The Schuylkill River Heritage Area presented awards to five of its partners in recognition of their achievements in preserving the cultural heritage of the area.

The five partners recognized by the SRHA included:

· Tamaqua Save Our Station and the Borough of Tamaqua, for 20 years of hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment to the restoration of the1874 Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Tamaqua Train Station. The station was officially opened to the public in August 2004, housing a restaurant, visitors’ center and shops, and becoming a key to the revitalization of downtown Tamaqua.

· Oley Township Board of Supervisors and Historical Architectural Review Board, for designating the entire township of Oley as a local historic district, in recognition of the value of the township’s architecture. The township was among the first areas of Pennsylvania to be settled in the 18th century, and its buildings and landscape make it a wholly unique place in the United States.

· Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust, for restoration and preservation of a 1747 mill in Chester Springs and working to have it designated a National Historic Landmark. The mill is an outstanding and rare example of an 18th Century custom gristmill with an unparallel combination of 18th, 19th and 20th Century machinery found in no other mill in the United States.

· Manayunk Development Corp. and the Fairmount Park Commission, for refurbishment of the Manayunk Canal Towpath, a critical link in the Schuylkill River Trail. The partners recognized the historical value of the Schuylkill Navigation System, and successfully worked to preserve the canal and its towpath for recreational use, installing lighting, fencing and beautiful landscaping.

· Schuylkill Canal Association and Upper Providence Township, for reopening Lock 60 of the Schuylkill Canal, in the village of Mont Clare. The partners worked for the last 24 years to preserve, restore and interpret Lock 60 and its associated structures. Once one of the busiest locks in the 19th Century Schuylkill Navigation System, Lock 60 is now the only operational lock in the entire system.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area also received recognition at the event. Paul Sanford, director of stewardship for the American Canoe Association, honored the SRHA for its recent designations as a National Recommended Water Trail and Water Trail Champions for 2005.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area was presented with a certificate by Sanford for its recent designations by the American Canoe Association. The SRHA became one of only 12 water trails throughout the United States and Canada to receive the first-time ever designations.

As a Nationally Recommended Water Trail, the SRHA has earned the right to use a special ACA seal of approval in maps, signs, and other printed materials related to the Schuylkill River water trail.

The recommendation assures paddlers that the trail has met certain requirements, including public access points; maps, guides, signage or a website of reasonable quality; and printed materials that communicate low-impact ethics for trail users.

11/4/2005