2023 Preservation Award Announcement

Preservation Virginia has announced its list of award recipients for 2023. For over fifty years, the historic preservation awards have recognized outstanding preservation projects, organizations and individuals who excel in preserving the Commonwealth’s unique history and culture. Their work enhances Virginia communities by rehabilitating and restoring historic structures, preserving landscapes and revealing new discoveries through research. Award categories include Outstanding Preservation Project, Outstanding Community Preservation, Outstanding Research Efforts, Outstanding Preservation Achievement and the Trustees’ Excellence in Achievement Award.

This year’s preservation awardees are:

Significant renovations of camping cabins were undertaken in historic Douthat State Park and Fairy Stone State Park. The completed project revealed original primitive and historic features while offering modern amenities to families vacationing in the parks.

Located in the tranquil mountains of Bath County, the Warm Springs Pools have attracted a devoted following for more than 250 years. 3North and their architectural team utilized reports and histories sourced by the community to bolster their own research and analysis of the structures. The intensive restoration project saw these unique bathhouses reopened to the public.

The Historic Fire Station No. 1 served the Roanoke community for more than 100 years. Closed and vacant for a decade, Old School Partners purchased the building in 2019 and undertook a renovation to return the building to public use. Today, Fire Station No. 1 hosts a boutique hotel as well as retail and event space that fires the imagination of locals and visitors alike.

Pine Grove Elementary School was built in 1917 in part with funds from the Rosenwald School fund, a school program conceived by Booker T. Washington and supported through the philanthropy of Julius Rosenwald. The AMMD Pine Grove Project formed a coalition to restore the school and advocate for the protection of the building and surrounding community due to the threat of a proposed mega-landfill. Pine Grove was included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2021 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and was recently awarded a National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant to help with its preservation.

CRLC has garnered an impressive record of protecting sites, including nearly 900 acres at Malvern Hill and properties within the viewshed of Libby Hill known as the View That Named Richmond. Since 2017, CRLC has worked in Henrico County to protect New Market Heights Battlefield, the site of a significant victory by United States Colored Troops during the American Civil War. Through a mix of conservation easements, land donations and purchases, CRLC has protected more than 428 acres of this historic and scenic landscape, and continues its efforts to conserve additional land and ensure that public access and interpretation of this important battlefield are pursued.

In the early 1910s, the Virginia Creeper railroad linked communities in far southwest Virginia and North Carolina. Today, the Green Cove Station in Damascus is the last remaining depot along the trail. Its successful rehabilitation exemplifies dedication of the U.S. Forestry Service George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy and HistoriCorps in preserving historic properties and a commitment to finding creative opportunities to engage individuals in historic preservation.

Carl Espy, IV has been a consistent voice for preserving Halifax’s historic character and assets. In his capacity as Town Manager, Mr. Espy encouraged the preservation of historic properties by providing community members with access to tools, resources and mentoring. He supported the expansion of the Mountain Road Historic District and pursued funding to repair, rehabilitate and interpret elements of King’s Bridge landing where General Nathanael Green crossed during the Revolutionary War. He is a life member of the Halifax County Historical Society and volunteers extensively in the community.

Rick and Susan Humphreys have an incredible track record for preserving history in Southwest Virginia. They’ve consulted on numerous projects, helped save the Hiram Dooley House from demolition and encouraged a partnership between the Town of Abingdon and the National Park Service to preserve the Abingdon Muster Grounds. They utilized historic tax credits to save the 1834 Austin Bronaugh House, which needed considerable restoration, and also preserved the 1840s Sandoe House, now known as A Tailor’s Lodging.

As a public historian living and working in Richmond, Virginia, Ana Edwards brought her skills and expertise to support a number of efforts including the East Marshall Street Well Project, Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground, The Future of Richmond’s Past Planning Committee for the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and Emancipation and as president of the Virginia Friends of Mali, an educational and cultural engagement organization. Through the Sacred Ground Project of the Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, her leadership was instrumental in reclaiming the African Burying Ground in Shockoe Bottom and supporting the descendant-led engagement to envision a 9-acre Memorial Park.

In 1983, the Corporation of Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest was established with the ambitious goal of owning and restoring Jefferson’s Retreat. The result: Jefferson-era buildings were restored, more than 600 acres of the original property were acquired and a new entrance and trail system were completed. Steady and diligent archaeological excavations revealed new insights into experiences of enslaved individuals, and findings are shared with the public through educational programs. Today, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest connects visitors to Jefferson and the free and enslaved individuals of Poplar Forest.

Awardees will be honored at this year’s awards ceremony at the Hotel John Marshall in Richmond on September 29th. The keynote address will be given by Chief G. Anne Richardson of the Rappahannock Indian Tribe, who won an Outstanding Preservation Achievement award in 2022. Tickets to the event are available at preservationawards.eventbrite.com.