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Press Release

June 17, 2014

Contact:  Larry O'Dell
405-522-6676
lodell@okhistory.org

SHPO Presents 2014 Awards

NORMAN, Okla. -- On Friday evening, June 5, the Oklahoma Historical Society's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) presented the Shirk Memorial Award for Historic Preservation and the 2014 Citations of Merit as a highlight of the annual statewide preservation conference held in Norman. The awards were presented during the conference banquet in the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom at the Oklahoma Memorial Union on the University of Oklahoma campus.

The Shirk Memorial Award for Historic Preservation is presented to individuals, organizations and agencies that have had statewide impact on the preservation of Oklahoma's heritage through leadership, public programming, publications, research, restoration and other contributions. This year's recipient was Preservation Oklahoma, Inc. (POK).

Because there was a real and growing interest in preservation statewide in the 1980s, people realized that government agencies could and should only do so much. Local leaders and preservation professionals came together to form a statewide nonprofit preservation organization, POK. POK's mission is increasing the public's awareness of important historic places and serving as an advocate for their preservation. This mission is accomplished through the annual Most Endangered Historic Places program, participation in "This Place Matters," the PlanFirst grants, presentation of workshops and issue-based advocacy, as well as a partnership with the SHPO.
With the SHPO, POK cosponsors the annual statewide preservation conference, publishes "Preservation Oklahoma News," produces nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, and carries out special training programs such as the Historic Route 66 community workshops. 

Under a cooperative agreement with the Oklahoma Historical Society's Museums and Historic Sites Division, POK maintains its office in the Carriage House of the Overholser Mansion and manages this National Register-listed house museum for OHS. POK offers tours of the house, raises money for its restoration, oversees restoration work, and shares it with the public through special events. All of these projects and activities make POK one of the SHPO's most valued preservation partners.

The SHPO's Citation of Merit is presented annually to those who have had positive impacts on the preservation of Oklahoma's significant archaeological and historic properties. The 2014 recipients included:

The Coltrane Group for documenting and sharing the heritage of the Boley Historic District.

Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Builders Unlimited, Inc., and GH2 Architects, LLC, for rehabilitation of the Greenleaf State Park Nature Center.

Chickasha Housing Partners Limited Partnership for rehabilitation of the Chickasha Hotel.

Cohen-Esrey Communities, LLC, for rehabilitation of Clay Hall for the Enid Senior Residences.

Hobart Main Street Program for its highly successful facade improvement grant program.

International Order of the Rainbow for Girls for stewardship of the IORG Supreme Assembly Temple.

Jonita Mullins for development and presentation of Muskogee's Historic Neighborhood Walking Tours.

Michael Brinkley and Lynda Donley of Norman for rehabilitation of their Chautauqua Historic District residence.

Brent Swift for leadership efforts to encourage rehabilitation of Norman's historic properties.

The University of Oklahoma and Bockus Payne Associates Architects for rehabilitation of the McCasland Field House and the Beatrice Carr Wallace Old Science Hall.

Midtown Investments, LLC, for rehabilitation of the Packard-Eisele Motors Building in Oklahoma City.

Standley Systems, LLC, for rehabilitation of the historic Sherman Iron Works building in Oklahoma City.

Main Street of Perry, Cherokee Strip Museum, City of Perry and Civic Organization Cooperative Effort for cosponsorship of Our Sense of Place: Oklahoma's 25th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference.

Beverly Bryant for efforts to inform the public about Ponca City's heritage and the importance of its preservation.

Ponca City Historic Re-Enactors Group for performances informing the public about Ponca City's heritage.

City of Ponca City, Ponca City Historic Preservation Advisory Panel and
Ponca City Main Street for the September 2013 Local History Month celebration.

Ponca City Art Association for stewardship of the historic Soldani Mansion.

Charles L. Leider, retired Oklahoma State University professor of landscape architecture for leadership efforts to identify, document and share Oklahoma's historic landscapes with the public.

Northern Oklahoma College, GH2 Architects, LLC, and Hemphill Services, LLC, for rehabilitation of buildings on Northern Oklahoma College's Tonkawa campus.

Ed Taylor and the Tulsa Community College Documentary Filmmaking Class for completion of the "Tulsa: Finding 66" student video project.

Thomas Foster and the University of Tulsa's Spring 2013 Cultural Resource Management Class for the Tulsa Neighborhood Research Project completed in cooperation with the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office.

Blythe and Casey Wilson for the adaptive reuse of Washington's historic First American Bank Building as Althea's Vault.

For more information about the 2014 award recipients, as well as previous honorees, visit the SHPO's website at http://www.okhistory.org/shpo/shpoawards.htm?full.




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