Village of Zoar Levee Project Finished and Landmark Town Protected
September 13, 2023
The historic Village of Zoar, Ohio, was included in the National Trust’s 2012 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raised concerns about the integrity of the levee that protects the town from flooding. One option then under consideration could have resulted in relocation or demolition of up to 80% of the village. After advocacy by the National Trust and allies, the Army Corps instead committed to repairing the levee, and last month National Trust staff attended a ribbon cutting to commemorate the conclusion of levee repairs, ensuring a bright future for this community.
The Village of Zoar was founded in 1817 by a group of separatists who fled Germany in search of religious freedom. They built a democratic communal society that endured until 1898, including equality for women, who were fully voting participants of the Society of Zoar. The town of Zoar is one of the best-preserved American communal villages and has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
Now home to nearly 200 residents, Zoar has been protected from flooding by a levee built along the Tuscarawas River in the 1930s. Record floods in 2005, however, raised concern about the levee’s integrity. When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a study to assess the levee’s future in 2011, one of many alternatives under consideration was removing the levee entirely, which could have required the relocation or demolition of 80% of this remarkable historic village.
After the National Trust designated the Village of Zoar as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and a National Treasure in 2012, sustained advocacy and participation in Federal regulatory review processes by the National Trust, Zoar Community Association, Village of Zoar, Ohio SHPO, Ohio History Connection, Heritage Ohio, and many others, ultimately resulted in a “win”—in November 2013 the Army Corps announced that they were no longer considering removal of the levee. The decision reflected the Army Corps’ appreciation of Zoar’s historic and cultural importance and their good-faith engagement in the Section 106 process.
This summer—10 years after the Army Corps committed to fixing the levee—the $14 million repair project concluded. At the invitation of Army Corps leadership, Jennifer Sandy on the Preservation Services & Outreach team attended a ribbon cutting last month to celebrate the conclusion of the project and the many partnerships that helped to save the Village of Zoar. Staff across the National Trust played a role in this collaborative success, including Jennifer Sandy, who led the advocacy team; Betsy Merritt; Shaw Sprague; and others in Preservation, Marketing, and Law.
According to Scott Gordon, Mayor of Zoar, “The National Trust did a phenomenal job of bringing a broad public awareness to our situation! When we were added to the Trust’s list of Most Endangered Historic Sites, we started getting support letters from all over the country… The ribbon-cutting ceremony was very special to many supporting people and organizations, including the National Trust, that played an important role in keeping the project moving in the right direction.”
Dignitaries at the Zoar Levee Ribbon Cutting on August 16, 2023, including Col. Jayson Putnam, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Mayor Scott Gordon; Megan Wood, Ohio History Connection; representatives from Sen. Vance and Sen. Brown’s office, and several state elected officials.
