Preservation Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, this week announced the recipients of the 2008 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony held in the House of Representatives Majority Caucus Room in the Pennsylvania Capitol on September 18. The 2008 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony is open to the public. Tickets to the event and sponsorship opportunities are available at Preservation Pennsylvania's website: www.preservationpa.org.

Since 1979, the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards have honored individuals and organizations that exhibited excellence in the field of historic preservation.

"The annual awards program highlights the richness and diversity of Pennsylvania's heritage and recognizes the valuable contribution historic preservation projects make to community vitality," said Rob Kinsley, president of Preservation Pennsylvania.

The F. Otto Haas award, Pennsylvania's highest honor in historic preservation, is presented to individuals and organizations in recognition of outstanding contributions and consistent achievement above the standards of the profession.

Other 2008 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards include: Leadership in State Government; Grassroots Advocacy; Initiative Awards; Ralph Modjeski Award for Excellence in Transportation Design, Preservation and Archaeology; PHMC Annual Theme Award; PHMC Visionary in Historic Preservation Award; and Construction Awards.

The award recipients include:

F. Otto Haas Award: Awarded to the Partners for Sacred Places for providing significant financial and technical assistance, training and educational opportunities to groups that care for religious properties and sites. Partners for Sacred Places is a national, non- secretarian, non-profit organization committed to the preservation of religious properties and sites with regional offices in Texas and Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania office administers the Philadelphia Regional Fund for Sacred Places, a local program that offers technical assistance, training and matching grants of $25,000 - $100,000 to help communities preserve historic religious properties.

Leadership in State Government: Awarded to Rep. Thomas Tangretti (D-Westmoreland) for his commitment to promoting historic preservation as a community revitalization tool. Rep. Tangretti has consistently demonstrated leadership in legislative efforts to adopt a statewide incentive program for the rehabilitation of historic residential and commercial properties.

Grassroots Advocacy: Awarded to the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia for promoting appreciation and protection of Philadelphia's historic character through advocacy, regional and neighborhood-wide initiatives, easement programs and administration of program funds. Working with regional partners, the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia has led advocacy campaigns to save the historic Boyd Theater and prevent the demolition of the impressive Philadelphia Life Insurance Co. buildings.

Community Involvement:

· Awarded to Carole A. Briggs for her outstanding leadership as former Executive Director and Curator for the Jefferson County Historical Society. Working forty-plus hours a week as a volunteer, Ms. Briggs led a capital campaign and raised an excess of half a million dollars to rehabilitate the Nathan Green Edelblute Building and transform the property into the new Jefferson County History Center.

· Awarded to the Lykens Community Development Corporation for guiding the preservation of the Lykens Train Station. The newly rehabilitated Lykens Train Station features interpretive displays to educate about local heritage and serves as a community meeting place. Project Architect: McKissick Associates PC

Communication: Awarded to the Bureau of Design, Department of Transportation for producing a user-friendly and publicly accessible management plan and maintenance manual for stone arch bridges within the PennDOT Engineering District 6-0 -- City of Philadelphia, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County and Montgomery County. Project Architects/Engineers/Consultants: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Federal Highway Administration; and Skelly and Loy, Inc.

Stewardship:

· Awarded to the Preservation of Williamsport Foundation, Inc. for funding the acquisition and preservation of the Rowley House located within the Millionaires Row Historic District in Williamsport. The Foundation, comprised exclusively of volunteers from the community, operates the Rowley House as a public museum. Project Architect: Anthony H. Visco Jr, Architects

· Awarded to the Union League of Philadelphia for guiding the preservation of two historic Philadelphia landmark buildings. Using John Fraser and Horace Trumbauer's original architectural specifications, the Union League of Philadelphia restored the exterior features while rendering the buildings safe and watertight. Project Architects/Engineers/Consultants: DPK&A Architects, LLP; Keast & Hood Co.; Mulhern Consulting Engineers & Associates, Inc; International Consultants, Inc.; and Daniel J. Keating Co.

PHMC Annual Theme Award - 2007 Archaeology: Awarded to the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania for devising the plan to build a new enclosure to protect Meadowcroft Rockshelter, a National Historic Landmark and at the same time, allow access for professional interpretation and public education. Project Architect: Pfaffmann + Associates PC Architects

Preservation and Archaeology Award: Awarded to the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy and the Somerset County Conservation District for guiding the rehabilitation of Kings Covered Bridge. The Kings Covered Bridge was rehabilitated in place (instead of dismantled) and the existing materials were retained or replaced in-kind to match the original. Project Architects/Consultants: Simone Collins Landscape Architecture; and Gannett Fleming, Inc.

Single Family Residential/House Museum:

· Johnson House, Philadelphia: Awarded to the Johnson House Historic Site for the restoration of the Johnson House and the excavation and stabilization of an outbuilding. Built in 1768, the Johnson House is designated a National Historic Landmark and is recognized as a significant property in a regional network of Underground Railroad sites. Project Architect: Kise Straw & Kolodner, Inc.

· Mary Johnston House, State College (Centre County): Awarded to Yurchak Goodall Real Estate Partnership for rehabilitating the Mary Johnston House with appropriate modifications to provide easy accessibility. Project Architect: Frederick J. Fernsler, AIA

Commercial/Industrial: Awarded to the Bedford Resort Partners, Ltd. for rehabilitating the expansive Bedford Springs Hotel and giving new life to the National Historic Landmark by continuing the historic use as a resort location. Project Architect/Engineer/Consultants: Corgan and Associates; 3 North; Sandvick Architects, Inc.; R.T. Reynolds; Atlantic Engineering Services; and Hunt & Joiner, Inc.

Certificate of Merit: Awarded to McCaffery Interests for rehabilitating the Armstrong Cork Complex into 297 loft-style apartments. The rehabilitation project included extensive site clean up, masonry restoration and careful replacement of windows to match the originals in appearance and dimensions. Project Architects/Consultants: Antunovich Associates; and Charles Uhl.

Public/Institutional Award: Awarded to the Christ Church Preservation Trust for the preservation of Christ Church, a National Historic Landmark. The preservation project included interior restoration, installation of fire protection systems and exterior restoration work to repair existing water damage and render the structure watertight. Project Architects/Engineers: Frens & Frens LLC; Haverstick Borthwick Company; Dmitri J. Ververelli, Inc.; and Keast & Hood Co.

For more information, visit the Preservation Pennsylvania website.

8/22/2008