Youngstown CityScape dedicated its new downtown Youngstown self-guided walking signage project as well as a utility box art project on Wednesday, June 27th at Happy Birthday Youngstown 2018! held at the Tyler Mahoning Valley History Center.
The self-guided walking tour signage project features five 24” x 36” signs which explain the history of each respective location. Each sign includes captioned photos as well as a QR code which discusses current and future plans for that location. The five locations include:
Mahoning River (B&O Station observation deck)
The Founding & History of Youngstown (bicentennial marker near the Mahoning Avenue bridge)
Central Square (Civil War Soliders Monument)
Wick Avenue (Main library)
Wick Park Historic District (Wick Park)
The project was funded by the J. Ford Crandall Memorial Foundation, Kennedy Family Fund (Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley) and the Ward Beecher Foundation (Huntington Bank). Project partners included the Mahoning Valley Historical Society (MVHS) and Friends of the Mahoning River.
The utility box art project features a mix of art and photography from local artists Daniel Rauschenbach, David Tamulonis and Chauncey Hay. The locations include five boxes in Central Square and one on West Federal Street near the Youngstown Business Incubator and DeYor Performing Arts Center. YSUScape served as the project partner and funding was provided by the Ohio Arts Council.
Now it its third year, Happy Birthday Youngstown! is a celebration of the city’s founding which took place on June 27th, 1796. Those in attendance received free birthday cake and and a walking tour of downtown provided by Youngstown CityScape and MVHS staff. The event was sponsored by Downtown Youngstown Partnership (a component of Youngstown CityScape), MVHS, Platt Insurance, One Hot Cookie, Jett Creative and Buffcakes.
Media:
New Signs Celebrate City’s 222nd Birthday (Business Journal)
New Walking Tour In Youngstown Unveiled For City’s 222nd Birthday (WFMJ)
Happy Birthday Youngstown at Tyler History Center Celebrates City’s 222 Years (WYTV)
City’s 222nd Year Celebrated at 3rd Happy Birthday Youngstown Event (Vindicator)