Evening Lecture: Long and Winding Road: Preserving One of Flagstaff’s Oldest Neighborhoods

Presented by Duffie Westheimer and Karl Eberhard, City of Flagstaff Historic Preservation Officer

Preserving a century old neighborhood next to downtown Flagstaff has required ongoing work.  Significant efforts since the 1980s began with volunteers documenting the buildings and listing the neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places.  Residents' efforts continued as issues arose.  Twenty years after the national district was listed property owners created the Flagstaff Townsite Historic Overlay District which has the ability to direct new development so it enhances neighborhood character.  Now citizens are forming the Flagstaff Townsite Historic Properties Community Land Trust to preserve the historic homes and make them permanently affordable to Flagstaff residents of limited means. Property values downtown are very high so with the community land trust the neighborhood can continue to be home to Flagstaff's working families.  Citizens continue on the path to preserving one of Flagstaff’s historic neighborhoods.