Ann Arbor Historical Foundation - Dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Ann Arbor
With the loss of several historic landmarks in the 1950s and 60s, including the 1878 Washtenaw County Courthouse and the Bertha Muehlig home on S. Main St., several citizens began exploring ways to prevent the destruction of more of Ann Arbor’s historic buildings. This resulted in the creation of both an Ann Arbor Historical Commission as part of city government and the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation, a private non-profit.
An article in the Ann Arbor News of November 22, 1969 announced the creation of the Historical Foundation with Richard Hollister (2129 Devonshire) as President, Paul R Kempf (809 Oxford) as Vice President, Ray E. Spokes (1011 Spruce) as Secretary, James C. Riecker (2010 Devonshire) as Treasurer and Mrs. H.A. Towsley (1000 Berkshire) as a member at large on the board. The foundation was to be a separate group from the Commission set up by the city, but members of the commission were on the foundation and the foundation would provide funds for the work of the commission. Other members of the commission on the Foundation board were Herbert H. Bartlett, John R. Hathaway, and Mrs. Robert C. Hendrix (Eunice).
Other members of the Foundation Board were Guy C. Larcom (city administrator), Linda E. Eberbach and Dr. C. Howard Ross which are members of the Washtenaw Historical Society; John R. Laird, chairman of the city Planning commission, and U-M Professor of Architecture Kingsbury Marzolf. Others from the community were Circuit Judge Ross W. Campbell, Arthur Gallagher, (editor of the Ann Arbor News), and Mrs. Leonard E. Himler and Hollister and Riecker. A lot of movers and shakers were the founders of AAHF.
Articles of incorporation were adopted at the meeting and private contributions were solicited. At the time of this writing, the city was considering a preservation ordinance designating historical sites in the city, and the commission was drawing up a list of sites to be given priority for designation.
One specific project was the preservation of the Kempf House at 312 S. Division, which would become the home for the Historical Commission. Also on the list were the 4 houses at Division and Ann, the Cobblestone (Campbell) Farm, and others.
A follow-up editorial in the Ann Arbor News on December 6, 1969 (probably written by Gallagher) noted the establishment of the Foundation and lauded the tasks they had set for themselves. The establishment of the AAHF allowed for the collection of tax-deductible contributions “to help preserve a cultural heritage that would excite any historian.” The group wants to buck the trend that has been changing Ann Arbor from a quiet little college town with a strong German heritage, to one of a city centered on education, medicine, and research. The need to provide adequate storage for historical documents was another concern and the hope was for a historical museum to address this issue. It was pointed out that some encouraging signs were the preservation of the Tuomy and Kempf Houses, after years of frustration.
In 1971, a subcommittee—the Friends of the Foundation-- was organized just for the purpose of fund raising when it became obvious the city could not contribute any money towards historic preservation. With the backdrop of the Kempf House, a group of women led by Mrs. Ruth Pickl as President and Mrs. Hendrix as Vice President, posed with the caption ‘New Group to help Cement City’s Historical Foundation” in the Ann Arbor News of September 16, 1971. Much of this was done in anticipation of the city’s Sesquicentennial in 1974.
From 1971-1978, the Foundation was headed by Nicholas J. Prakken, and Arthur F. Gallagher became President in 1979. In a 1979 Ann Arbor News article, Gallagher spoke about the foundation and its accomplishments. He cited the work with Cobblestone Farm, Liberty Plaza’s mini park, the Navy memorabilia display from the USS Washtenaw, the Historic District Commission’s display at the Ethnic Fair, the publication of Historic Buildings: Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the campaign to retain the services of a historical consultant. In 1979, members of the board included Rosemarion Blake, Gerald Bell, Richard Frey, Frederick Herrmann, Theodore Heusel, Paul Kempf, Kenneth Latta, Raleigh Morgan, Jr.; Sylvester Murray, Richard Neumann, Prakken, Hazel Proctor, James Reicker, William Shepherd, Raymond Spokes, Margaret Towsley and Frank Wilhelme. More movers and shakers, this time with more Blacks and architects and historians.
In 1985, David Pollock, from Washtenaw Community College was elected President and Rosemarion Blake (a member of the Ann Arbor Historic District commission since 1976), was elected Vice President to succeed Frank Wilheme. Barbara Carr and Patricia Austin were re-elected treasurer and Secretary.
With the establishment of local historic districts allowed by enabling legislation from the State of Michigan in 1970, the Historical Foundation eventually changed its focus from the preservation of property to the publication of books, oral interviews, and the maintenance of Kempf House which was the home base of the Foundation for many years.
The main goal of the Foundation has been to receive and distribute funds for worthy historical projects in the Ann Arbor area.
