Washington County Commissioners accepted a resolution for dedication of land in Newport Township for road access to the Joseph Barker Jr. House at Thursday morn
NEWPORT Since becoming caretakers of a piece of local history last year, Friends of the Joseph Barker Jr. House have taken careful, steady steps to get a cl
NEWPORT Since becoming caretakers of a piece of local history last year, Friends of the Joseph Barker Jr. House have taken careful, steady steps to get a cl
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
The Monday announcement of longtime Ohio delegate Sen. Rob Portman retiring from national public life saw public commendation mixed with some local disappointment.
“This doesn’t mean I’m leaving now,” said the 65-year-old Cincinnati native who has served predominately in Washington, D.C., since 1993. “I still have two more years in my term and I intend to use that time to get a lot done. I will be the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and I have a number of oversight projects and legislative initiatives I’m eager to get across the finish line.”
Jan 16, 2021
Last month’s announcement that authorization had finally been received to transfer the federally owned historic Joseph Barker Jr. house into the hands of a local nonprofit was welcome, indeed.
But perhaps more important was the reminder of the kind of teamwork it took to make such a move possible.
Back in 2013, the Newport Township house was being considered for removal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, but being on the register does not necessarily protect properties in the future.
A 2017 public meeting to further discuss possible demolition caught the attention of enough people that an effort began to preserve the building.