The Dewey Road Bridge over French Creek was built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company in 1889. It has a 3-ton load limit and is 13’-0” wide and has 9’-0” of vertical clearance, which allows for one lane of two-directional traffic over French Creek. The bridge is owned by LeBoeuf Township and was closed to traffic in July 2013.
The Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, OH was one of the most prolific bridge companies in the U.S. prior to 1900 when it merged with the American Bridge Company. The company specialized in the fabrication of metal truss bridges like this one.
An evaluation of the Dewey Road Bridge conducted in June 2016 by Gannett Fleming and TranSystems on behalf of PennDOT concluded that the bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
This is a unique, one-of-a-kind bridge with many distinct features. Significant features of the bridge include the truss form, method of connection, top and bottom chords, vertical and diagonal members, portal bracing, and upper lateral struts. The bridge also features a plague that reads “1889, Wrought Iron Bridge Co. Builders, Canton Ohio,” which is the original bridge plague.
The bridge was closed due to structural deficiencies.
Options for rehabilitation include dismantling the entire bridge and storing it for future use, relocating and rehabilitating the bridge for vehicles and pedestrians at another location, or maintaining the bridge at its current location and improving the structure to make it accessible to and safe for public use.
Without action, the bridge will continue to deteriorate.
The Higby Building, which was built in 1889, is located within Union City Borough’s commercial corridor and the National Register listed Union City Historic District. On May 28, 2013 a tornado developed near Edinboro, PA and traveled 18 miles to Union City, PA with wind speeds of 100-105 mph per the National Weather Service. The two story brick veneer structure at 23 S. Main Street was significantly damaged by the storm: most of the brick and sheathing was pulled off the second story of the front façade and the roof was significantly damaged. The building was repaired by putting on a temporary roof, and framing a new wall with vinyl siding over a portion of the second floor. In the ensuing years, the roof has leaked significantly, and the interior framing has deteriorated.
In 2018, and in conjunction with Union City Downtown Development, Union City Pride sought proposals from individuals or entities willing to accept free-of-charge and redevelop the Higby Building. Even though proposals were received, no viable option for the property was identified. As a result, the property remains vacant and continues to incur damage from the elements.
A report prepared by consulting firm City Studio in 2020 states that, “While the building is not a danger to life and property at this time, it is not fit for occupancy and should remain secured against entry. Because of the historic value of the block, it may be desirable to preserve the building without investing what it would take to make the building ready for occupancy. It seems likely that it would be possible to address issues with the center bearing wall, shore up the roof, and not address the issues in the first and second floor framing but stabilize the building. All exterior wall issues could be addressed from the exterior without affecting the interior floors. This way the building and its historic value would be preserved, and the costs of interior fit out could be deferred until such a time that there is a buyer or tenant. Regardless of the chosen course of action, partial interior demolition of finishes to expose framing would be a necessary first step. From there, an appropriate scope of repair and stabilization could be developed.”
If good intentions could save a historic property, this building would still be a thriving part of the fabric of Union City Borough. Unfortunately, a combination of calamitous weather events and maintenance delays caused too much structural damage. After its inclusion in the endangered properties list, Preservation Erie members advocated for the Erie County Land Bank to assume ownership of the structure. The Land Bank agreed and allotted funding to the rehabilitation of the building. The structure immediately needed the temporary roof removed and replaced. The Land Bank requested bids from contractors to do that work. However, when the contractor realized the roof framing needed more extensive repairs than was in their contract, work stopped. While the Land Bank was embroiled in contract disputes, the now roofless building continued to deteriorate. Temporarily, a tarp was installed by the contractor over the structure, but it was not enough. The weight of rain and snow collapsed part of the roof and the second floor. That damage, coupled with the 2013 tornado damage to the second floor façade, made the structure unstable. The Higby building was in danger of collapse.
The weather-beaten building was demolished in 2023 using the Land Bank funds that had been programed for its rehabilitation. The Land Bank hired Construction Services of Pennsylvania to remove what remained of the Higby building while securing the adjacent historic property to the north, structure to the east and Bank Street to the south. Construction Services of Pennsylvania then purchased the lot and created the plaza that can be seen today. The new owners allow community events to be held in the plaza at no cost. The loss of the Higby building reminds us that the desire to save a historic structure is not enough. Preservation Erie, Union City Borough leaders, community organizations such as Union City Pride, a private consulting firm City Studio, and the Erie County Land Bank all advocated for the rehabilitation of the Higby Building. Many contributed funding. In the end, failure to promptly address structural damage to the building’s envelope left it vulnerable to the erosion of nature. Years of exposer to snow, wind and rain eventually damaged the historic structure beyond the point of rehabilitation.
The Carter-Shannon House, which is currently owned by Gannon University, has been vacant for more than three years. The home was built in the 1835 and remodeled in the 1880’s, giving it its Queen Anne style. It is located within the National Register listed W. 6th Street Historic District.
The current condition of the building has been brought on by years of deferred maintenance that goes beyond the period of time the building has been vacant.
The Carter-Shannon House is being threatened by development pressures as Gannon University looks to expand.
A new roof was installed, which indicates that the future of this building may look positive.
Updated 08/23/2020
In 2022, Gannon sold the Carter-Shannon House to Erie businessman and preservationist Tom Hagen, who promised to rescue and restore the mansion along with two others in the Our West Bayfront neighborhood. Once the restoration and rehabilitation work is complete, the Historic Erie Preservation Trust will lease the building back to Gannon University for use as student housing.
Roosevelt Middle School, built in 1922 and named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, is owned by Erie’s Public Schools. The district closed the school in 2007 because of on-going maintenance and safety concerns. It is a large property, consisting of a 99,000 sq. ft. building on 8.5 acres of land. The school is adjacent to historic Ainsworth Field, a district owned baseball field that twice hosted baseball legend Babe Ruth.
School buildings generally need major renovations every 20 to 30 years. Roosevelt was last renovated in 1975.
With the cooperation of the Erie School District and district architect Bob Marz, a design charrette was conducted on May 30, 2008, by Preservation Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth’s only statewide private, non-profit historic preservation organization. Preservation Erie helped make the arrangements and participated in the charrette.
Experienced architects from Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Erie toured Roosevelt Middle School, reviewed the school’s architectural plans, and studied educational specifications by the school district, which envisioned using Roosevelt as a K-8 elementary/middle school for 700 students. At that time, all three architects believed the school was an excellent candidate for continued service as a school and recommended repairs, such as new windows, doors, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems, and restoration of the building envelope including a new roof.
In 2017, Erie’s Public Schools received approval from the School Board to market its vacant buildings. Of the six buildings available for sale, Roosevelt was the only candidate for demolition if a buyer could not be found.
Erie’s Public Schools announced earlier in the month that demolition of Roosevelt School will begin in June/July 2020 with the removal of asbestos. The district has also confirmed that the tile panels depicting the life of Teddy Roosevelt around the fountains and other significant architectural features and artwork from Roosevelt were removed from the building in 2015 and are in storage at one of the district’s storage facilities.
Updated 05/06/2020
Roosevelt Middle School was demolished by the Erie School District in 2020 and the land sold to Child Development Centers, Inc. A new childcare center – Roosevelt Child Development Center – was built on the site in 2023.
