April 17, 2023 Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - Minutes

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION It contains rich archives and art that shed light on decades of Polish migration and community formation for historians. It is an open-air museum containing over 100 years of Midwestern architectural history, from Renaissance Revival to Mid -Century Modern, on a single site. The story of struggle, written in the bricks of St. Adalbert, etched into its monuments, painted on its walls, is an operatic ode to the intertwined histories of migration and labor in this city. More than the Oliver Mansion, more than the JMS building, the complex of buildings and monuments at St Adalbert best encapsulates the struggle and legacy of industrial South Bend. As much of South Bend's industrial heritage, such as large segments of the Bendix factory and Brewing Association building, continue to crumble, the value of St. Adalbert as a dynamic and wholly intact testament to decades of industrial history is greatly heightened. Over the past two years, I feel extraordinary privilege to have compiled the history of St Adalbert and to have worked closely with such wonderful community members on the church's restoration committee, but I would be remiss to only speak about St. Adalbert's past. South Bend owes a great debt to the Latino community for continuing to preserve St. Adalbert. As St. Adalbert has been a refuge for Polish culture for over a century, so too now it is a living center for our Polish and Latino heritages. As a historian and architecture writer, I can think of no greater monument in South Bend meriting inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Tonight, I ask the Commission to join us in preserving and promoting St Adalbert as a national significant site of architectural, labor, and migration history." Commissioner Andrews: "That's fantastic. Thank you, Gavin... Thank you so much for compiling that and kind of helping us to see the bridge between the Pols and the Latinos who now take such great care of this beautiful parish. Is there anything else that you'd like to add just from your experience the last two years there?" Gavin: "Just that it's been wonderful and to thank Don and Benito and Shelia and Kil and everyone else in this room who has helped me put this together. I first reached out to Adam, at the invitation of the parish, actually. I had known about St. Adalbert, but I became involved directly in this project through the artist's granddaughter, John Mallin, who maintains his archive, and she wrote to me and said, you know what they're doing at St. Adalberts, right? And I had no clue of the scope of this project, which as Don might be able to tell you later, is to put together a 10-million-dollar restoration of the church, stabilize the building and maintain all of the invaluable paintings inside. So, it's been an incredible experience to be able to engage in such meaningful public history, especially around shared histories of Polish and Latino migration and the prejudice that both groups continue to face." Don Popielarz, 2805 Sunnydale, St. Joseph MI: "We are in the beginning stages of a restoration of the church. We have received permission from Bishop Rhoades to proceed. We have, the parish at large is very, very supportive of our endeavors. There was a letter sent by Father Ryan, which I'm sure everyone has seen that. He mentions also that Bishop Rhoades gives his approval and Diocese's approval to this project. Our plan is to seal the envelope so that there's no water coming in, so there's no destruction. In some of the pictures you can see where there's water damage. We've hired architect Kil from South Bend, who is well versed in architectural historical preservations. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have Page 13