Park playground (Replaces old pieces which were removed.)" The Mall/Formal Garden, an elongated adaptation of the Kessler design survived well into the 1960s. The Garden and pedestrian walks became grown over. 1980s. Tennis courts moved from Central to Eastern section, 1916- 1905 Bugbee Fountain removed, unknown date. 1907-08 East Lagoon (Lily Pond) became stagnant and was removed along with the rustic wooden bridge, unknown date. 1907-08 West Lagoon (Duck Pond) was extensively remodeled including a change in configuration from a naturalized shape to a near oval, 1980s and 1990s. The covered shelter and chain link fence are not original. Only remnants of a path system were recorded by WPA, 1938. 1910 Reynold's horse watering trough, relocated from downtown South Bend, 1937. Fill added and installation of double flight of concrete steps along west bank of West Lagoon, 1916. Carriage drives redesigned, unknown date. Leeper Park West COA 2015-0302A approved "Create a Garden in four sections totaling about 3000 sf including all plants; include an 8 foot wide ADA standard concrete sidewalk-initially 500 feet long; one monument circle and 2 flanking garden observation/education pads to be added per diagram submitted. Install 8 +/- historic lights of the style of Leeper Park East to be installed along the 8 foot wide walk: I on each side of the 3 bump outs along the walk, I close to Lafayette and I close to the northwest comer end of the current phase of the walkway. 8 +/- durable quality public benches; 4+/- umbrella tables near tennis court; opportunities for public art along the garden walk. Subject to approval by the Parks Board. All the garden plant and vegetable plant options to be agreed upon by Parks Department/Board, Madison School and HPC Staff to conform to the Standards and Guidelines adopted for Leeper Park. Abstain from planting fruit trees at this time." COA 2008-0306 approved installation of an "Odor Garden" with blower piping and underground odor control bed to treat sewer gas. Surface odor control bed planted as flower garden. Area will be restored to grass if and when the system is taken out of service. COA 2007-0605B approved "Renovation of Tennis Courts, Pavement and Fence replacement, expansion of Court pavement approximately 20' to South; removal of 17 trees in the South per Brent Thompson and replace with 12 Cypress per Brent Thompson. Plant to the north of the fence 5 deciduous trees." A parking lot south of the Tennis Center was added during the Madison School renovation along with lighting without COA, 1998. The 1936 WPA shelter house was replaced with the present recreation building, 1970. Fill added for installation of Riverside Drive, 1910 and 1938. APPLICATION ITEMS: "Cabin to be relocated m the museum's nest carpus as part of a larger interpretive site. See attached plan for derails. " DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The Northern Indiana Historical Society (NIHS, also known as The Histmy Museums) has applied to remove the Navarre Cabin from Leeper Park East and move it to the museum's campus. a. The Cabin will be removed from the current location by Lykowski Construction: i. The Cabin will be lifted up and transported off-site, ii. The piers will be disassembled for reuse at the new location. It. The site will be graded and reseeded, including: i. The removal/ filling in of the pier foundations, ii. The removal /filling in of the interpretive bum pits, iii. The removal /grading of the small sections of stonewall, iv. The removal/ fitting in of the disused pioneer herb garden, The cabin colloquially known as the "Pierre Navarre Cabin" originally stood on the north side of the river somewhere west of what is now Michigan Street Bridge; it was moved to Leeper Park in 1904, only to be moved/repositioned within the park in 1916. The cabin was again moved and refurbished in 1954. The Common Council of South Bend passed a resolution in 1988 establishing the cabin as an honorary landmark as part of the Hoosier Celebration '88 activities; a few years later in 1996 the Common Council passed an ordinance formally adopting the entirety of Leeper Park as a Local Landmark. Leeper Park was added to the Indiana State Register of Historic Places in April of 1999 and the National Register of Historic Places in June of 2000, where the Navarre Cabin is indicated as Building' 84' in the nomination form. The structure was rated Outstanding in the most recent City of South Bend Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. In 2005, The History Museum partnered with the Historic Preservation Commission and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (now Indiana Landmarks) to pursue funding assistance from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to facilitate the structure's rehabilitation. The National Parks Service furnished $41,000 through the 'Historic Preservation Fund', with the remainder of monies being raised by The History Museum through fundraising. The cabin was eligible for this Federal funding