News Survey may help create historical district in Vinton

For the past several weeks, Phil Thomason has been making trips to Vinton. He spends hours every day walking up and down the streets, looking carefully at the houses, and taking notes about each one.

"Vinton has a very good collection of historical architecture," he said.

Thomason was hired by the City of Vinton to survey a large area of the city for its historical value. That area runs roughly from 13th Street to Fourth Street, between First Avenue and E Avenue.

Vinton has this option, said Thomason, because of the historical buildings and neighborhoods that were destroyed in the Flood of 2008. The loss of that historical area has given Vinton the opportunity to get a new historical area declared.

That designation, he explained, is mostly "honorary" in nature. It comes with no restrictions, but a few possible benefits. There may be tax credits or other options for someone with an old house in that neighborhood who wants to restore it to its original style.

"We went through a period of 'modernization' around 1950 when a lot of the old houses were changed," said Thomason. Vinyl siding, for example, replaced the original exterior walls. Many of the historical homes lost their historical appearance and character during this process, he said.

Thomason also pointed out that there are no restrictions placed on properties listed in historical neighborhood. Owners are still free to modify their buildings as they choose.

"It's all carrot and no stick," he said of the designation.

Vinton, said Thomason, has many historical homes that were clearly constructed by the city's wealthiest individuals, homes in Queen Anne and Victorian styles.