The downtown area in Newton Falls may be getting recognized in the near future. 

Buildings dating back to the 1800 and 1900's that line the city's downtown strip could be designated as a landmark.

“I think it brings a little charm to the town," Tom Colosimo, a Newton Falls business owner said about the history in the downtown area. “These old buildings, people love it.”

Locals have submitted an application to have the block of West Broad Street from the Statue of Liberty Park to Canal Street on the national registry as a historical district. Colosimo said he’s invested three years into gathering the history of the buildings to apply.

“A lot of these buildings have architectural significance and we want to protect that,” Colosimo said.  

The 20 buildings along the street have stood tall for more than a century - some now occupied by family owned restaurants, jewelry stores and antique shops.

Getting the historic seal would help Newton Falls continue their overall vision of a small rustic town. 

“It’s something like off a Hallmark greeting card and we're looking to preserve the integrity of these buildings to kind of keep the old town look,” Mayor David Hanson said. 

Some local business owners hope the designation brings in federal grant money to improve the buildings as well as put Newton Falls on the map as a tourist attraction.

“It's a small town, it's hard to get people here and we're hoping to be on the registry, where anybody in the United States can see, can come and travel here,” Colosimo said.

The historic district designation still needs to be approved by a vote from the state committee then certified by the Department of Interior. Colosimo said that could happen in the next few months.