Preservation NC Hands Out Honors for Saving and Protecting Historic Architecture and Land

Oct. 12, 2010 - PRLog -- Denise Barnes, a Durham resident who has spent more than a decade working on behalf of historic preservation in North Carolina, was given Preservation NC's 2010 Ruth Coltrane Cannon Award for outstanding leadership.

Barnes, a psychologist in private practice, has served on the boards of both Preservation Durham and Preservation NC, and was instrumental in advocating for legislation that brings tax benefits for the restoration of certain historic properties in the state.

"It's hard to imagine anyone who's had more statewide impact in preservation during the last decade than Denise Barnes," said Myrick Howard, Preservation NC president.
Cannon, the award's namesake, served as president of the NC Society for the Preservation of Antiquities from 1945 to 1956.

Other awards presnted during the organization's 2010 conference in Durham Sept. 23-25 were:

The Robert E. Stipe Award for working professionals showing outstanding commitment to preservation, which was given to architect Don Tise of Chapel Hill.
As a principal of Tise-Kiester Architects since 1996, Tise is best known for his projects involving adaptive reuse of historic schools and industrial buildings.
His projects include a number of historic buildings that have been adaptively reused for affordable housing, including the Wilrik Hotel in Sanford, the Ahoskie High School Apartments, the Mount Olive School Apartments, the Rhode Island Mill and the Baker Sanitarium.  
The award honors Stipe, of Chapel Hill, a much lauded educator in the field of preservation who died in 2007.

The L. Vincent Lowe Jr. Business Award, presented to UNC Press. The Chapel Hill-based publisher has sponsored  numerous books about North Carolina historic architecture and history through the years and has become a valuable resource to preservationists, Howard said.
Among many notable books published by the Press are North Carolina
Architecture (1990), Sticks and Stones, the three regional guidebooks orth Carolina architecture, the portable version of North Carolina Architecture, and most recently Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color.
“UNC Press has been a great ally for the cause of historic preservation in North Carolina, publishing works that have withstood the test of time ‐‐ just like the buildings that they feature,” Howard said.
The award, which recognizes businesses showing vision and creativity in promoting protection of the state’s architectural resources, was named for Lowe, of Wilson, a supporter of historic causes throughout the state.

The Minnette C. Duffy Award Landscape Preservation Award went to Jimmy and Mary Lou Avery Furr of Morganton. The couple owns Swan Ponds, a home built in 1828 by Waightstill Avery, North Carolina’s first attorney general.
The Furrs were honored for protecting their 77 acres of land in perpetuity through historic preservation covenants, which will prevent development of this scenic and ecologically important section of the Haw River watershed in Burke County. The honor comes with a $500 stipend.
Duffy, the award’s namesake, was known for her involvement in preservation of Tryon Palace and its grounds in New Bern.
            
The $10,000 Stedman Grant was presented to Edenton Historical Commission for the protection and restoration of Martinique, one of the oldest extant structures in Eastern North Carolina.
The farm house was built in the mid 1700s on a land grant deeded by Lord Granville. It was home to a chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court (John Wallace Winborne, 1884-1966), as well as Allen Parker (1838-1906), a former slave who wrote Recollections of Slavery Time, published in 1895.            
With proposed redevelopment of the ancestral Winborne estate threatening the structures, the Edenton Historical Commission saved the historic home and four outbuildings by relocating them.  The Stedman Grant will be used assist in stabilizing the structures and finding a buyer willing and able to protect Martinique.
The Stedman grant was initiated in 1975 by the late Marion Stedman Covington of Greensboro in memory of her father.

                         
Preservation NC also presented 12 Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit to individuals and organizations demonstrating significant preservation efforts.  The award honors the late Dr. Carraway of New Bern, a leader in efforts to reconstruct Tryon Palace.

Recipients were:

State Rep. Phil Haire and Connie Haire, of Sylva, NC, for their ongoing support of preservation throughout the state, including restoration of a Confederate Statue in Jackson County.

Gary Kueber of Durham for his blog EndangeredDurham.com, an innovative and effective vehicle for educating the public about the fragile historic built environment and for creating an inventory and archive of historic structures, both lost and extant.

The Greene County Museum for saving two historic buildings and contributing to the creation of a new Downtown Historic District in Snow Hill.

Historic Halifax Restoration Association for its work beginning in 1954 to preserve and restore the village now known as the Halifax State Historic Site.                     
Historic Wilmington Foundation for its “Tar Heels Go Walking” educational program that brings history to life for students in New Hanover County Schools.
               
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro for the sensitive preservation and recent restoration of the Alumni House, a 1937 Neo-Classical Revival structure that serves as headquarters for the university’s alumni organizations.

Chowan University for restoration of the McDowell Columns Building, an iconic structure and historically significant campus building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Town of Zebulon for restoration of Wakelon School, built in 1909. Decommissioned by the school system in 1985, the stately Italianate building once again serves the community as a town hall following renovation by the town.

Leonard Ryden Burr real estate agency in Winston-Salem for its focus on historic homes and buildings, as well as tours and marketing efforts on behalf of properties more than 50 years old.

Wachovia Historical Society and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning Department for “Spanning the Past,” a thorough and insightful inventory of bridges built between 1880 and 1954 in Forsyth County.

Joe and Janet Spires of Tarboro for their 15 years of service as resident curators at Coolmore Plantation, a National Historic Landmark known for its architectural and historical significance.

Mary Powell Young DeLille of High Point for her leadership in the restoration of the Briles House for use as the headquarters of the Junior League of High Point.

# # #

Preservation North Carolina protects and promotes historic buildings and sites reflecting the state's diverse heritage. As a nonprofit, we provide educational outreach, a comprehensive website, and direct action through our Endangered Properties Program.