Transforming a Historic Landmark into the new

Mahoning Valley History Center

The Burt Building

When exploring options for the expansion of the The Mahoning Valley Historical Society, the Burt Building (ca. 1917-1919) offered not only the needed space and an ideal location for the new Mahoning Valley History Center, but a historic pedigree that added to its appeal.  Located on West Federal Street in downtown Youngstown's emerging Arts and Entertainment District, one of the most vital areas in the renaissance of the Mahoning Valley, the building offers ample space behind its vintage terra cotta facade.

Purchased and remodeled in 1921 by Harry B. Burt, a Youngstown candy maker and inventor of the Good Humor bar, it was acknowledged in 2006 by Parade magazine and the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a "unique place that had a significant effect on America's culture."  It was here that Burt's Ice Cream first mass-produced chocolate-covered ice cream bars using a wooden stick as a handle.

After winning a patent for exclusive rights to "ice cream on a stick," Burt hired a fleet of bell-ringing, chauffeur-driven cars to market his product - they remained a fixture in American neighborhoods through the 1970's.  Following Burt's death in 1926, his widow took the company public.  The Good Humor Corporation of America was sold and bought over the decades, and today is owned by Unilever, where the confection that became an American icon is produced by Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream.

The history of the Mahoning Valley is distinguished by its spirit of innovation.  More than an inventor, Harry Burt was a trailblazer in the emerging areas of branding and marketing.  An article in The U.S. National Archives & Record Administration states: "At a time when standardization of products was relatively unknown, Burt wanted to create a national brand-name product that would retain the same ingredients and flavor in all markets.'  Accordingly, it is fitting that the Mahoning Valley History Center is at home in the Burt Building, built by one of America's great entrepreneurs.

The Attributes of the Burt Building

• Provides an exciting new identity for the Mahoning Valley Historical Society

• Offeres 22,100 square feet of space, allowing the Historical Society to fulfill                  its mission as never before

• Enjoys recognition as a national historic site by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places

• Ensures the future of a beloved historic landmark through adaptive reuse

• Leads by example in preservation efforts

• Offers eligibility for historic tax credits, city grants, and "green" development funding

• Contributes both economically and culturally to Youngstown's emerging Arts & Entertainment District

• Exemplifies the spirit of innovation, a key to Mahoning Valley history.

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society educates and promotes an interest in the history of the Mahoning Valley by collecting, preserving, and developing material representative of the people who have inhabited the region.

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