The Toledo-Lucas County Library and University of Toledo have one simple concept: The more you know about the City of Toledo, the more you’ll appreciate and understand it.
More than 60 people recently squeezed into the front entrance of the Collingwood Arts Center for the year’s sixth stop on the Discover Downtown Toledo Walking Tours.
“Keep coming closer; I promise I don’t bite,” said Collingwood Arts Center founder Patrick Tansey as the crowd laughed. He acted as the volunteer tour guide for the day.
The tour lasted for about an hour while Mr. Tansey explained the history of the facility, whether it was the art exhibitions and conferences hosted in the Gerber House or studio spaces throughout the five-story building.
This was the sixth of the summer’s eight-stop tour, sponsored by the University of Toledo’s Jack Ford Urban Affairs Center and the library. Previous stops have included the Fifth Third Bank Building on Summit Street, the Oliver House on Broadway Street, and a walk along Adams Street. This year marks the 33rd version of the walking expeditions, which, for an hour each week, allow residents to experience something they may not know about Toledo.
“This is providing an opportunity for local residents to learn more about the city,” said Neil Reid, director of UT’s Jack Ford Urban Affairs Center.
Each year, organizers at the library and UT look for new tour locations and local historians, whether a resident who has lived in a neighborhood for a long time or an expert on a particular building’s history. The guides are volunteers.
“We want the people to come away saying, ‘Hey, this was really informative; this was entertaining and [I] came away knowing something from the building I didn’t know before,’ ” Mr. Reid said.
Annette Boucher, a resident Toledo since 1973, said the tour gave her a chance to walk through the Collingwood Arts Center for the first time. Before, the facility was just another building she passed while driving along Collingwood Boulevard.
“There are all sorts of things that have happened in this area,” Ms. Boucher, 68, said. “People think of Toledo as boring. This helps people understand more about Toledo.”
Librarian Irene Martin said the tours usually attract 25 to 50 people, depending on location.
“People don’t get exposed to some of the buildings around [here],” she said. “They’ll just see them and that’s why we show them the importance. It helps them remember how long they’ve been here, and we just want to expose to the community to what we have.”
The last tour of the year takes place Thursday in the Old Orchard neighborhood to learn about its streets, architecture, and early residents. Both tour runs from noon to 1 p.m. For more information, call the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library Local History and Genealogy Department at 419-259-5233.
Contact Geoff Burns at gburns@theblade.com or 419-724-6054.
First Published August 20, 2017, 5:29 a.m.
