Rantings of an Apprentice Polymath

Mr. Conaway was one of the founders of Preservation Ohio, a nonprofit group created in 1982 as a statewide voice for the preservation of Ohio’s historic architecture. Executive Director Thomas Palmer said Mr. Conaway’s effort in 1996 to save the former Masonic Temple, now known as the Columbus Athenaeum, was extraordinary.
“It was in a worse situation than Tiffin,” Mr. Palmer said. “It was a matter of days [until demolition]. He went in and masterfully negotiated this stay of execution, and now it’s a wonderful meeting facility in the middle of downtown Columbus that otherwise wouldn’t be there.