The Virginia Historic Preservation Awards

Studies show that communities and quality of life are enhanced when individuals, organizations and local governments adapt, restore and highlight historic places and stories unique to Virginia. To highlight this work, each year since 1971, Preservation Virginia recognizes exemplary historic preservation projects and historical research in the Commonwealth. This year’s nine awardees will be honored at a ceremony Friday night, September 27th, at Main Street Station in Richmond.

2024 Award Winners

2023 Award Winners

The 2024 Preservation Award winners are:

The Gabriella Page Outstanding Preservation Project Award

The Katherine Glaize Rockwood Community Preservation Award

Montgomery Museum of Art & History, Christiansburg

The Montgomery Museum of Art & History serves Montgomery County and the surrounding New River Valley and is a gateway to Appalachian Virginia. In 2021, the Museum moved to a historic bank building on the town square of the county seat (Christiansburg) and began to transform it into a fully functioning museum and community anchor. A bank building has been on the site since 1853 and the current building is a contributing structure in the Town of Christiansburg’s downtown historic district.

IBe’ Arts Institute, Hopewell

Born into a family in Danville who led and participated in the events of Bloody Monday in 1963, IBe’ Bulinda Hereford Crawley has long connected art, history and social change. Ms. Crawley was an educator for 30 years in school systems in Henrico and Fairfax Counties, and later started the IBe’ Arts Institute in 2015. In 2021, she purchased and rehabilitated an 1830s school building in Hopewell to house her art gallery and institute. In that historic space interns, fellows and art residents work with Ms. Crawley to document stories through visual storytelling.

George W.G. Stoner and Melville Jennings Research and Education Award for Outstanding Historic Preservation Research Efforts

The Bray School Project, Colonial Williamsburg

Established in 1760, the Williamsburg Bray School is the oldest extant building dedicated to the education of Black children in the United States. The Williamsburg Bray School marks the 89th original building to be preserved and restored by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and will be used as a focal point for research, scholarship and dialogue regarding the complicated story of race, religion and education in Williamsburg and in America.

Louis J. Malon Outstanding Preservation Achievement Award

Carver 4-County Museum, Rapidan

The Carver 4-County Museum is a program of the George Washington Carver Regional High School Alumni Association, Inc. The museum is located in the original library of the high school, the first and only institution of secondary education built for minority students serving four counties from 1948-68: Culpeper, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock. The school was segregated for its entire existence. Since its official opening in 2019, the museum has showcased 12 exhibits, 10 traveling exhibits, four commemorative calendars, 4 virtual galleries and 10 special video exhibits.

2023 Preservation Awardees

Cabin Renovations at Virginia State Parks Outstanding Preservation Project PMA Architecture, Stemann/Pease Architecture and Timmons Group, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

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.

Restoration of the Warm Springs Pools Outstanding Preservation Project 3North, Lionberger Construction, 1200 Architectural Engineers

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.

Historic Fire Station No. 1 Outstanding Preservation Project Old School Partners II, Hill Studio

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.

AMMD Pine Grove Project Outstanding Community Preservation

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.

Capital Region Land Conservancy Outstanding Community 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.

Green Cove Station Train Depot Outstanding Community Preservation

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 Outstanding Preservation Achievement

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 Outstanding Preservation Achievement

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.

Ana Edwards Outstanding Historic Preservation Research

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.

Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Trustees’ Excellence in Achievement

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 were honored at this year’s awards ceremony at the Hotel John Marshall in Richmond on September 29th. The keynote address was given by Chief G. Anne Richardson of the Rappahannock Indian Tribe, who won an Outstanding Preservation Achievement award in 2022. Nominations for next year’s awards will open in January.