Miami University

Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

Miami University report to the Getty (PDF) 40MB

Chartered in 1809, Miami University in southwestern Ohio is a 1,900-acre campus with 100 buildings, two of which are designated National Historic Landmarks, and several more, along with two historic districts, are listed on the National Register. While the university has been a responsible steward of its extensive architectural heritage, until now there has been no systematic building inventory or centralized archive for information on the school's historic architecture and landscapes. As part of the preparations for its upcoming centennial, the university is undertaking a comprehensive inventory of the eighty-one historic buildings constructed prior to 1960, leading to a new preservation plan for the campus.

Miami University received a Getty grant in 2007 for $90,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Purpose: The project focused on the development a rationale for long-term plans for historic preservation planning for Miami University, which was impacted greatly by the designs of architect Charles Cellarius, among others in the mid-20th century. It sought for a way to integrate historic preservation values with the university’s decision-making process regarding the future development of the campus. Its goals were three-fold: inventory and assessment, improved public awareness and education about campus heritage and preservation, and recommendations and applications that would support the current planning process.

Historic Designation(s): Zachariah Price DeWitt Cabin, Elliott Hall, Stoddard Hall, Oxford Female Institute (each designated individually in the National Register of Historic Places); Langstroth Cottage and William Holmes McGuffrey House (each designated individually as a National Historic Landmark and in the National Register of Historic Places); and Western Female Seminary Historic District (National Register of Historic Places).

Planning Process: The project team included several representatives of the university: administrative leadership, faculty historians, museum curatorial staff, facilities managers, students, and alumni. It also included outside consultants in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and historic preservation as well as members of the community and city staff.

After the initial inventory and assessment phase, the project focused on both practical and experiential ways of learning more about how the campus is perceived and how its buildings and spaces can be evaluated. This process was intended to show that decision-making about historic buildings can go beyond looking simply at their current condition. For the examination of historic data regarding new sites that may be potentially eligible for federal landmark designation, it relied on the methodologies outlined in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Outcomes—Products: The project resulted in the creation of the “Miami University Campus Heritage Plan” (2009), which took special care in examining the interrelationships among buildings, spaces, and the connections between them. Inventory and assessment was carried out by research of historic documentation and site visits. Improved public awareness and education about campus preservation was shaped by focus group interviews with university and community representatives. Public presentations to student government and the general community also provided input. The idea of the “Memory Map” elicited further information from alumni and students about what buildings and spaces they considered significant, particularly in relation to campus traditions, events, and other associations with the university. The project also developed an assessment tool, the building audit, based on physical condition, historic or architectural significance, suitability, and adaptability. Such audits for six key sites in the study area were completed. The historic preservation plan offered both a set of guiding principles for heritage planning and also a ten-point set of recommendations about how to incorporate preservation planning into the university decision-making process.

Certain aspects of the project were also incorporated into relevant course syllabi in history and American studies. Student papers from those courses proved essential to the findings as outlined by the heritage plan.

Outcomes—Strategies and Goals for the Future: General long-term considerations include trying to balance preservation with campus growth and change in future years. The project identified four potential comprehensive and special area historic districts and up to 17 properties that may be considered eligible for National Register designation. It is expected that the historic research and data collected about these sites may be used as a foundation for such designation applications. The building audit case studies are expected to provide the university with the beginning steps for an open-ended, rational process to evaluate its long-term assets and to incorporate heritage planning into the process of determining the future of the university’s physical resources.