In front row from left are Vice Chair Adam Slone, Historian and ex-officio member Martha Owen and Quinci Julian. In the back row are Commission Chair Nathan Bate, Zoning Administrator and Secretary Todd Nunemaker, Treasurer Emily Hostetler, Indiana Landmarks Consultant Debra Parcell and ex-officio member Assistant City Planner Dan Slaven. Photo from Nappanee Historical Preservation Society.

News Release

NAPPANEE — After several years of inactivity, the Nappanee Historic Preservation Commission has been re-established and has resumed regular meetings.

Since March, the re-formed commission has been meeting monthly, with members eager to begin training and initiate future projects aimed at preserving the city’s historic character.

City of Nappanee Zoning Administrator and City Planner Todd Nunemaker explained that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city had an active historic preservation commission. However, over time, some members began focusing more on collecting memorabilia, activities more typical of a historical society.

Then, the pandemic brought meetings to a halt. A few members passed away, and by the time Nunemaker assumed his current role in 2021, the commission was effectively no longer in existence. He began the process of rebuilding it from the ground up.

Unlike a historical society, which is typically an independent, community-driven organization focused on storytelling and education, a historic preservation commission is a government-sanctioned body with regulatory authority. In Indiana, these commissions fall under the oversight of the Department of Natural Resources, although each state handles governance differently.

Nappanee’s commission is a Certified Local Government, a designation granted through a state audit. Due to its inactivity, the city had fallen behind on federally and state-mandated audits, required every four and two years, respectively. That audit was recently completed, and Nappanee has regained its CLG status.

The commission has also reinstated its relationship with Indiana Landmarks through a Commission Assistance Program, with Deb Parcell serving as the city’s representative.

Commission Chair Nathan Bate, who serves as chair, lives in a historic home on Madison Street and describes himself as a “studier of people,” with a background in ministry and an interest in architecture.

Vice Chair Adam Slone resides in the former Homespun Inn on Main Street and advocates for revitalizing Main Street living.

Other members include Emily Hostetler, owner of two historic inns; Quinci Julian, who has a background in interior design and history and Jennifer Newcomer. Martha Owen, a 15-year veteran of the local history museum, Nunemaker and Assistant Planner Dan Slaven serve as ex-officio members.

The commission plans to make public announcements once members have completed additional training.

Future goals include conducting an annual survey of the city’s historic sites and pursuing collaborative projects,such as one involving the Dietrich Building at 107 E. Market St., a site of interest for both the commission and the city’s redevelopment office.

The Nappanee Historic Preservation Commission meets monthly on the second Thursday in the morning at varying locations.