The Trumbull County Historical Society (TCHS) along with Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, Trumbull County Land Bank and the City of Warren launched Warren Razed this week.

Warren Razed is a project to digitize Warren's Urban Renewal and Trumbull County Land Bank demolition records for the public.

TCHS Director, Meghan Reed says the Historical Society has been trying to find ways to highlight Warren's changing landscape from Urban Renewal in the 60s-70s to the present for a while now.

"Warren lost approximately 1/3 of its downtown buildings during Urban Renewal, not to mention the whole neighborhood of the flats that was dismantled. We started working with the city to identify the Urban Renewal records and images that were taken and see what we could do to preserve those stories," Reed said.

In addition, the project digitized Urban Renewal blueprints and maps, which are available on the project's website. This work was partially funded by an Ohio History Fund grant of $12,043 to implement the project.

Niles Mayor, Doug Franklin says he believes the project is a great idea and he appreciates the preservation of Warren's history.

"It's important that as we continue to move forward that we do not lose sight of the past that helped us shape who we are as a city," Mayor Franklin said.

Project partners hope to make transparent not only past demolitions, but the strategic downsizing the city continues to see to this day. 

In 2014, Trumbull County Land Bank was awarded $14 million to make a more strategic approach to demolish residential blighted, vacant property throughout the county in order to raise housing values and remediate eyesores in the community.

Over 800 structures have been taken down since that time.

"We knew going in that we would be taking down buildings that were very personal to people. These were homes where people were raised and in many instances were beautiful houses at one time, but after sitting vacant for so long, the houses we had addressed had deteriorated beyond repair," said Trumbull County Land Bank Director, Shawn Carvin.

All Urban Renewal records are housed at the Trumbull County Historical Society. To schedule an appointment, review this material or for any other questions, call 330-394-4653 or email info@trumbullcountyhistory.org.