On Sunday, December 5, Preservation Piedmont held our Annual Meeting at James Monroe's Highland. We presented three grants and seven awards to community members and organizations.
2021 has been a year of continued difficulties due to the global pandemic, yet it has also been a year of tremendous effort to return to important projects. These seven groups or individuals are commended for their efforts that align with our mission to commit to truth-telling in the Central Piedmont's historical narrative, to preserve communities and sense of place.
Awards:
A Special Recognition Award to the University of Virginia, for thoughtful community engagement in the development of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers.
An Adaptive Reuse Award to Armand and Bernice Thieblot, owners of the Quarry Gardens at Schuyler, for their dedication to adaptive reuse of the Quarry Gardens, and for making it available to the public.
An adaptive Reuse Award to The Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation and Allen Hale, for their efforts to preserve and make publicly available one of the great engineering feats of the world, the Blue Ridge Railroad Tunnel.
A Community Preservation Award to Charlottesville Community Engagement, for excellent reporting on local land use and development issues.
A Preservation Award to owners Tim Mullins and Tara Crosson, and builder Craig Jacobs, for thoughtful rehabilitation of an important Albemarle County structure, Findowrie.
A Design Award to Charlottesville Quirk, LLC, for the Quirk Hotel's sensitive infill development on Charlottesville's West Main Street.
The Martha Gleason Award. This award goes to a member of our community who has exhibited sustained dedication to advocating for our community. “This year, we are delighted to present the Martha Gleason Award to Jean Hiatt, in recognition of her outstanding preservation efforts and service to the community as a founding member of Preservation Piedmont, for service on the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review, for contributions to oral histories and to the book Bridge Builders, and her active involvement with neighborhood associations and preservation advocacy.”
Community Grants:
The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, for their project to restore and keep active the Hatton Ferry, a small historic ferry across the James River.
Burley Varsity Club, for the publication of Unforgettable Jackson P. Burley High School, a book about the history of Jackson P Burley High School, built by Charlottesville and Albemarle to provide a modern high school for its African American communities and known for its superlative athletic teams and academic accomplishments.
Friends of Gladstone Depot (with assistance from the Nelson County Historical Society), for their efforts to move the Gladstone depot to a new site and repurpose the facility as a community center.
We are also pleased to welcome new Board of Directors members - Will Rourk, Lorenzo Dickerson, and Dr. Michael Dickens to help lead Preservation Piedmont in 2022.