A walk through downtown Hollister may soon become a lesson in
local history.
A walk through downtown Hollister may soon become a lesson in local history.
Three local organizations are planning to recognize the city’s numerous historic buildings by identifying many of them with commemorative plaques.
The Hollister Downtown Association and the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce, with guidance from the county Historical Society, will oversee the project to place plaques on the outside of a select group of buildings.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Theresa Kiernan said primary benefits of the plaque program will be to help create awareness about the history of downtown.
“It’s an opportunity to make sure that people will come down here (downtown) to shop and eat,” Kiernan said, “and they get an opportunity to learn about the history of this community.”
Also, it will recognize downtown owners for upkeep of their buildings, according to HDA Director Liz Kresky.
Historical Society President Peter Sonne said the plaques would offer an educational opportunity for all age groups throughout the community, including the possibility for area schools to take classes on tours.
Officials have said Hollister, with much of its lore unknown to the public, is filled with historical architecture.
The county has 516 sites that are officially recognized as historic in the state register, according to the California Office of Historic Preservation. Included on the list are commercial buildings, houses, bridges, cemeteries, farms, gas stations and the New Idria Mine.
With the plaque program in its “infancy” stages, according to officials, there have been no decisions made as to what, or how many, buildings will be included. Additionally, the groups have not decided where to seek funding. One thing is for sure, though, the three organizations are committed to turning the idea into reality.
“We want it to happen. We’re trying,” Kresky said.
The HDA will approach prospective plaque-appropriate building owners and ask for feedback.
“We have to approach each for approval,” Kresky said.
Initially, Kresky met with Kiernan and “brainstormed” ideas for the historical acknowledgments and developed the commemorative plaques.
Kiernan asked during the discussion, “How are we going to get enough people involved? How are we going to get the community involved?”
They decided the Historical Society, and its knowledge base regarding local history, would be an appropriate fit for involvement with the project.
Kresky and Kiernan presented the idea last week to historical society members, who widely supported the idea.
Sonne offered his own encouragement at the meeting.
“I hope this works, and I hope this moves ahead,” said Sonne, who asked HDA and the Chamber of Commerce to compile more information and return for a discussion.
The plaques would potentially complement an updated downtown Historic Walking Tour, for which a brochure is currently under production. The tour will include commercial buildings for the first time and should be completed in the summer, Kresky said.
Also, there have been discussions among community members for an official committee to guide historic preservation. Sonne supported the idea and said there seems to be an increased enthusiasm recently for appreciation of local building history.
“That seems to be the trend these days, to save more of the past,” Sonne said.
