Historic Preservation

During the 1960s, Washington, DC and its surrounding communities experienced an urban renewal that saw a rebuilding of infrastructure and consequently required the destruction of a number of older buildings in the area. In Alexandria, an independent city a short distance from DC, the destruction of the old buildings uncovered an abundance of historical artifacts that shed light on the history of the area. Realizing that there was a plethora of previously undiscovered, culturally-important artifacts right beneath their feet, the city’s leadership created the Office of Historic Alexandria to try to cultivate and make sense of this new information.

The U.S. Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., commonly referred to as the ‘Soldiers’ Home,’ is one of the country’s oldest veterans’ retirement homes and certainly one of the most beautiful. Located on a 273-acre campus in Northwest D.C., the Home’s green pastures and tranquil lakes sit in stark contrast to the developed neighborhoods of the surrounding community. Since the home opened in 1851, the retirement community has been home to thousands of retired elderly and disabled veterans in the Washington area.

ArtSpace is a national organization, headquartered in Minneapolis, which works to transform communities through the arts. The organization runs 33 affordable, artist-housing facilities throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas, that help improve the livability of their neighborhoods by repurposing old or abandoned buildings to attract artists to live and work in the community.

Charles Ansbacher Award

The Charles Ansbacher Award for Culture and Community honors the memory of Maestro Charles Ansbacher, who was named the “unofficial ambassador of America’s music” by President Bill Clinton. This award honors an individual who exemplifies community involvement by addressing the needs of underserved areas of culture and society.

Byron Rushing is being honored for advocating policies that preserve the history and promote the rights of our society’s most disadvantaged populations, including the African-American and LGBT communities.

The Honorable Byron Rushing is the second recipient of the Charles Ansbacher Award for Culture and Community. The award is in recognition of his appreciation for culture and active engagement in the community. Rushing first became interested in community engagement in the 1960s when he was an influential participant in the Civil Rights Movement, working with local Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) chapters on voter education campaigns in Boston and New York.

From 1972 to 1985, Rushing was the President of the Museum of African-American history in Boston, where he helped empower Massachusetts’ African-American population through public education and the preservation of culturally important historical sites.

Since 1982, Rushing has served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 9th Suffolk District and is presently the Majority Whip. One of the most senior members of the House, he has fought for expanded rights for minorities, women, and the LGBT community. For his admirable actions as both a politician and community leader, we are proud to present, with endorsement by Swanee Hunt, the Charles Ansbacher Memorial Award to Byron Rushing, a man who embodies the spirit of both culture and equity of the award’s namesake.

Founders Award for Civic Leadership

The Founders Award for Civic Leadership acknowledges groups and individuals of national stature for his or her contributions to the stewardship of communities.

Bonnie Burnham is being honored for dedicating her career to preserving historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world. Burnham is President of the World Monuments Fund, which has worked at more than 500 sites in 91 countries.

Bonnie Burnham began her career as a supporter of cultural heritage with the International Foundation for Arts Research in New York. Appointed as the executive director in 1975, Burnham took on the seemingly insurmountable task of manually compiling the Art Theft Archives temporarily housed in the New York Explorer’s Club, her desk down the hall from the life-sized, stuffed Polar Bear.

Burnham was appointed the executive director of the World Monuments Fund in 1985. From that point forward, the World Monuments Fund became an invaluable asset in the fight to protect cultural heritage sites worldwide. With the support of major corporations such as American Express, the WMF produces the World Monuments Watch List every two years, identifying cultural heritage sites in danger of being eroded or destroyed. Today, the World Monuments Fund is the leading international voice defending cultural heritage and historic buildings throughout the world, leading hundreds of communities to embrace their heritage and imparting a greater sense of pride amongst residents.

photo credit Northwood Park Historical Society

The vision of the Norwood Park Historical Society (NPHS) is to be “recognized as a leader, educator, advocate, and resource” in the community of Norwood Park that “values and preserves its historic character and is acknowledged as an area of historical importance to the city of Chicago and the region.” To reach out to older adults, the NPHS launched Voices of Norwood Park, a personal-history project designed to educate older adults about methods for recording their histories and for collecting written and oral histories of their lives and times in Norwood Park. 

Norwood Park is one of the oldest, most distinctive, and historically important neighborhoods in the Chicago metropolitan area. NPHS was formed in 1973 to preserve Norwood Park’s history and promote community awareness. The Society has transformed the oldest house in Chicago, which serves as its offices, into a multipurpose community center with a museum and a café. Its museum focuses on Chicago’s far-northwest side and has a growing collection of historical artifacts and research materials.

Here is a section of sidewalk in Boston made from brick pavers. It’s clear that the lack of uniform sizes and heights could pose challenges for the disabled or elderly pedestrian. Photo credit Seldom Scene Photography.

Designers, planners, and members of the public have recently come into conflict over Boston’s historic use of molded brick in sidewalks and public spaces.  Some think the use of bricks represents the face of Boston, while others condemn them as obstacles to the disabled and elderly. The different viewpoints amount to an ownership debate on the city’s public space.

The City’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities maintains that traditional, molded bricks are unable to provide the smooth surfaces (meaning no height variations greater than a quarter of an inch) that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires. However, other professionals (landscape architects, historical preservationists, and the brick industry) affirm that the material itself is not to blame, but rather improper installation and maintenance. 

Lifetime Achievement Award 
 

Tersh Boasberg is honored for his revolutionary advocacy of historic preservation, land use, and environmental law, and as founder of Preservation Action, a national grassroots lobby. His active leadership in Washington, D.C. zoning battles has provided regional growth through the protection of historical beauty for our future.

An organization that works with the existing cultural and historical strengths of Rocky Mount to revitalize the community’s economic health.

North Adams, MA

A cultural institution has brought stupendous growth to the surrounding community.

Memphis, TN

A museum which educates the public on the Civil Rights Movement and preserves the historic location of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination.

El Paso, TX

A central entertainment hub and source of pride for the El Paso community.

Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award

A community leader who has fought to preserve and revitalize the rich cultural past of Paterson, New Jersey.

A city that was completely transformed by the strong will of civic leaders and innovative urban planning strategies.

Investors in America Award

For his enterprising spirit to renovate historic buildings and create development rojects in areas previously ignored by developers.

Founders Award for Civic Leadership

Senior Advisor at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, for furthering cultural heritage development and historic preservation for over 40 years.

Entrepreneurial American Community Award

For the community partnership that went into the creation of the Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center.