This project was sponsored by the City of Kokomo’s Historic Review Board in close collaboration with the Howard County Historical Society and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.
The Historic Review Board was established by local ordinance in 1980. The heart of the Historic Review Board’s activities revolves around its Local Landmark Designation Program, where 60 properties (commercial and residential) have now obtained landmark status. Many of the city’s most noteworthy homes are found in this brochure, and the list continues to grow.
The mission of the Board is to help preserve, protect, and promote our historical past and architectural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy. Our goals are to educate the citizens about preservation, to encourage the community to recognize and appreciate historic architecture, to foster excitement about improving their city through restoration, to get citizens involved, and to reward them for utilizing existing resources.
Our historic resources in Kokomo are plentiful but delicate. At least one historic building per year is razed to make room for parking lots and new, architecturally insensitive construction. Urban sprawl removes the average citizen and consumer from the central business district and area that was once the hub of social and professional activity.
There are a multitude of opportunities in the fields of historic preservation, city planning, and redevelopment of downtown and surrounding historic areas. Advice and aid for historic preservation endeavors comes from a multitude of organizations. A beautiful city, improved quality of life, increased tourism, and increased tax base are all waiting for Kokomo, and the road of these benefits is being paved.