Preservation Awards

Outstanding Rehabilitation

The category honors excellence in the wholesale rehabilitation of a structure. Rehabilitation is defined as the act of returning a dilapidated, neglected, and/or damaged property to a state of utility through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient, contemporary use while preserving those portions or features that are significant to its historical, architectural and cultural integrity. Whenever possible, projects should comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

Outstanding Revitalization

This award recognizes efforts to preserve the historic fabric of a structure for modern purposes. The act of revitalization makes a space suitable for today's lifestyles while also preserving character-defining features whenever possible. These projects breathe new life into dilapidated or otherwise neglected structures, finding the best possible way to create preservation within the fabric of existing features and materials.

Outstanding Adaptive Reuse of a Historic Building

The category recognizes the successful adaptive reuse of a historic building for a new purpose. Projects will be judged on the basis of sensitivity to the building’s character-defining features and architectural integrity, innovative design solutions, and impact on the local community. Examples may include: a gas station to a restaurant, a warehouse to shared office space, a residential building to an inn, etc.

Outstanding New Construction in a Historic Area

Exclusively for new construction, this category recognizes architectural designs in a local historic district, National Register District, or older neighborhood that are contemporary yet compatible to their surroundings. Projects may include an individual structure or an addition to a historic structure.

• Considerations for individual structures include scale, massing, setback, materials, roof shape, window openings and compatibility of overall design.

• Considerations for additions to historic structures include subordinance to the original structure,

• massing, materials, roof shape, window openings and compatibility of overall design.

Outstanding Restoration

Restoration is defined as: “The act or process of accurately recovering the form and details of a property and its setting as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of later work or by the replacement of missing earlier work.” This award is presented to restoration projects of exemplary quality completed in the course of the last three years. Consistent employment of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Restoration is a necessary qualification.

Outstanding Achievement

Recognizing exemplary activities in the field of historic preservation, this award is presented to persons, groups, businesses, and government entities for a wide variety of projects and accomplishments. Examples may include:

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• Contribution to the advancement of and/or having a positive impact on the field of historic preservation.

• Consistent employment of standard preservation practices, particularly those stipulated in the Secretary of the

• Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties

• Completion of historic preservation-related projects that involve a broad scope and/or scale.