CELEBRATE EXCELLENCE
Celebrating Preservation Excellence
Each year, since 1979, Preservation Pennsylvania has presented the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Awards. These awards honor exceptional preservation work taking place across the commonwealth. There are three major categories for award recognition: the Honor Awards, Leadership Awards, and Construction Awards.
Visit our NEWS post for details on the 2023 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards, held October 19 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. You'll find links to the event photo album, the digital pdf with the story of each award project, and our list of wonderful sponsors! Click here.
HONOR AWARDS
F. OTTO HAAS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Jeff Kidder (Erie County)
Haas Award Sponsor: Tom Hagen
HENRY A. JORDAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING HISTORIC PRESERVATION EFFORTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
David Morrison (Dauphin County)
Jordan Award Sponsor: Mrs. Henry A. Jordan
CHAIRPERSON’S AWARD FOR DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Bonnie Wilkinson Mark (Dauphin County)
Chairperson’s Award Sponsor: Margaret Wallis
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
SPECIAL FOCUS AWARD
Ralph Modjeski Award for Excellence in Transportation Design, Preservation or Archaeology - For an exceptional effort within the transportation field that results in an improvement in transportation systems while respecting and preserving the best practices of compatible design and historic preservation principles.
Chestnut Street Bridges over CSX and 24th Street (Philadelphia County)
Honoring: PennDOT District 6-0; Benesch; Buckley & Co.; Materials Conservation Collaborative/Marco Federico, Heritage Conservation Collective, LLC
Modjeski Award Sponsor: Modjeski and Masters, celebrating 130 years of technical excellence and innovation
TURNING POINT AWARD
In recognition of an individual or organization whose efforts have resulted in a crucial change in the potential outcome for a historic place listed on Pennsylvania At Risk.
Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse Rehabilitation (Cumberland County)
Honoring: United States Army Garrison Carlisle Barracks
Lynnewood Hall (Montgomery County)
Honoring: Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation
Turning Point Award Sponsor: A. Roy Smith
LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Community preservation/heritage issues or projects ranging from a grassroots advocacy project to commemoration of a place/person or event.
The Slate Belt History Project (including the Quarry Hoist Pavilion) (Northampton County)
Honoring: Borough of Bangor; Totts Gap Arts Institute; Slate Belt Heritage Center
LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR EDUCATION
Innovative preservation/heritage educational programs or curricula
Minerva Parker Nichols Research Project, Exhibit and Book (Philadelphia County)
Honoring: Molly Lester, William Whitaker, Heather Isbell Schumacher, and Elizabeth Felicella
LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE
In recognition of quick action to repair and/or preserve a historic resource after a threat or catastrophic event, such as fire, flooding, or extreme weather.
Fort Washington Ida Tornado, Homeowner Porch Reconstruction(Montgomery County)
Honoring: Sharon Shapowal; J&M Preservation Studio; JRB Historic Restoration, LLC
LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR PUBLIC IMPACT
Excellence in using a historic building as a catalyst to enrich a community. Includes examples of small business or adaptive reuse.
Nicholson Tourism Center at the Historic DL&W Train Station (Wyoming County)
21 Lackawanna Trail, Nicholson
Honoring: Nicholson Heritage Association; Reuther + Bowen
LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR STEWARDSHIP
Exceptional stewardship efforts by an individual or group on behalf of a significant historic resource.
Athenaeum of Philadelphia (Philadelphia County)
219 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia
Honoring: The Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Kreilick Conservation, LLC
Construction Awards
RESTORATION
The Orchid House at Longwood Gardens (Chester County)
Honoring: John Milner Architects, Inc.; Bancroft Construction
REHABILITATION
Burk-Bergman Boathouse (Philadelphia County)
11 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia
Honoring: University of Pennsylvania; Ewing Cole; Keast & Hood; SBK + Partners, LLC; Pennoni; Target Building Construction
Bischoff Inn (Schuylkill County)
320 Lafayette Street, Tamaqua
Honoring: Torat, Ltd.; Warehaus; Gina M. Douty Historic Preservation Consulting; Heim Construction Co., Inc.
Old Neiffer Road Bridge Over Swamp Creek (also known as Sunrise Mill Bridge) (Montgomery County)
3431 Neiffer Rd., Schwenksville
Honoring: Montgomery County; Gannett Fleming, Inc.; A.D. Marble; Loftus Construction, Inc.
Old Lehigh County Courthouse (Lehigh County)
503 Hamilton Street, Allentown
Honoring: County of Lehigh; Artefact, Inc.; The Architectural Studio; Benesch; Strunk-Albert Engineering; Skanska USA; S.A. Comunale; Albarell Electric; JBM Mechanical; The Warko Group; and Wilmer R. Schultz, Inc.; Element Environmental Solutions
Yorktowne Hotel (York County)
48 East Market Street, York
Honoring: York County Industrial Development Authority; NuTec Design; JDB Engineering; Beatty Harvey Coco Architects; Delta Development Group; Kinsley Construction
Thank you to our sponsors!
Haas Award Sponsor: Tom Hagen
Jordan Award Sponsor: Mrs. Henry A. Jordan
Chairperson's Award Sponsor: Margaret Wallis
Turning Point Award; A. Roy Smith
Ralph Modjeski Award: Modjeski and Masters: Celebrating 130 years of technical excellence and innovation
Brick Sponsors
Thank you to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission for special sponsorship support!
2022 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards
We celebrated the 2022 honorees on Tuesday, November 15 at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester (Chester County).
2021 Awards
Thank you to everyone who joined us to kick off our 40th Anniversary year.
We honored Jeff Marshall (Bucks County) and Sydelle Zove (Montgomery County) for their outstanding work.
Our keynote speaker was Bonnie McDonald of The Relevancy Project, speaking about the future of historic preservation.
Not able to attend? View the event video below and read our news post about the 2021 Preservation Pennsylvania Honor Awards.
(Video not showing? Click here.)
Updates on award recipients & Sponsors
Click a post below to read more!
pennsylvania historic preservation awards
Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Awards continue a tradition started in 1979 to honor excellence in preservation. The annual awards recognize significant contributions in the field of historic preservation made by both individuals and organizations. The Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards are presented annually by Preservation Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards were held as part of the Statewide Conference on Heritage and took place on Wednesday, October 14, 2020.
If you weren't able to attend, click here to view the award ceremony.
Newsletter Archive/Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards
HONOR Awards
F. Otto Haas Award
In 1987, Preservation Pennsylvania established this award to honor their Past Chairman, F. Otto Haas (1915-1994), a noted preservationist and philanthropist. The award is a standing recognition of his service and contributions to historic preservation across the state.
Mr. Haas was a founding board member Preservation Pennsylvania, served two terms as Chairman of the Board, and was a valuable advisor to the organization until his death in 1994. His dedication to Preservation Pennsylvania and historic preservation in Pennsylvania still inspires us today.
This award honors outstanding individual or group achievements in the field of historic preservation over an extended period.
2021 Jeffrey Marshall
2020 Brenda Barrett
2019 William Fontana, Pennsylvania Downtown Center
2018 Natural Lands
2017 The Progress Fund
2016 Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
2015 Thomas B. Hagen
2014 Paul M. Heberling
2013 A. Roy Smith
2012 Janet S. Klein
2011 Susan Star Paddock and No Casino Gettysburg
2010 John Milner, FAIA
2009 Robert and Ruth Bascom, Wharton Esherick Museum
2008 Partners for Sacred Places
2007 Rick Sebak
2006 Caroline E. Boyce
2005 Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program, PA Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources
2004 Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee
2003 Charles Peterson FAIA
2002 John B. Rosenthal & Pennrose Properties
2001 Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr.
2000 Thomas Hylton
1999 Mary Werner DeNadai
1998 Louis J. Appell, Jr.
1997 Henry A. Jordan, M.D.
1996 Steel Industry Heritage Corporation
1995 Samuel Dornsife
1994 John Murtha
1993 Kurt Zwikl
1992 Hyman Myers
1991 Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission
1990 The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation
1989 First National Bank of Pennsylvania
1988 Chester County Commissioners
Henry A. Jordan Award
This award is named for Henry A. Jordan (1936-2010), a former Preservation Pennsylvania Board Chairman and life-long supporter of the historic preservation movement.
In keeping with Henry’s belief that it is at the local level where real historic preservation occurs, this award honors outstanding historic preservation efforts at the local/regional level.
2021 Sydelle Zove
2020 Historic Gettysburg Adams County Barn Preservation Project
2019 Eugene L. DiOrio
2018 Astride McLanahan
2017 James L. Brown IV
2016 City of Lancaster
2015 Jacqueline J. Melander
2014 Salvatore J. Panto, Jr.
2013 Historic Harrisburg Association
2012 Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust
2011 John Andrew Gallery
2010 Thomas Potter, AIA
Modjeski Award
The Modjeski Award is named for Ralph Modjeski (1861–1940), considered "America's greatest bridge builder." He emigrated from Poland in 1876 at the age of 15. In 1885 he graduated from the School of Bridges and Roads in France at the top of his class. He went on to become a highly successful civil engineer and one of the twentieth century's most famous designers and builders of bridges, with nearly 40 bridges spanning the great rivers of North America. In 1930, Modjeski was awarded the Fritz Gold Medal, with a citation for his genius in combining strength and beauty. He was also honored by the Pennsylvania state legislature in 1966 by a resolution citing him as one of America's "greatest inventors."
In 1893, he started his own firm that became known as Modjeski and Masters when Frank M. Masters joined the firm in 1924. He remained professionally active until 1936, training succeeding generations of American bridge designers and engineers.
When an award was proposed to honor Excellence in Transportation Design, Preservation or Archaeology, the name Ralph Modjeski seemed a perfect fit to honor the very best in the transportation field.
I am a n