Old Ashland should be saved

Old Ashland should be saved
I have read the recent articles about the controversy surrounding the A.N. Myers house on Center Street in the Ashland Times-Gazette.
Some years ago, I grew up on Claremont Avenue with my family. Both my father and brother went to World War II from Claremont Avenue. When last I checked, my various homes in the area are now somewhere in the middle of the Ashland University Convocation Center, a part of the university and something that looks like a restaurant.
New you want to destroy Center Street. People who disagree put up signs to “Save Old Ashland” and its called “clutter.” Will the bland replacements for lovely old buildings be tomorrow’s clutter? Where does it stop? All these “progressive” folks will do their damage and then turn to Europe to ooh and ahh over the beautiful old buildings. We seem to want to destroy our history to avoid teaching it in schools.
Perhaps my view from afar is overly sentimental, but I tend to favor the wards of Jonathan Carroll, written upon the return to his hometown after many years. It’s called “Keeping The Beehive.”
“I felt a spirit of dismay to think life had gone on without me all these years. Who did they think they were, changing the landscape that had once been mine? Part of you thinks you own the terrain of your memories. A law should keep things looking just the way they were.”

Judy Echelberger Harrell
Cleves

Myers home a lost for Ashland, its history

Well, I guess congratulations are in order for the Ashland County Historical Society and the city of Ashland regarding the A.N. Myers home. It was a long fight, but in the end, with both entities against the Historic Preservation Board and the Center Street Historic District Association, they won, but the people and the history of Ashland lost again.
It’s funny that in this whole process, the people of the preservation board and Center Street were considered the villains. But I guess in a city like this, where preserving historical landmarks is considered a waste of money, it makes sense.
Just in the last few months Ashland has been blazing. What - about 16 century old homes have been destroyed and now another is facing the same fate.
It’s funny to watch the shows on HGTV and see how people in other parts of the country love and admire their rich histories and take pride in how their cities look. Shows like Dream Drives, Historic Homes, etc., showcase places that have done incredible things to preserve their history.
Ashland - we just burn everything down here, But why not? When we turn once beautiful streets into urban rot like Claremont to just name one. Claremont, Cottage, Sandusky and yes, even Center Street were once considered Dream Drives. Now - not even Center Street is worth the drive.
Like I say to all my neighbors with historic homes, take care of your own house and don’t worry about this city, nobody here cares.
R.J. Torres