by Miles McGuire
Jackson’s Historic District runs like a very long exclamation mark (minus the period at the bottom) across the middle of Oshkosh. Unlike other officially recognized neighborhoods in the city, which take a variety of geometric shapes, Historic Jackson is a narrow strip of real estate, almost all on Jackson Street, between Murdock Roads and Church.
This formation along a busy road is a source of both challenges and opportunities. The neighborhood’s strengths include its central location, access to transportation, and low crime. However, it is balanced against traffic noise, the complications of snow removal due to narrow terraces and a perceived lack of building code enforcement.
Residents are now working to get approval for a neighborhood improvement plan that would include taking advantage of the historic nature of the housing stock, planting more trees and creating incentives through a walk-to-work program for city, county and university employees.
Their proposal came before the plan committee on Tuesday and will go to the Joint Council next week.
Shirley Brabender Mattox, a longtime Historic Jackson resident who previously served on the Joint Council and now serves as chairperson of the City Landmarks Commission and as a liaison to the neighborhood, said.
Mattox loves living in Jackson because she has “always been interested in the many styles of architecture on Jackson Street,” she said. “I enjoy my neighbors and live in a 1924 bungalow close to downtown, the riverwalk, and easy access to amenities.”
According to the scheme, the neighborhood is about a square mile and had 508 residents as of 2019, most of whom, 89.2%, were white. Median household income, $33,792, is slightly lower than the city’s median, $45,708. The reason for this difference may be the large number of university students in the neighborhood as well as the low percentage of the population with university degrees.
The neighborhood took its name from Joseph Jackson, the city’s second mayor, who was responsible for surveying and painting the city’s first lots and building the first home in Oshkosh that wasn’t a log cabin. According to the history section of the Jackson neighborhood plan, he had a habit of “granting city land to new residents because he wanted to see the city develop.”
According to the plan document, “the neighborhood has a rich history shaped by important residents and institutions.” Residents of the neighborhood are proud of the area’s historical architecture.
Jackson Street is also a state highway, a designation that has made the neighborhood an important gateway to downtown but has also been a source of concern. In 2001 the street was widened from two lanes to four, by reducing the width of the terraces.
The result, as expressed in citizens’ complaints and documented in a city traffic study, was not pretty. At the intersection of Jackson and New York Avenue, for example, the rate of car accidents was more than double the state’s urban average. Up to 92% of traffic on Jackson is found to exceed the stated speed limit.
Last year, the city implemented a safety plan, with the primary goal of reducing vehicle speeds. The street has been re-planned to have one lane in each direction as well as a central turning lane. At intersections with street lights, a left-turn lane is marked.
“The Diet on the Road, implemented during the summer of 2021, addressed the number one concern for neighbors — the safety of those who walk, bike, drive and live in Jackson,” Mattox said. “The city listened and emphasized the importance of the many voices of the neighborhood uniting and talking about the action.”
The safety improvements came as a result of an effort involving the Jackson Neighborhood Historical Society, which was formed in 2016 to improve the area and which developed the new neighborhood plan working with city employees.
A key step in developing the plan was to create a vision statement. Here’s what residents found:
Historic Jackson District is home to unique architecture and friendly families. This historic trail is surrounded by mature trees and well-maintained historic homes. One can find residents walking their dogs, enjoying their front porch and socializing because Historic Jackson is a neighborhood that people want to live in. The area serves as the historic gateway to the city center and is known for the beautifully lit homes that welcome travelers to Oshkosh. Everyone in this area feels safe to live, drive, walk or bike.
To achieve this vision, the neighborhood plan outlines steps that can be taken in four areas: image, market, physical conditions, and neighborhood management.
The neighborhood image requires some attention because Historic Jackson is primarily a road and doesn’t include many amenities. On the other hand, it’s a location that offers easy access to a lot of major places, including UW Oshkosh, City Hall, and Oshkosh Food Co-op.
One suggested strategy to improve the driveway’s image is to encourage property owners to work with the Landmarks Committee to designate their homes as historic. Another is to host a walking tour to the historic property down the street.
The real estate market in Historic Jackson tends towards rentals, and the community would like to see more owner-occupied homes. Some of the strategies to improve market conditions include strengthening housing improvement incentive programs, including historical tax credits.
In terms of material conditions, the plan notes that residents have long demanded that public utilities be placed underground. While there are cost barriers and other barriers that may prevent this change from happening, the neighborhood wants to consider paying for it.
Other strategies have been identified to improve appearances. These include the expansion of existing historic lighting and the installation of public art that would serve to define the neighborhood’s northern and southern entrances.
The Historic City of Jackson has an advantage when it comes to neighborhood management because it has an active leadership team. Strategies to build on current conditions include publishing a neighborhood newsletter and encouraging more participation by residents through annual events such as Holiday Illuminations or the locally sponsored National Night Out of the Oshkosh Police Department.
Mattox believes the future is bright for neighborhoods, especially because of improved traffic safety. She predicted that the “historic homes, built with old-growth timber, will be maintained and restored, resulting in a ‘standing of pride’.”
She also believes that the new Phil Phillips Middle School, which will open in the fall of 2023, “could have the effect of attracting families to the neighborhood.”
“I find this exciting because they’ve implemented this historic Jackson neighborhood plan and that we’re paying attention to Jackson Street by reducing the driveways so it doesn’t have such a cross road,” said Kathy Propp, Vice Chair of the Planning Commission. “I think that’s great. I appreciate it.”
Planning Services Director Mark Lyons said the city’s Department of Community Development is working with other neighborhoods on similar plans.
He said Congressfield would likely be the next district to present an updated plan. It is located to the west of Historic Jackson between New York and Congress Avenues.