Preservation is alive in Cambridge!

2011-2012 PRESERVATION AWARDS

The Cambridge Historical Commission is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual Cambridge Preservation Awards. Inaugurated by the Commission in 1997, the program celebrates both outstanding historic preservation projects and notable individuals for their contributions to the conservation and protection of the city’s architecture and history.

This year’s Preservation Awards include exterior renovations at 101 and 195 Brattle Street, 44 Follen Street, 77 Hurley Street, the Garment District at 200 Broadway, and St. Mary Orthodox Church at 8 Inman Street. Other restoration projects receiving awards are the historic wall at the corner of Hawthorn and Brattle streets; the former Ford Assembly plant at 640 Memorial Drive; the Boston University Bridge; and the Shell Spectacular Sign at the corner of Magazine Street and Memorial Drive.

Individuals to be honored for their unique contributions to preservation are James Shea, for his distinguished career as Site Manager at the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, and City Manager Robert Healy and his team for the restoration of historic paint colors in the public spaces of City Hall.

Participants in the Cambridge Community Development Department’s Façade, Signage, and Lighting Improvement Program will receive Certificates of Merit for projects at 364 Broadway (Dwelltime), 877 Cambridge Street (Atwood’s Tavern), 438 Massachusetts Avenue (CCTV), and 450 Massachusetts Avenue (Veggie Galaxy).

The Historical Commission celebrates the commitment of the individuals who worked on these projects to make Cambridge a more attractive and desirable place in which to live and work. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 17th, from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Sullivan Chamber at Cambridge City Hall. The public is invited. For more information, please contact the Commission at 617 349 4683.

The Cambridge Preservation Awards Program was initiated in 1997 by the Cambridge Historical Commission to celebrate outstanding efforts to preserve Cambridge's historic character and built environment. Awards are given in each May for projects completed within the previous calendar year.

Award-winning projects embody the goals of preserving, protecting and celebrating Cambridge's historic architecture and unique sense of place. May is National Preservation Month. In 2011, the national theme of Preservation Month, chosen by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, was "Celebrating America's Treasures."  For more information about national Preservation Week activities, go to the  National Trust's web site. 

The seven project categories eligible for Cambridge Preservation Awards are: restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive use, neighborhood conservation, landscape preservation, archaeology, and education/outreach. Awards are presented on the basis of the following criteria:

• historical and architectural significance of the property preserved by the project,
• exceptional quality of the project,
• extent to which the project contributed to the preservation of the property,
• impact of the project on the preservation of the city’s historic resources

Previous award winning projects have included residential, commercial, and industrial properties and historic landscapes.

NOTE: The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) organizes a statewide Preservation Award program.
For more information about the MHC's award program and nomination process, click here.