From Harford County Government:
The Harford County Historic Preservation Commission has announced its 16th annual award recipients during a breakfast ceremony at the Liriodendron Mansion on Gordon Street in Bel Air. County Executive David Craig began the morning by reading a proclamation declaring the month of May to be National Historic Preservation Month. Mr. James Chrismer, chairman of the Harford County Historic Preservation Commission, acted as master of ceremonies. Each May, in honor of Historic Preservation Month, the Commission presents awards in three different categories to recognize individuals and organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to stewardship of the County’s cultural and historic resources.
Preservation Project Awards acknowledge significant achievements in preserving, restoring or finding a sensitive adaptive re-use for the County’s built architecture. This year the Commission identified four particularly outstanding preservation projects. The first project was the rehabilitation of the 1808 Hays- Heighe House, centered on the campus of Harford Community College. Dr. Dennis Golladay, President of the college, accepted the award. Mr. Chrismer applauded the efforts of Harford Community College for its rehabilitation of the impressive granite structure and its creation of a “Living Classroom” available to the larger community.
The second project, one of the more notable in the state of Maryland, went to the Kelly Group and Ebeling Noe Associates for their sensitive restoration of the Proctor House in Bel Air. The project included a thorough and careful restoration that retained all of its 19th century historic fabric. Partners William and Bryan Kelly and architect Marta Noe accepted the awards for their respective firms.
Additional Preservation Project Awards went to the Conits Group and to the Friends of Jerusalem Mill. The Conits Group received the award, its second, for its elegant rehabilitation of the La Banque de Fleuve, the former First National Bank building on St. John Street in Havre de Grace. The Friends of Jerusalem Mill and Chris Scovill received the award for the thorough restoration of the McCourtney’s Spring House in the historic Jerusalem Mill Village.
Special Preservation Awards acknowledge groups or individuals whose programming, activities, publications, exhibits, demonstrations, or presentations advance historic preservation to the general public. The Commission bestowed Special Preservation Awards to the Susquehanna Museum of Havre de Grace at the Lock House and to authors Mr. Henry Peden and Mr. Jack Shagena. The Susquehanna Museum, represented by Executive Director Danyelle Dorsey and modeler Mr. David Wood received its award for the working model of Lock 10 of the Tidewater Canal. Henry Peden and Jack Shagena received the Special Project award for their on-going series of comprehensive books documenting Harford County’s Rural Heritage.
For the final award of the morning, the Commission presented it’s first-ever Preservation Stewardship Award to Ms. Sharon Clark of the Rigbie House. The Preservation Stewardship Award celebrates property owners who have dedicated themselves to the care and maintenance of a historic property in Harford County. Commissioner Connie Beims, in presenting the award, spoke moving of Ms. Clark’s 43 years of loving care and protection of the 1752 structure made famous by General Lafayette’s encampment in the weeks prior to British surrender at Yorktown.
The Historic Preservation Commission, an eleven member board of appointed volunteers, works closely with the Department of Planning and Zoning to advocate for the preservation of the county’s historic and cultural resources. For more information about Harford County’s Historic Preservation Program, visit http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/PlanningZoning/ or contact Sarah Corey, Historic Preservation Planner, sccorey@harfordcountymd.gov or at (410) 638-3103 ext. 1369.
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