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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGarrett Farm_Staff ReportSTAFF REPORT ON THE NOMINATION OF GARRETT FARM TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES HISTORIC NAME OF PROPERTY: Garrett Farm ADDRESS: 21099 Osborne Road, Lakeville, IN BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: The nominated area is confined to a rectangle extending at the base, along Osborne Road from the fence/tree line/west edge of the access lane west of the barn foundation, to a point to the east where a wire fence line extends northward. The back of the nominated area is an east-west line about 20 feet north of the north edge of the barn foundation. DATE OF STAFF REVIEW: April 14, 2025 CASE HISTORY: The staff of the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County were notified by the State Historic Preservation Office of Indiana that they had received a nomination on March 10, 2025, for the Garrett Farm. The nomination was forwarded to and received by the Historic Preservation Commission Staff of South Bend and St. Joseph County on March 17, 2025. The nomination has been reviewed by staff and is formally submitted for public hearing at the April 21, 2024, Historic Preservation Commission meeting. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION: In order to be considered eligible for inclusion in the National Register, an historic property should be at least 50 years old and must possess local, state, or national significance in relation to at least one of the following criteria: Criterion A is associated with the events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or Criterion B is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or Criterion C embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction; or Criterion D has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Ordinarily, cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures which have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties commemorative in nature, and properties which have received significance within the last 50 years, shall not be considered eligible for the National Register. However, such properties will qualify if they are integral parts of historic districts which meet the criteria or if they fall within the categories established by the National Park Service as Criteria Consideration/Exemptions. EVALUATION OF THE NOMINATION: Staff have reviewed the nomination and associated materials as provided by Kristine Thornton. The application for the Garrett Farm in Lakeville, Indiana, was applicable for Criteria C. The property meets criterion C under the area of architecture. The home is a fine example of an early American Foursquare. The house exhibits a unique floorplan with exceptional woodwork throughout the interior. The structure has been well maintained and retains most of its original integrity with minimal changes to the original design, notably the enclosing of a porch and the covering of the original clapboard siding with diamond pattern asbestos shingles. The shingles themselves have now become historic in their own right. The house design and interior composition of spaces as well as its interior design and carved millwork also raise the level of significance. STAFF COMMENTS: Staff has evaluated the submitted nomination according to procedures, policies, standards, and criteria established by the National Park Service and the Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology pursuant to Certified Local Government and applicable federal regulations. The contextual development, format, supplementary documentation, and information presented are considered accurate and appropriately executed. Staff have also determined that the Garrett Farm meets the applicable criteria as defined in this review. Staff have also determined that, because the area of significance is stated as Architecture, the barn foundations should be considered non-contributing. The remaining foundation, although contributing to the setting of the farm, does not show enough of the original architecture of the barn to add to the nomination as a contributing architectural resource. Public officials and interested parties have been notified by letter of the pending nomination. All have been given the opportunity to provide the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend & St. Joseph County with written comments or objections. To date, no submissions have been presented. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Historic Preservation Commission concur with staff that the property meets the criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria C. Staff requests that the Commission direct staff to submit the appropriate report of the public hearing, including public comments, to Mayor James Mueller for his concurrence, in compliance with Indiana’s Certified Local Government regulations. The Certified Local Government Report on the Nomination of the Garrett Farm to the National Register of Historic Places will then be forwarded to the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology for further review, followed by consideration of the nomination by the Indiana Historic Preservation Review Board.