Jackson's facelift

Jackson's uptown area already has a quaint appeal, boasting a number of buildings over 100 years old. Now some Jackson merchants have begun removing the modern facades from their buildings as work proceeds toward having the city's uptown shopping area declared a historic district.

Placement on the National Register of Historic Places would enable the district members who restore their buildings to qualify for tax credits.

Tom Strickland, who owns a Jackson engineering company, is to be commended for initiating the move to renovate some of the city's treasures. In seeking National Register designation his own renovated building, he discovered the whole district could be included.

Other merchants have joined in enthusiastically. There are 31 buildings in the district, including the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse.

Property owners in the district aren't forced to do anything at all to restore their buildings. But to be eligible for tax credits, the buildings must be restored so that they resemble the way they looked originally.

Melissa Winchester, a student in the historic preservation program at Southeast Missouri State University, is preparing the nomination for the district's consultant, the St. Louis firm Lasfer Associates,

The nomination must be in to the state Advisory Council on Historic Preservation by May 8 in order to be considered at its August meeting. If approved by the state council, the nomination will proceed to the national level.

Jackson has a rich history. This district acknowledges the value of preserving it.